The Mesorah mailing list was created in YYYY as a place to discuss Mesoretic Text, Nusach haTefillah and Dikduk. The discussions are generally in-depth.
Archives are available here. If you wish to join, please go to to the management page.
The Mesorah mailing list was created in YYYY as a place to discuss Mesoretic Text, Nusach haTefillah and Dikduk. The discussions are generally in-depth.
Archives are available here. If you wish to join, please go to to the management page.
Are there any Cohanim today who claim to be a cohain myuchasim (vs cohanei chazaka)? If so, is such a claim halachically valid? bsorot tovot joel rich [...]
On Wed, Jun 19, 2024 at 06:31:24AM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > Any thoughts on the ordering of the requests in rosh chodesh musaf, in > particular why [...]
On Fri, Jun 14, 2024 at 06:37:31AM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > The S"A (OC 496:3) discussed an israel in chul on 2nd day yom tov not being [...]
On Fri, Jun 14, 2024 at 06:35:32AM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > The S"A O"C 98:1 says that in tfila one should think as if the shechina is [...]
On Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 02:09:14PM +0200, Arie Folger via Avodah wrote: > The premise behind coming onaah is that good are commodities asked they > have an approximate [...]
On Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 02:09:14PM +0200, Arie Folger via Avodah wrote: > The premise behind coming onaah is that good are commodities asked they > have an approximate [...]
On Wed, Jun 05, 2024 at 05:47:21AM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > My comment on the most recent Tradition : > https://traditiononline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tradition-Spring-2024-SUMMIT.pdf > > A very sad read. [...]
Any thoughts on the ordering of the requests in rosh chodesh musaf, in particular why are mchilat cheit and slichat avon at the end when in the weekday shmoneh esrai [...]
An audio podcast format is at https://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/82510https://www.aishdas.org/raek/2derachim.pdf Podcast Episode 2. I appreciate any and all feedback![youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgwcDZ39kwo?si=df70-qWiw3OdSDWk] [...]
A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GSMore shiurim in the BHP series are at:https://BeshemHashemProductions.podbean.com/category/Rabbi-Yosef-Gavriel-Bechhofer[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsuog5EbU0I?si=k6PNPrpEUM-4QGkX] [...]
Rischa D'Araisa Season 9 Episode 17:Post Shavuos Charge:Gibush HatziburDistilling the Da'as of Moshehttps://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/81822Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching [...]
https://www.aishdas.org/raek/2derachim.pdfPodcast pilot episode. I will wait for feedback before venturing on a second episode.A podcast format is at https://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/81784[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDiNuoUwkVM?si=W7S9ldwXCu574lpm] [...]
Rischa D'Araisa Season 9 Episode 16:Failing Mussar 101:The Dearth of Hakoras HaTov in Our Societyhttps://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/81670Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads [...]
I like this one. I think it is a good example of what we're trying to to here. You may understand it even better in conjunction with the previous day's [...]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9HhGzPR7EU?si=DmR5mHfLWPtaPJvx]A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS [...]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ph_AFGoIbU?si=O3-H1ob6jG2N1Ov0&w=560&h=315] [...]
Update II:We have a quorum, I will begin recording next week, IYH. GYT! The podcast address will be https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhYlGVtIOa_gd9vvxde8W-yIQaHmOc9- בעקבות היראה A podcast going through the Sefer B'Ikvos HaYirah by [...]
Rischa D'Araisa Season 9 Episode 15:"Temimos Tihiyennah"The Sanctification of Sports Recordshttps://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/81291Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching the million [...]
Rischa D'Araisa Season 9 Episode 14:The Slippery Slope of Coming to Kivrei Tzadikkimhttps://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/81049Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching the million [...]
New Series! Daily 5-10 Minutes of Zohar (as much as possible, al derech ha'pshat)An experiment. Daily (more or less) 5-10 minutes (more or less) of the Zohar HaKadosh. As much as possible, [...]
Rischa D'Araisa-Season 9 Episode 13:A Week Clothed in Bigdei Shesh:Rav Yosef's Disillusionment with Childhood Friends and Commemoration of Spiritual Heroeshttps://jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/80668Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to [...]
A Talk About Mussar WithRabbi Hillel GoldbergEspecially AboutRabbi Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan zt"lRabbi Dr. Hillel Goldberg of Denver is world-renowned for his work on Mussar. Among many books and articles, he [...]
Rav Kaplan zt"l:His Life and WeltanschauungMy presentation via Zoom today for the 100th yahrzeit Azkarah for Rabbi Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan zt"l at the Rabbinerseminar in Berlin[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOO-vwqnnXs?si=b1PKAbm9tjA5KgTe] [...]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKxCqKXws4I?si=_IC2DoaIFPB6zfPy&w=480&h=270] [...]
Parashas Behar is a list of mitzvos. The first section is all about shemittah and yovel. A family’s ancestral land cannot be sold into perpetuity. Instead, if someone is forced [...]
This week I’d like to discuss three seemingly unrelated questions about the words of the tephillah: The focus of Shabbos Mussaf davening is the paragraph that begins “Tiqanta Shabbos…” What [...]
Here’s my theory about the origin of this minhag. My point here is not really about advocating for the minhag. I just feel a need to push back when people [...]
