KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Vayera | What Really (Almost) Happened in Sedom, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How could Lot conceivably offer his daughters to the men of Sedom? We are accustomed to reading the story of Sedom and imagining an angry gang of the men of the town surrounding Lot's house and demanding that he send out the two visitors for purposes of a gang-rape. We reexamine that assumption and note that our reading is influenced by the text in Shoftim 19 - and even that, as Rada"k points out, may not be as prurient a story as we imagine. In addition, Lot's readiness to offer his unmarried daughters to the gang is, in light of the common understanding, the most dastardly thing we could imagine a father doing. We propose a different understanding of the intent of the townsfolk and, in light of that, the context of Lot's offering his daughters to the crowd. Source sheet >>

Rav Asher Weiss on War (4): The "Spier and the Shield" of Torah Study, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb The 3rd and final installment of R. Asher's 1st public address, delivered "the day after", on 10/8, highlighting the need for "offense and defense" both in war and in Torah study. "

Rav Asher Weiss on War (3), by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What is the role of Torah study during the war? Does people learning "on the home front" help the soldiers? [Needless to say, this is part of a very sensitive topic currently being debated]

Lekh Lekha | The Ethics of Rejoicing Over the Death of our Enemies, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The current war that we are fighting has brought many moments of despair and sadness, but there have also been moments of triumph, including the notifications of the "neutralization" of some of our worst, bloodthirsty, barbaric enemies. Looking past the understandably human reaction to celebrate the vengeance, we look to our sources to explore whether it is seen as inappropriate, acceptable or even praiseworthy to exult at the death of our worst enemies. Much of this shiur was inspired by the work of Prof. David Henshke. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 02 | Lekh Lekha, by Rav Eli Weber

Iggeret HaRamban | 2 | Anger is a "Gateway to Sin" - Stay Away! by Rav Dovid Gottlieb A new series of shiurim on Iggeret HaRamban. The Ramban wrote a letter to his son which is a classic of machshava and mussar. The letter is basically an ethical will about what's important in life and how to be a good. Everyone knows that anger is bad and that we're better off if we can control our temper: * what is so bad about anger? * what practical steps can we take to try to control our temper

Torah Study vs Army Service: What Do the Sources Say? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In light of Rav Gottlieb's recent shiurim on Rav Asher Weiss and his teshuvot regarding army service, and the debate that ensued, we felt it more than appropriate to release a shiur given by Rav Gottlieb to his shana bet talmidim in Har Etzion, to better understand his personal view on the subject.

Iggeret HaRamban | 1 | The Importance of Midot and Modeling Proper Behavior, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb A new series of shiurim on Iggeret HaRamban. The Ramban wrote a letter to his son which is a classic of machshava and mussar. The letter is basically an ethical will about what's important in life and how to be a good person. As such, it is just as relevant to each of us as it was to his son.

Rav Asher Weiss on War (2): The Day After - Now What?? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In his recently published "Minchas Asher - Emunah U-Bitachon" R. Asher has a section dedicated to discussing the religious challenges of of the war. On October 8th, 2023, Isru Chag, the day after the horrific attacks, R. Asher gave his 1st public address, during which he attempts to process the shock and horror of what happened on Simchat Torah.

Rav Asher Weiss on War: "Shema" is a Segula for the Soldiers, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In his recently published "Minchas Asher - Emunah U-Bitachon" R. Asher has a section dedicated to discussing the religious challenges of of the war.

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 01 | Noach, by Rav Eli Weber Did Hashem give up on humanity? Was Noach a tzadik? What does it mean that Hashem remembers?

Noach | Days of Wine and Curses: A Fresh Look at The Curse of Canaan, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What was Cham's sin in the tent? The immediate postdiluvian scene (Bereishit 9:18-29) is troubling on several accounts. Why is Cham introduced (twice!) as "father of Canaan"? What did he do that was so egregious that he earned his father's eternal curse? Why was that curse placed on Canaan, Cham's youngest son? How did Noach even know what happened, if he was asleep? Who are Canaan's brothers, to whom he is to be enslaved? Building off of Midrash Chaza"l and several contemporary observations, we propose a more text-friendly way of reading Cham's sin and Canaan's curse. Source sheet >>

Teshuva and the Fatal Flaw of Religious Mediocrity, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What does it take to be "written" in the Book of Life? Is it enough NOT to be wicked or is something more impressive and ambitious expected of us?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (6): Erasing our Past or Elevating It? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Sixth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva. How should we relate to our sinful past? Does teshuva require me to "amputate" my past experiences and memories? (This is my favorite piece in the whole sefer - it changed my life when I first learned it 30 years ago. for real.)

