Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is the audio of the eulogy I gave for my beloved rebbi, Rabbi Morton Moskowitz zt"l on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5782 (May 30th, 2022). For the video, click here . I plan on typing up the transcript of the abridged version of the eulogy (which is the one I gave), as well as the full version of the eulogy (which I haven't yet completed). I'll post links here once they're complete. Here's the link to the full levaya , which includes the...
May 30, 2022•10 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/26/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we learned through the final halachos in the perek. The first couple of halachos were miscellaneous details in nidui and cherem. The last halachos were about how a chacham should conduct himself with regards to nidui. Ordinarily we would have spent more time on these last halachos, were it not for the fact that I gave a shiur on this last summer (8/4/21). And so, with that, we fini...
May 26, 2022•55 min•Season 8Ep. 18
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/25/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we tried once more to understand the strange case of "dream nidui" - this time, according to the Rambam. We began by reviewing his basic definition of nevuah and what he holds about the imaginative faculty. We then read part of a chapter in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim where he talks about dreams to see if that might help us to understand his halacha. I then gave what I introduced as an i...
May 25, 2022•54 min•Season 8Ep. 17
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/24/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we aimed to explain the perplexing halachos of "nidui in a dream." Halachically, why should we care about the contents of a dream here when we disregard them in all other areas of halacha? Why are the requirements for being released from a dream-nidui different and more stringent here than by a normal nidui? What is the nature of this nidui anyway? We succeeded in developing an app...
May 24, 2022•52 min•Season 8Ep. 16
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/23/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, the plan WAS to move forward in the halachos, but because we had two people in shiur who weren't there last week, we ended up reviewing. I, for one, am glad we did, because we ended up clarifying a number of points and gaining some new insights along the way. In the last 15 minutes we set up the problems in the sugya of "nidui in a dream," which we'll take up tomorrow (בג"ה). -----...
May 23, 2022•58 min•Season 8Ep. 15
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/19/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began by taking up a question posed in the introduction to the Chabad edition of the one-volume Mishneh Torah. That question is: What is the value of learning halachos in the Rambam if we don't understand what we're learning? After answering that question, we reviewed ALL the halachos we did yesterday, attempting to answer questions we raised and tying up loose ends. We conclude...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 8Ep. 14
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/18/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we started off with a halacha about the odd application of nidui to someone who intentionally takes Hashem's name in vain. This led to an exploration of Hilchos Shevuos and Nedarim which was equal parts fascinating and perplexing. With around 15 minutes remaining, we FINALLY pushed our way through the first part of Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 7 and read about the procedures for ni...
May 18, 2022•59 min•Season 8Ep. 13
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/17/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began by discussing a "Rambam experience" I had shortly before shiur started. From here we segued into a review of why it's so important to learn the Rambam's Mishneh Torah. We covered a number of points which had covered in the past about the Rambam's organization, but these are points which it always pays to review, or to relay to someone hearing them for the first time (as ha...
May 17, 2022•49 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/16/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we continued learning through the Rambam's list of 24 "ban-worthy" offenses (i.e. those for which we impose nidui, which the Rambam still hasn't defined yet). We began with a review of last week with the intent of trying to discern categories within the list. Some of the categories were very clear; others less so. We finished the list today and, with it, Chapter 6. Tomorrow (בג"ה) ...
May 16, 2022•58 min•Season 8Ep. 11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/12/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began learning through the Rambam's list of 24 "ban-worthy" offenses (i.e. those for which we impose nidui, which the Rambam still hasn't defined yet). Some of these were self-explanatory. For the others, we used the sources cited by R' Makbili as a springboard. We didn't fully understand why all of these are ban-worthy, but that's because we haven't familiarized ourselves with ...
May 12, 2022•59 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/11/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we covered three topics: (1) revising and refining our definition of bizui talmidei chachamim, (2) defining the halachic shiur of "hatred" according to the Rambam, and (3) beginning the halachos of nidui, which will take us into the next chapter. Today we just got our feet wet in the nidui pool; tomorrow we'll dive into the deep end (בג"ה). ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/10/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we attempted to understand what the Rambam might mean by "bizui" in his discussion of being mevazeh talmidei chachamim. We developed our answer based on how the term is used in Tanach and by Chazal before looking at how the Rambam, himself, uses the term elsewhere. We came away with an approach which will likely be tested as we go through these next halachos. -------- מקורות: רמב"ם...
May 10, 2022•57 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/9/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we returned to Hilchos Talmud Torah after a two-month "inyanei d'yoma" detour. Today we focused on the halachos about the privileges (rights and exemptions) of talmidei chachamim. We then began the next halacha, about degrading talmidei chachamim, which we'll continue tomorrow (בג"ה). ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה ו:י-יא רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קנין...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/5/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began by reviewing what we covered yesterday in the Hararei Kedem pience, and then finished it. In addition to appreciating the Rav's sevaros, we also had some important methodology discussions about the Brisker Derech and its relationship to the Mishneh Torah. Next week (בג"ה) we'll return to Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 6. ---------- מקורות: רב שורקין - הררי קדם חלק ב' סימן קו ...
May 05, 2022•56 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/4/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah (Ra'avyah bekius chavurah?), we began by reviewing what we covered yesterday (Why, according to the Rambam, don't we say shehecheyanu on sefiras ha'omer?), and read Encyclopedia Talmudit's summaries of several other answers. We then began working on our other question: Why, according to the Rambam, is there a hava amina that failing to say the birkas ha'mitzvah on sefiras ha'omer is ...
May 04, 2022•59 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/3/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we tackled the question we raised a few days ago by learning through a piece in Hararei Kedem and weighing in with our own thoughts. The piece begins by examining the "famous Baal ha'Maor" on this question, then shows how his answers are inadequate according to the Rambam, and then proceeds to offer a sevara which explains the Rambam. I'm curious to know what _you_ think of that sev...
