Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 11/9/20) we did the conclusion of the Minyan Mitvos Lo Taaseh (which we forgot last time!), followed by the Rambam's definitions of the 14 books of the Mishneh Torah. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Rambam's writ...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 11/4/20) we finished the Minyan ha'Mitzvos! Yay! :D We ended off by talking about the value of bekius in general, with a spotlight on the unique kind of bekius we just did. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Rambam'...
Nov 04, 2020•58 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 11/3/20) we made it far enough to see the light at the end of the Lo Taaseh tunnel! Today brought more mitzvos we didn't know existed, and more bushah. Will we finish tomorrow? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Ram...
Nov 03, 2020•57 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 11/2/20) we made significant progress through list of the Mitzvos Lo Taaseh in the Rambam's Intro to the Mishneh Torah, covering nearly 100 mitzvos! It seems we have finally exited Mikdash territory, passing through maachalos assuros, agricultural prohibitions, and are now in the section dealing with monetary prohibitions and matters related to ownership. ---------------------------------...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/29/20) we trudged onward in the list of the Mitzvos Lo Taaseh in the Rambam's Intro to the Mishneh Torah. This was an especially bushah-filled day, since the vast majority of the mitzvos we read are not practiced today, and we were unfamiliar with many of the details. We're just about halfway there! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disc...
Oct 29, 2020•59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/28/20) we continued on in the list of the Mitzvos Lo Taaseh in the Rambam's Intro to the Mishneh Torah, and boy did we make some progress! Still only a little more than a third of the way through, though. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consist...
Oct 28, 2020•59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Sadly, today's Rambam Bekius shiur didn't successfully record. We covered mitzvos #53-73. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Rambam's writings together without much preparation on my part, and without going into depth by consulting commentaries or primary sources. ...
Oct 27, 2020•1 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/26/20) we began the list of the Mitzvos Lo Taaseh in the Rambam's Intro to the Mishneh Torah. We made it through all of the mitzvos involving avodah zarah (we think?) noting the discrepancies between the categorizations and formulations here and in the Mishneh Torah proper. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is ...
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/22/20) we went back to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos to read and discuss the little "blurb" at the end of the Mitzvos Aseh section in which the Rambam categorizes the mitzvos aseh based on how, when, and in what situations they apply. We ended off by doing the Sefer ha'Chinuch on one of our "flagged mitzvos": the mitzvah of maaser min ha'maaser. -------------------------------------------------...
Oct 22, 2020•57 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/21/20) we completed the minyan mitzvos aseh! YAY! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Rambam's writings together without much preparation on my part, and without going into depth by consulting commentaries or prim...
Oct 21, 2020•59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/20/20) we continued past the halfway point of the mitzvos aseh, finally returning to mitzvos which we would identify as familiar in practice. Almost done with the mitzvos aseh! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the ...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/19/20) we made it out of the forest (for now) of mitzvos related to the Mikdash and Tumah v'Taharah which we really weren't familiar with. We ended with the first of the agricultural mitzvos, and it looks like we'll be headed back towards Mikdash tomorrow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah ...
Oct 19, 2020•58 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/15/20) we continued making our way through the Rambam's "minyan ha'mitzvos" in his introduction to the Mishneh Torah, picking up where we left off at Aseh #39. We hit another couple of "micro-mysteries" along the way, such as the רמב"ם's treatment of the חצוצרות and of וידוי, but for the most part, this was easy-going. -------------------------------------------------------------------...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/14/20) we continued making our way through the Rambam's "minyan ha'mitzvos" in his introduction to the Mishneh Torah, picking up where we left off at Aseh #24. We fell into the "black hole" sugya of trying to understand how the Rambam formulates the mitzvah of aveilus. We ended off trying to define the thematic breakdown of mitzvos #20-38. Did we succeed? Eh ... -----------------------...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given at YBT on 10/13/20) we began the Rambam's "minyan ha'mitzvos" in his introduction. We outlined our objectives and then set out to achieve them. Today we got up through mitzvas aseh #24. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Ramb...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 10/01/20) we analyzed the Rambam's use of "Then I will not be ashamed when I look upon all of Your commandments" (Tehilim 119:6) as the crowning pasuk of the Mishneh Torah. First we analyzed it on our own in isolation, then we analyzed it in context, then we consulted the meforshim. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that t...
Oct 01, 2020•41 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/30/20) we finished reading the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah, making an effort to understand his contextualization of the Mishneh Torah within the evolution (or devolution) of the Mesorah. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists o...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/23/20) we continued with the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah with the goal of getting through an initial reading of his account of the chain of transmission from Moshe Rabbeinu until the sealing of the Talmud. Tomorrow we plan on going back to address some of the questions we raised along the way. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Di...
Sep 23, 2020•57 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/22/20) we began the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah, but quickly took a detour to the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishnah in order to get a clearer understanding of his view on the relationship between the Written and Oral Torahs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed t...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/21/20) we read through translations of various sources attributed to the Rambam in which he explicitly discusses the purpose of the Mishneh Torah. We had already read his statement of purpose in the introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos and tomorrow we'll begin his introduction to the Mishneh Torah itself, which concludes with his formal statement of purpose. The sources we covered today were ...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In the sequel to our brief interlude within our "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/17/20) we take a deeper look at the Rambam's citation of בשם ה' אל עולם in Hilchos Avodah Zarah Chapter 1 in attempt to understand why this is the "crowning pasuk" of every book he wrote. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . ...
Sep 17, 2020•56 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In this brief interlude within our "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/16/20) we attempted to understand why the Rambam begins every one of his books with בשם ה' אל עולם, using the three places in the Rambam's writings where he explains this pasuk. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a bekius chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us re...
Sep 16, 2020•59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 5 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur series (given on 9/15/20) we discussed why the Rambam maintained that he needed to write the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, yet he didn't include any of its content in the Mishneh Torah except for the general minyan ha'mitzvos list at the beginning. This led to a discussion of the Rambam's views on what our focus in our learning should be - a discussion which we will no doubt continue later on in this series. We...
Sep 15, 2020•59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 4 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur series (given on 9/14/20) we further analyze the Rambam's application of the prophecy in Yeshayahu 29 to the authors of other Sifrei ha'Mitzvos. We then conclude the Rambam's introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, and - mostly out of Rambam-induced guilt - quickly read through his 14 shorashim. (My apologies for not being prepared for this, since it wasn't part of the original plan; we'll review it m...
Sep 14, 2020•51 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 3 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given on 9/10/20) we take a detour into Yeshayahu Perek 29 to examine the prophecy which the Rambam said was fulfilled through the misguided efforts of the "Sefer ha'Mitzvos" authors who preceded him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a BEKIUS chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur ! Each session consists of us reading t...
Sep 10, 2020•47 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is Part 2 "Rambam Bekius" shiur, given at YBT on 9/9/20, with a continuation of the introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (a.k.a. the SECRET introduction to the Mishneh Torah). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a BEKIUS chavurah - as opposed to an iyun shiur . Each session consists of us reading through the Rambam's writings together without much preparati...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is the introduction to our "Rambam Bekius" shiur, given at YBT on 9/8/20. Although the shiur will focus primarily on the Mishneh Torah, we began with the Rambam's plan for writing the Mishneh Torah which he states at the beginning of the Sefer ha'Mitzvos. Borrowing a method from AP English Language and Composition (i.e. SOAPS), our aim is to answer the following questions as we make our way through this introduction: (1) What is the...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 3 min