Kohelet 3 | To Everything a Season, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the wisdom hiding behind the famous "Song of the Seasons" in Kohelet 3? The third chapter of Kohelet begins with a famous poem, where the author presents 28 "seasons", some positive and some drastic, noting that there is a time for each of them. The choice of these 28 "times" has long challenged commentators; even more difficult is the sequence and hierarchy of these choices or experiences. Using Kohelet's own weltanschauung and utilizing literary structural analysis, we propose an explanation that not only explains the selection of these "times", but also their unusual sequence. Source sheet >>

Yom Kippur 5785 | Looking Back At Past Redemptions, by Rav Moshe Taragin To better navigate the current historical moment

The Role of the Tzibbur in Avodat HaKohen HaGadol, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the role of the community in the Avoda of Yom haKippurim? Vayikra 16, which is read in its entirety as the Kriat haTorah of Yom haKippurim, details the Avoda of the Kohen Gadol. At first read, it appears to be a ritual that the Kohen Gadol must perform any time that he chooses to enter the "Dvir" (Kodesh Kodoshim) - or if there is an occasional need to cleanse the Mishkan from Tum'ah. Yet, at the end of the chapter, we are told that this is an annual rite, one in which only one person performs all of the Avoda and no one else is even allowed to be inside the Mikdash while he is in the innermost sanctum. How are we to understand the sudden "imposition" of an obligation of everyone to afflict himself or herself and the nearly utter isolation of the central actor on this day? We propose a historic precedent which serves as more than background, but is essentially reenacted on an annual basis with an eye towards repairing what was broken back then. Source sheet >>

Sichat Mussar for Yom Kippur | 5785, by Rav Moshe Taragin Dissecting the Pathology of Sin; Seeing Through Fantasy and Photoshops; 3 Tips For Immersive Yom Kippur: Watch Your Tongue, Ignore Your Watch and Avoid "Sunday Thoughts"

The Road to Teshuva | Part 9, by Rav Moshe Taragin Personal and Collective Viduy; Macro and Micro Teshuva; Creating Shock and Sorrow

Exploring the Themes and Pesukim of Rosh Hashana Part 2, by Rav Moshe Taragin Take Our Pain As Our Prayer; The Ashes; Love, Not Memories; Sacred Thunderclaps; The Melody of Pride

Changing the Tone of Selichot after October 7th, by Rav Moshe Taragin This shiur was delivered before selichot Motzaei Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayelekh, in Congregation Rinat Yisrael, 2024 (Teaneck, NJ)

Elevating our Sacrifice and Commitment, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb The soldiers are committed to the mission above all else - how can we make ourselves worthy of their commitment this Rosh Hashana?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (5): The Two Dimensions of Teshuva, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Fifth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva. Part 2 of our discussion of the second essay in the sefer. Is Teshuva an "obligation of the heart" or is there a required action?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (4): Is Teshuva a Mitzva? Must I Repent? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Fourth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva. Part 1 of our discussion of the second essay in the sefer. If a person sins MUST he / she do teshuva or is that something that can be done of one wants? In other words, if I sin and don't do teshuva, is that a 2nd sin (because I am obligated to do teshuva) or is it merely 1 sin with a missed opportunity to get forgiven for that sin??

Exploring the Themes and Pesukim of Rosh Hashana, by Rav Moshe Taragin Bringing Hashem to a G-dless World; The Anthem of Jewish History

Ramban on the Torah | 61 | Nitzavim-Vayelekh, by Rav Eli Weber "You stand this day, all of you, before your God." Don't we always live our lives in God's presence? And more...