והיה רגיל להוכיח אותי על שראה שאינני משתתף בצערא דאחרינא. וכה היה דברו אלי תמיד שזה כל האדם. לא לעצמו נברא רק להועיל לאחריני ככל אשר ימצא בכחו לעשות. [My [...]
Micha’s note: The following was a post written to the Mesorah email list by Rabbi Dr. Seth Mandel zt”l, a rebbe-chaver of mine (more: a rebbe who insisted on treating [...]
(I put these thoughts together for a reply for my daughter Gavi, who pointed me to a medrash that “everyone in her neighborhood” were talking about, but I then was [...]
“Poteach et Yadekha“, oil on canvasHaim Masliach, 2021 A comment by Ilana Elzafun* brought this Seforno to my attention. This week’s parashah (Lekh Likha), Bereishis 16:13, describes Hagar’s prayer to [...]
Dear R Dr Broyde (Cc: Avodah), Over Shabbos, I read your article about getting ChatGPT to discuss whether a kohein in a same-sex marriage may go up to duchen. I [...]
The chaburah at Zelmele’s Kloiz is now learning Derashos haRan, the third derashah. I wanted to continue a conversation we had there, in light of today being Tish’ah beAv. The [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:13 1. T The things we say can also link celestial worlds, rectify this one, and interconnect with the upper worlds, as we’ll now see. After all, we’re [...]
Da’at Tevunot 3:7 (¶ 118 [middle]) 1. We’d do well to take something into consideration, Ramchal adds here. It’s that just because something or someone is imperfect doesn’t mean [...]
The Way of G-d 2:6:4 1. G-d allowed for a prosecutor in His court, famously known as satan 1. His role is to argue against the accused, which them enables [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:12 1. R. Chaim already spoke 1 of the fact that we could only link celestial worlds, rectify this one, and interconnect with those upper worlds after we’d [...]
Da’at Tevunot 3:6 (¶ 118 [beginning]) 1. Ramchal reiterates here 1 that wrong is a created entity 2 that was only designed to last for as long as G-d wanted [...]
The Way of G-d 2:6:3 1. Given the above, the fact is that G-d doesn’t judge the world according to His foreknowledge but rather according to the way He wants [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:11 1. Following up on the thought offered in the last chapter that despite our being connected to physicality we’re nevertheless superior to angels, R’ Chaim now [...]
Da’at Tevunot 3:5 (¶s 116 [end] – 117) 1. Ramchal says that he’s going to expand upon things he’d said above 1 and reveal things that are “deep” about [...]
The Way of G-d 2:6:2 1. G-d appears in each Sanhedrin and court, influences it, and sees to it that justice is served 1. Now, in some instances [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:10 1. Given all of the above concerning our makeup and capacities, it’s reasonable to wonder whether angels are loftier than we are or we’re loftier than they. [...]
Da’at Tevunot 3:4 (¶ 116 [beg.]) 1. Ramchal is about to offer something that will serve as a prelude to what’s to follow 1. It’s that even though G-d [...]
Derech Hashem 2:6:1 In the course of His interactions with the world 1, G-d arranged it so that phenomena that affect both the things that humankind brings about 2 and [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:9 1. Following through on the discussion of the previous chapter, R’ Chaim contrasts the situation of the generation that dwelt in the Sinai Desert 1 with that [...]
Da’at Tevunot 3:3 (¶’s 103- 115) 1. It seems logical, doesn’t it, that goodness would be a product of something that emanates goodness while wrongfulness would be a product of [...]
Da’atTevunot 3:2 (# 98 – 102) 1. Ramchal starts to explain the role of wrong and injustice in the world with a proposition derived from Rambam1. It’s that when G-d [...]
Nephesh Hachaim 1:8 1. R’ Chaim offers a rather complex discussion here about the positioning of the Cherubs in the Tabernacle and Holy Temple in order to illustrate his point [...]
The website 18FORTY has a fantastic and thoughtful multimedia post on OTD that is worth watching, reading, and listening to. If you are reading this then you know I don’t [...]
Spoiler, there isn’t much substance to I what have to say. Also, I am spoiling the end of the Skywalker saga. After reading an excellent essay by Rabbi Harry Maryles [...]
I checked my recent writing history today and the last legit post of mine was really 3.5 years ago. For some that’s a long chunk of time. In that time [...]
My wife’s comment on Simchas Torah pretty much summed it up, “I feel like this is the biggest tease for you.” You see, my mom a”h was niftar right before [...]
When today comes around I usually think about things my father missed since he has been gone. I decided that this year I’ll attempt to list a number of things [...]
Walking out of shul, the morning after Yom Kippur, a follow early Sunday morning riser casually said to me, “Back to normal, right?” I was taken off guard (and also [...]
I have started this post about 2 dozen times over the past 3 years and I never seem to get more than about 300 words written about why I stopped [...]
I want to share something that Rav Efraim Twerski said at his Shabbos HaGadol drasha. After starting off with 10 questions Rav Twerski said over an amazing Torah from Rav [...]
So, tonight’s the 6th yahrtzeit for my dad, Avraham ben Zorach a”h (Al, of blessed memory). Like everyone else that has lost a parent I lit my 24 hour yahrzeit [...]
“WARMED BY THE FIRE OF THE AISH KODESH– Torah from the Hilulas of Reb Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna” by Rav Moshe Weinberger and adapted by Binyomin Wolf is more [...]