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Recent Lessons

Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
The Counterpoint of Leadership
One of the most important Jewish contributions to our understanding of leadership is its early insistence of “the separation of powers”. Neither authority nor power was to be located in a single individual or office. Instead, leadership was divided between different kinds of roles.
Tetzave
Rabbi Ari Shvat
Irony & Hashem's "Sense of Humor" as Basics in Purim and Jewish Thought!
The Maharal, Rav Kook and others teach of the central theme on Purim of "Overturning"= V'Nahafoch Hu", but the question is: why is this so important? The class suggests 8 reasons why this concept is what convinced Yitro to convert to Judaism, and why this "boomerang" shows not only the irony and humor of God's history, but is so basic to understanding Judaism, justice, philosophy and more.
The Essence of Purim
44 min
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Hooray for Haman!
Sometimes, alas, our enemies get it right. Haman hit the proverbial nail on the head when he described the Jews (Esther 3:8) as a "disjointed, disunified, dispersed" People.
Purim in Our Time
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Purim Is Here - What Do I Do?
The Laws of Purim
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Myths, the Megila and Moshiach
As in many aspects of Jewish life, myths abound concerning the Purim story. One of those myths portray Achashverosh as a harmless, bumbling old fool, pulled to and fro by his wives and advisors. Yet Gemara Megila makes it abundantly clear that Achashverosh hated the Jews no less - perhaps even more! - than did Haman.
The Essence of Purim

Popular Lessons

tamoz 5761 | Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
The Minor Fasts and Their Laws
Did Jews fast over the destruction of the First Temple when the Second Temple stood? Must pregnant and nursing women abstain from eating and drinking on minor fasts? Rabbi Eliezer Melamed addresses these and other important questions.
The 17th of Tamuz Various Subjects
Adar 2 5768 | Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
Purim Meshulash Guide for those in Yerushalayim Only
The Laws of Purim
5775 | Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
Chapter Twenty One-Part Three Days on Which Tachanun Is Not Recited
Prayer
Adar 7 5781 | Rabbi Ari Shvat
How to Understand Murdering Amalek & Other Mitzvot which Seem "Immoral"?
Every moral & thinking Jew has asked questions about certain mitzvot which don't seem to "jive" with the morality of God & the Torah itself! Rav Kook, as usual, bravely deals with these issues, & explains that "eternity" means that the Torah also had to be relevant to the primitive world in which it was given 3,300 yrs. ago. He differentiates between some actions, like slavery & bigamy, that had to be "allowed" temporarily in the ancient reality, but were never obligated. Nevertheless, 2 obligations (!) which seem "immoral" are regarding Amalek (killing & remembering-Zachor), & conquering the Land of Israel. But upon a closer look, they aren't immoral at all! When we lack prophets & Sanhedrin, the God Who runs History solves many problems!
Amaleck Observing Mitzvot
41 min
5761 | Rabbi David Dov Levanon
Acceptance of the Oral Tradition
The Sages say that the Almighty suspended Mount Sinai above the Israelites like an inverted cask and said, “If you accept the Torah, fine; if not, here will be your grave.” Why did God have to coerce the Children of Israel into receiving the Torah?
The Essence of Purim