Vayelekh | Hakhel in Yavneh... And Beyond, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the impact of Hakhel in our day? The penultimate Mitzva found in the Torah is the command to assemble all of the people at the end of the Shemitta year, to hear a public reading of the Torah (התורה הזאת) - including the men, the women and the children. In a famous story recorded in Tosefta Sota, a homily of R. Elazar b. Azariah's about Hakhel is recorded, and is followed by two more homilies which all seem unrelated. Tying R. E;lazar b. Azariah's revolutionary approach (see BT Berakhot 27b) to education, we tie these three דרשות together into a weave that forms the foundation of this astonishingly new approach to teaching and publicizing Torah - all anchored in this ancient Mitzva. Source sheet >>

The Road to Teshuva | Part 8, by Rav Moshe Taragin Avoiding "Viduy Traps": Denial, Deflection, Disingenuousness

The Road to Teshuva | Parts 6-7, by Rav Moshe Taragin Paradoxes of Teshuva: Can Teshuva Be Selective?; The Halakhic Definition of What is Considered "Forgotten" Paradoxes of Teshuva: Personal Teshuva vs. Collective Teshuva; Believing in Jews as a Route to Teshuva; Covering With Snow Rather Than Cleansing

Ki Tavo | Why Did Bnei Yisrael Need a Second Tokhacha? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is the imprecation (תוכחה) in our Parasha so much more frightening and graphic than the earlier one in Vayikra 26 Parashat Ki Tavo is perhaps most well-known for the lengthy and painful imprecation which Moshe integrates into the covenant which he initiates with Bnei Yisrael in the Plains of Moav - a decidedly second and "other" covenant to the original one entered into at Sinai. We explore the need for a second covenant and the significantly more frightening imagery in the second תוכחה and propose why it may have been needed for this second generation, born free in the desert. לע"נ אחי יונתן הלל בן הרב אשר אהרן ומרים Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 60 | Ki Tavo, by Rav Eli Weber What is the meaning of Vidui Bikkurim? Is there a meaning to what the goyim think of us? What is the meaning of writing the Torah on stones?

The Road to Teshuva | Part 5, by Rav Moshe Taragin Teshuva Paradoxes- "We Will be in the Same Place Next Year"- 3 Ways to Solve the Hypocrisy of Religious Recidivism

The Road to Teshuva | Part 4, by Rav Moshe Taragin Can Teshuva Aspiration be Too Ambitious; Divine Reassurances Without Reducing Standards

The Road to Teshuva | Part 3, by Rav Moshe Taragin Is Teshuva Too Foundational to be "A Mitzva"?

Ki Tetze | The Slanderer, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What was the "motzi shem ra" attempting to accomplish? A challenging sugya in peshuto shel mikra Much of the middle of Parashat Ki Tetze is devoted to laws relating to sexual impropriety, expanding (per our approach) on the Dibber - לא תנאף. The most puzzling passage (22:13-21) addresses a case of possible slander on the part of a new husband, besmirching his new wife's reputation and making claims about her lack of virtue in advance of their marriage. What begins as an apparently transparent attempt to get out of a marriage he now regrets leads to one of two far more unpleasant results - either his being punished and publicly shamed or, far worse, her execution. We examine the intersection between text and law, identifying the difficulties and suggesting a solution as to the import of this unusual pair of rulings. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 59 | Ki Tetze, by Rav Eli Weber What is the point of the mitzvah to build a railing? Why are there special mitzvot for war? What's the problem with prostitution?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (3): Do We Deserve to be Forgiven If We Do Teshuva? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Third in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva Is the forgiveness promised if we do teshuva a result of Hashem's Midat HaRachachamim or Midat HaDin? The Rav addresses this - and other fascinating questions - as we conclude the 1st essay in 'Al HaTeshuva'.

Carrying our Broken Hearts to the End of a Cursed Year, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb How can we process the murder of the 6 hostages and what should we be thinking about as 5784 comes to a close? Swords of Iron | Day 339

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (2): Going Beyond the Sin Itself and Repenting for the "Lifestyle" of Sin, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Second in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva When is it enough to "just" repent for the sin itself and when - and why - must we sometimes repent even for the lifestyle that led to the sin?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (1): The Duality of Sin and the Duality of Repentance, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb First in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva In order to understand how teshuva works we first need to understand the impact of sin - once we appreciate in what way(s) sin is damaging, then we can analyze how teshuva rehabilitates us.