May 03, 2022•53 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (5/2/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we finished the few remaining halachos about harvesting before the omer is brought, and then read the two paragraphs in the Rambam on the mitzvah of counting the omer. Our plan will be to wrap that topic up tomorrow (בג"ה) by attempting to answer some of the questions we've raised along the way, and to do so in a decidedly non-bekiusy manner. ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספ...
May 02, 2022•58 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/28/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we learned through all the halachos of the mussaf Rosh Chodesh, the mussaf of Pesach, the harvesting of the omer, the bringing of the omer, and some of the halachos about the prohibition to harvest other grains before harvesting the omer. Next week (בג"ה) we'll finish those halachos, learn about sefiras ha'omer, and hopefully answer our questions about the berachos which we raised ...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr•Season 8Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/27/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began yet another side-/inyanei d'yoma topic: the mitzvos associated with the Omer and Shavuos. We began by familiarizing ourselves in a cursory manner with the relevant pesukim in Emor, Re'eh, and Pinchas. We then read through the Rambam's formulation of the four most relevant mitzvos in the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, the minyan ha'mitzvos in the Mishneh Torah, and the koseres in Hilcho...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/7/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we had PLANNED to finish Hilchos korban Pesach. Instead, we took up a tangential question we raised yesterday: What's going on in the short episode involving Tziporah and Bris Milah? We were led here by the Rambam's halachos about the prohibition of an uncircumcised person to partake of the Korban Pesach, and we were hoping to be treated to a citation of the Rambam's view. Instead, ...
Apr 07, 2022•55 min•Season 7Ep. 31
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/6/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we endeavored to do a deep dive into the topic of "meshumad l'avodah zarah" (apostate to idolatry), in which we'd read through every single source in the Mishneh Torah on that topic. Unfortunately, we had to cut shiur short by 15 minutes, and we didn't make it all the way through. At least we finished the perek! ---- מקורות: רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:נא רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכ...
Apr 06, 2022•48 min•Season 7Ep. 30
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/5/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we were GOING to finish Hilchos Korban Pesach Chapter 9, but Yosef asked a question which was far more important: What is avodas Hashem? Since this is Rambam Bekius, we focused on the Rambam's answer, as expressed in the two places where - to my knowledge - he articulates it the most clearly. I thought this was a fitting topic to review before Pesach. ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - מורה...
Apr 05, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 29
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (4/4/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we learned the majority of Hilchos Korban Pesach Chapter 9, about the paramaters of eating the korban Pesach in a chavurah. Tomorrow we'll aim to finish the chapter, and perhaps take up a question about what it means to serve Hashem according to the Rambam (בג"ה). ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - ספר המצוות, לא תעשה קכג,קכח רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קרבנות, הלכות קרבן פסח ט:א-ט ר' אברהם בן ה...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 28
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/31/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we spent the first half of shiur talking about why we're learning the halachos of Korban Pesach when we don't observe them nowadays. My own answer is near and dear to my reasons for learning the Mishneh Torah in general - reasons which are beautifully expressed by R' Makbili in his Foreword to the Mishneh Torah, and by the Rav in Halakhic Man. After we talked about this, we finishe...
Mar 31, 2022•58 min•Season 7Ep. 27
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/30/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we finished the halachos about the procedure of offering the Korban Pesach, and then we began the halachos about eating the Korban Pesach. We encountered several questions along the way which we were unable to answer - largely due to our ignorance of Kodshim - but I'll try to answer them tomorrow. ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קרבנות, הלכות קרבן פסח א:יד-טו; ח:א-י רמב"ם...
Mar 30, 2022•57 min•Season 7Ep. 26
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/29/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we continued our foray into the wonderful world of Korban Pesach. Today we made it through roughly half of the halachos outlining how the Korban Pesach was brought in the Beis ha'Mikdash. We took up a few questions along the way, using the Gemara and meforshim as supplements to the halachos. I, for one, am starting to develop a much more vivid picture of the role played by the Korb...
Mar 29, 2022•58 min•Season 7Ep. 25
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/24/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we went on a little adventure. In his first mission statement for the Mishneh Torah the Rambam promises that his work will contain the answer to every halachic question that needs to be answered: either he will answer it directly OR he will "mention the foundation from which the answer to that question can be derived easily without too much analysis." Obviously, there are many who ...
Mar 24, 2022•59 min•Season 7Ep. 24
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/23/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we began learning Hilchos Korban Pesach. Today's focus was on the halachos pertaining to the actual slaughter, and we (mostly) stayed on topic! Tomorrow we'll learn about the procedure for slaughtering the Pesachim in Mikdash (בג"ה). ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קרבנות, הלכות קרבן פסח א:א-ח רמב"ם - ספר המצוות, לא תעשה קטו-קטז רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות סנהדרי...
Mar 23, 2022•56 min•Season 7Ep. 23
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/22/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we read through the koseres for all of the mitzvos in Hilchos Korban Pesach and Hilchos Chametz u'Matzah. As usual, we got sidetracked - again, in a good way! - to various other related topics, including bris milah and kareis. The plan for tomorrow is to start Hilchos Korban Pesach Chapter 1 (בג"ה). ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קרבנות, הלכות קרבן פסח, כותרת רמב"ם - משנ...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 7Ep. 22
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This afternoon (3/21/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we set out to begin our Pesach learning. I say "set out" because the bulk of shiur was spent reviewing a very important methodological point: why the Mishneh Torah must be learned in conjunction with the Written Torah. This led to a discussion of the relationship bewteen the Mishnah and the Mishneh Torah, and how the Mishneh Torah differs from other halachic works written before an...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 21
