Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares about how to get closer to Hashem. Being that the Hebrew month of Elul has started this is an opportune time to do so. Am I fulfilling what Hashem’s want? It’s not about success it’s about the effort. Hashem wants us to be close to Him.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – In this part of Rabbi Kessin’s lecture he explains the “discrepancy” of 4 Imahot to 3 Avot (Four Matriarchs but only Three Patriarchs of the Jewish people). This is because Esav (Yaakov’s twin brother) was supposed to be an Av as well.
Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz – Shares some details about the story that is not well known about World War 2 – not in Europe but in Eretz Yisroel where the Jews were also under imminent threat from the Nazis. Mass prayer was the answer to the Jews in Eretz Yisroel salvation.
Rabbi Mizrachi – Shares the significance of the first two of the ten commandments as the ones that were given directly to the Jewish people as opposed to the rest of the ten and the rest of the mitzvot that were given through an intermediary (Moshe Rabbeinu). This results in those two commandments having immediate reward versus the others that have delayed reward. What this means is the immediate benefit of having emunah (faith).
Rabbi Geldwerth – Shares at Kever Rochel the importance of our Avot and Imahot – Rochel being the loving Mother of the Jewish people through her sacrificing her own desires for the desires of her children. This inspires us to figuratively visit our “Mother” first as she can help us achieve our goals both personally and collectively.
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 David Kaplan – In this video, Rabbi Kaplan shares about whether prayer works and breaks down what that means on whether it works or not helping us approach prayer from a different perspective. What is prayer for and what prayer is not and how to interpret the answers or lack thereof to our prayers.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – In this video Rabbi Orlofsky shares about the Nine Days we find ourselves in currently from the First of the month of Av until the Ninth of Av. How the 9th relates to the 10th day is very interesting as it parallels moving from being alone to being together (alone to minyan) and how those numbers permeate themselves throughout our history within our historical Jewish holy figures.
Rabbi David Kaplan – In this video, Rabbi Kaplan shares what some of the 42 journeys of Am Yisroel represented, how Judaism views embellishment, and how monitoring stress levels can determine how we are advancing (or not) in increasing what we can take on in our spiritual path.
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