The Road to Teshuva | Parts 1 and 2, by Rav Moshe Taragin Is Teshuva Optional; How Did Rav Aharon Lichtenstein View the Realm of "Reshut" Why is There No Mitzva for Teshuva?; Maximizing Free Will; Teshuva for Lost Opportunities

Shoftim | The Prohibition of "Raising" a Stele, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is the matzeiva described as "abhorred by God"? In the middle of the presentation of the laws of the Beit Din HaGadol (the central national court), the Torah interjects three seemingly disconnected prohibitions - planting a tree near the altar, raising a stele (מצבה) and offering a blemished animal. We address the middle of these passages and note the curious phrasing of the prohibition - אשר שנא ה' אלקיך and observe that both אשר as well as שנא has multiple possible meanings within the verse. We then briefly survey the history of the מצבה in the narrative of the תורה, where it seems to have Divine approval - and then we see three main approaches in the Midrashim and the Rishonim, each with its own difficulties. We then suggest a variation of one of these approaches, based on a careful reading of our text. This shiur was dedicated to the memory of the six חטופים who were murdered, in cold blood, just before their imminent rescue. השם יקום דמם ויהא זכרם ברוך Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 58 | Shoftim, by Rav Eli Weber Why do people die in wars? What is the point of Egla Arufa? What does it mean to be "Tamim"?

Reeh | Ish haYashar beEinav | Revisiting a Biblical Conundrum, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What did Moshe mean when he said "that which is right in each man's eyes" in reference to the Mikdash? Moshe Rabbenu, in describing the difference between the sacral worship in the desert and that which the people are imminently going to practice once they enter the Land, uses an odd phrase - "You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever is right in his own eyes". We explore the various ways in which this phrase was understood by the Rishonim and, inspired by a comment in the Pesikta Zutrata (Lekah Tov), use the parallel phrase at the end of Sefer Shoftim for a deeper understanding of the role of the Mikdash and its association with justice and proper behavior in the Land. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 57 | Reeh, by Rav Eli Weber What is the role of the navi?

Explaining the Wisdom of Harav Yehuda Amital zt"l (Part 34), by Rav Moshe Taragin In light of the recent publication of the sefer לעולם יהא אדם, מתורותיו של הרב יהודה עמיטל, Rav Taragin discusses with his talmidim many of the issues brought up in his rebbe's sichot: Should a Person Develop Personal Torah Chiddushim? The Price of Shifting Torah Authority from Community Rabonim to Roshei Yeshiva

Ramban on the Torah | 56 | Ekev, by Rav Eli Weber How could Moshe Rabbeinu willingly shatter luchot written by the hand of HaKadosh Barukh Hu?! This and more... about our intimate relationship with God.

Ramban on the Torah | 55 | Vaetchanan, by Rav Eli Weber Which is the "real" text of the aseret hadibrot? Treating a derabanan mitzva as deoraita - is that bal tosif? And more...

Ekev | How Do You Spell "Mezuzot"? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How many ways can "Mezuzot" be legitimately spelled? The Orthography of the Torah Rashi, in his comment on Devarim 6:9, infers from the written form of "Mezuzot" - מזוזת - that we need only write the words of שמע...ואהבת (and the rest) on one doorpost, since the written version alludes to "Mezuzat". However, our Sifrei Torah all have that word written מזזות. We explore the phenomenon of כתיב מלא וחסר - (plene and "defective" orthography), where Hebrew letters are used to "guide" reading and are read as vowels. We also explore the rabbinic history of variant texts of the Torah and how that challenge was met. Source sheet >>

Explaining the Wisdom of Harav Yehuda Amital zt"l (Parts 32-33), by Rav Moshe Taragin In light of the recent publication of the sefer לעולם יהא אדם, מתורותיו של הרב יהודה עמיטל, Rav Taragin discusses with his talmidim many of the issues brought up in his rebbe's sichot: #32: Rabbis Should Be Humans Not Angels; Too Much Kavod?; Rav Amital's Honest and Brilliant Confession; Gaining the Respect of the "Rebetzin" #33: Encountering the Modern Culture; "I Have No Easy Solutions ("Patentim" in Hebrew); Avoiding Simplistic Faith