Rabbi Breitowitz – In the first ten minutes of this class, Rabbi Breitowitz shares about the importance of taanit dibor (speech fasting) and it being more effective than other types of fasts (like refraining from food) in the teshuva process. In addition, the Rabbi discusses how a mitzvah is analogous to a candle that lights up your path and the Torah is like a light that lights up the road to how to control your tivas and stay on the path to the next world.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Shares various halachos (Jewish laws) as they pertain to the following topics with their time stamp in the video:
0:00 Explanation of pardes 2:35 is there a halachic basis for tucking out tzitzit as being gaivadic 4:50 what is gehenom like, does saying Kaddish do anything for a neshama that’s already in olam haba 15:45 who is qualified to receive nevuah, are gerim eligible 21:45 what Torah laws are assur for goyim to keep, are they allowed to enforce halachic observance on Jews 30:00 since limud Torah is so excluded, why are women excluded and why are there discrepancies in learning talent 40:00 what criteria did Hashem use for selecting Bilam and Moshe 45:50 how do kiruv leaders of Jewish co-ed camps best maintain their shomer einayim and kedusha onsite 56:20 can you explain the vilna gon in saying that Torah will strengthen midot 1:00:40 why did Rav Ovadia matir heter mechira given that it is assur for non-Jews to own land in Eretz Yisrael 1:04:25 can you explain the recent daf yomi gemera instructing the right way to learn Torah 1:10:00 may Benei Torah maintain close friendships with non-Jews, does the sin of intermarriage apply to non-Jews 1:13:50 advice for Baal tshuvas struggling in conformity within the litvish system 1:18:40 is there anything going on today like a student initiative in Harvard 40 years ago in which married frum couples invited non religious students to their Shabbat meals 1:20:35 what’s the Halacha if a Jew is forced to do avodah Zara and he does so without kavanah
Rabbi Breitowitz – Shares many different historical events describing the five negative events that occurred on the 17th of Tammuz which is currently a fast day (this year observed on Sunday, July 13th). Rabbi Breitowitz gives a wide variety of opinions and potential explanations for each one and their relevance today in modern times.
Rabbi Breitowitz – It is appropriate to answer lachiam after savri maranan during kiddush? Rabbi Breitowitz answers the difference between Sefardi and Ashkenazi for this topic.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Explains how to find out purpose without the benefit of prophets and how 90% of our purpose has already been shown to us through the Torah.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Explains the ins and outs of kosher certifications specifically in Eretz Yisroel – dispelling many myths in a straightforward, thorough, and helpful way. What level of reliability can you expect on each level of kosher certification and the differences between them. Helpful for making a important kashrut decisions.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Shares about the two main reasons we celebrate Lag BaOmer: 1. The plague that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students stopped. 2. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s “celebrated yartzeit”. There are many different interpretations and versions that the Rabbi suggests during the video. One interested tidbit is the sefira that is said on Lag BaOmer when we count the omer on that day references Aaron HaKohen and his attribute of peace and how this ties into the ending of the plague of Rabbi Akiva’s students.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Shares about this year and how Shabbat and Pesach are back to back and how this creates halachic and practical issues as it pertains to how we eat bread and matzah. This includes when we can eat bread and matzah and the differing opinions of how to approach this.
Rabbi Breitowitz – Shares about Taanit Esther (The Fast of Esther) that is one day prior to Purim as well as this year’s Purim logistics since it comes out on a Friday. What is the basis for the Fast of Esther? Why don’t we say Hallel on Purim? What is the role of the Megillah reading in reference to Hallel?
