KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Vayishlach | Rachel's Tragic Death: Why Did It Have To Happen? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The dramatic event of the birth of Binyamin, the only child of Yaakov to be born in the Land (according to the Sifri, in his own land), was e'er marred by the death, while birthing him, of the beloved Rachel. Rachel, buried on the road, weeping for her children to return, becomes the sentinel and lighthouse for all of Bnei Yisrael as a result - but why, indeed, did she die at this point? Was it the not unexpected result of a formerly barren woman having a second child (note that neither Sarah nor Rikvah seemed to try that after the long-awaited pregnancies) - or is there more that the Torah subtly communicates through the various responses of Yaakov to this and other tragedies throughout his elder years? Stay tuned... Source sheet >>

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 6: Rabbenu Yonah's Most Serious Liars, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Starting Rabbenu Yonah's second group who will not greet the Divine, liars. The first three groups, whom we will see this time, all damage others with their lies.

Vayetze | Who Knew What, When? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The famous deception of Yaakov on his wedding night, in which Leah was brought in to his chambers in the guise of Rachel, is a well-known component of the complex and unpleasant history between Yaakov and his father-in-law, Lavan. The famous Midrashic motif of the סימנין - the code that Yaakov and Rachel shared and which she subsequently revealed to her older sister to save her from being shamed, is a beloved and vital trope. Yet, a reassessment of the narrative itself, informed by a later testy conversation between the two sisters about who the "real" wife of Yaakov is tells a different story. Noting what is said and, more significantly, what is not said, opens up surprisingly different take on the story. Source sheet >>

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 5: Last Discussion of Moshav Leitzim, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Closing up our analysis of leitzim, with a few examples of how responsa brought up the concern.

Toldot | Why "Beersheva"? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What does "Beersheva" mean? Well of an oath? (If so, which oath) Well of the seven? (seven of what?) Seventh well? We first encounter the town of Beersheva in the stories of Avraham; he is in that area when Hagar is exiled from his encampment, and then again when Avimelekh approaches him to make a treaty. In spite of the repeated "seven" in that scene, the place is called "Beersheva" due to the oath ("shevua") between them; this scene repeats with Yitzchak. In that case, even though the well dug there was the seventh one in that narrative, the oath is the reason behind the name. We explore the significance of this place ironically through the lens of the Septuagint, which nearly always prefers a translation "well of the oath" to a transliteration. This survey not only explains that unusual rendering, but also a mysterious verse in the rebukes of Amos... Source sheet >>

A Conversation About Covenants | Rabbi Gavriel Rosen featuring Rabbi Lord Sacks zt"l, special commemorative marking Rav Sacks's second yahrzeit

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 4: Moshav Leitzim in Avot and Shulchan Arukh, by Rav Gidon Rothstein A further way to understand leitzim in general, from Pirkei Avot and the Shulchan Arukh.

Chayei Sara | What's The Matter With Canaanite Girls? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom When Avraham's days are nigh, he summons his chief slave and administers an oath that he not take a Canaanite girl as a wife for Yitzhak - "from the Canaanites among whom I reside". This motif reappears - perhaps - when Esav marries two Hittite women and again when Yehudah (possibly) marries a Canaanite girl. By looking at all of these sources along with the mention of a Canaanite woman bearing a son to Shimon, we survey the proposed explanations for Avraham's directive and if (and how) it impacted on his progeny. We propose a surprising take, which is anchored in the Rishonim, that the problem with the Canaanites was not inherent in their status nor in their behavior, rather in their location "in whose midst I reside". Source sheet >>

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 3: Other Views of Leitzim, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Expanding our understanding of what qualifies as a letz, as someone who does not value life and people enough.

Vayera | Kesut Einayim - Unraveling a Biblical Enigma, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In the aftermath of Sarah's safe return after being taken into the court of Avimelekh, the latter adds to his appeasement offering by making a puzzling statement to Sarah: He points out that he has given 1000 silver pieces to Avraham (surprising as it wasn't mentioned in 20:15 as part of the mollification gift) and that it would be a "כסות עיניים" - an odd phrase which defies easy translation. The rest of the verse is equally opaque and the broad range of interpretations offered bears witness to the difficulty of these verses. By looking at the landscape of the Ancient Near East and how Avimelekh is, via allusion, presented in the text, we suggest an approach which carries with it a subtle rebuke to Avraham - which he evidently accepts. Source sheet >>