KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Lekh Lekha | The Ethics of Rejoicing Over the Death of our Enemies, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The current war that we are fighting has brought many moments of despair and sadness, but there have also been moments of triumph, including the notifications of the "neutralization" of some of our worst, bloodthirsty, barbaric enemies. Looking past the understandably human reaction to celebrate the vengeance, we look to our sources to explore whether it is seen as inappropriate, acceptable or even praiseworthy to exult at the death of our worst enemies. Much of this shiur was inspired by the work of Prof. David Henshke. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 02 | Lekh Lekha, by Rav Eli Weber  

Iggeret HaRamban | 2 | Anger is a "Gateway to Sin" - Stay Away! by Rav Dovid Gottlieb A new series of shiurim on Iggeret HaRamban. The Ramban wrote a letter to his son which is a classic of machshava and mussar. The letter is basically an ethical will about what's important in life and how to be a good. Everyone knows that anger is bad and that we're better off if we can control our temper:  * what is so bad about anger?  * what practical steps can we take to try to control our temper

Torah Study vs Army Service: What Do the Sources Say? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In light of Rav Gottlieb's recent shiurim on Rav Asher Weiss and his teshuvot regarding army service, and the debate that ensued, we felt it more than appropriate to release a shiur given by Rav Gottlieb to his shana bet talmidim in Har Etzion, to better understand his personal view on the subject. 

Iggeret HaRamban | 1 | The Importance of Midot and Modeling Proper Behavior, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb A new series of shiurim on Iggeret HaRamban. The Ramban wrote a letter to his son which is a classic of machshava and mussar. The letter is basically an ethical will about what's important in life and how to be a good person. As such, it is just as relevant to each of us as it was to his son.

Rav Asher Weiss on War (2): The Day After - Now What?? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In his recently published "Minchas Asher - Emunah U-Bitachon" R. Asher has a section dedicated to discussing the religious challenges of of the war. On October 8th, 2023, Isru Chag, the day after the horrific attacks, R. Asher gave his 1st public address, during which he attempts to process the shock and horror of what happened on Simchat Torah.

Rav Asher Weiss on War: "Shema" is a Segula for the Soldiers, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb In his recently published "Minchas Asher - Emunah U-Bitachon" R. Asher has a section dedicated to discussing the religious challenges of of the war.

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 01 | Noach, by Rav Eli Weber Did Hashem give up on humanity? Was Noach a tzadik? What does it mean that Hashem remembers?

Noach | Days of Wine and Curses: A Fresh Look at The Curse of Canaan, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What was Cham's sin in the tent?  The immediate postdiluvian scene (Bereishit 9:18-29) is troubling on several accounts. Why is Cham introduced (twice!) as "father of Canaan"? What did he do that was so egregious that he earned his father's eternal curse? Why was that curse placed on Canaan, Cham's youngest son? How did Noach even know what happened, if he was asleep? Who are Canaan's brothers, to whom he is to be enslaved? Building off of Midrash Chaza"l and several contemporary observations, we propose a more text-friendly way of reading Cham's sin and Canaan's curse. Source sheet >>

Teshuva and the Fatal Flaw of Religious Mediocrity, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What does it take to be "written" in the Book of Life?  Is it enough NOT to be wicked or is something more impressive and ambitious expected of us?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (6): Erasing our Past or Elevating It? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Sixth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva.  How should we relate to our sinful past? Does teshuva require me to "amputate" my past experiences and memories?  (This is my favorite piece in the whole sefer - it changed my life when I first learned it 30 years ago. for real.)

Kohelet 3 | To Everything a Season, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the wisdom hiding behind the famous "Song of the Seasons" in Kohelet 3? The third chapter of Kohelet begins with a famous poem, where the author presents 28 "seasons", some positive and some drastic, noting that there is a time for each of them. The choice of these 28 "times" has long challenged commentators; even more difficult is the sequence and hierarchy of these choices or experiences. Using Kohelet's own weltanschauung and utilizing literary structural analysis, we propose an explanation that not only explains the selection of these "times", but also their unusual sequence. Source sheet >>

Yom Kippur 5785 | Looking Back At Past Redemptions, by Rav Moshe Taragin To better navigate the current historical moment

The Role of the Tzibbur in Avodat HaKohen HaGadol, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the role of the community in the Avoda of Yom haKippurim? Vayikra 16, which is read in its entirety as the Kriat haTorah of Yom haKippurim, details the Avoda of the Kohen Gadol. At first read, it appears to be a ritual that the Kohen Gadol must perform any time that he chooses to enter the "Dvir" (Kodesh Kodoshim) - or if there is an occasional need to cleanse the Mishkan from Tum'ah. Yet, at the end of the chapter, we are told that this is an annual rite, one in which only one person performs all of the Avoda and no one else is even allowed to be inside the Mikdash while he is in the innermost sanctum. How are we to understand the sudden "imposition" of an obligation of everyone to afflict himself or herself and the nearly utter isolation of the central actor on this day? We propose a historic precedent which serves as more than background, but is essentially reenacted on an annual basis with an eye towards repairing what was broken back then. Source sheet >>

Sichat Mussar for Yom Kippur | 5785, by Rav Moshe Taragin  Dissecting the Pathology of Sin; Seeing Through Fantasy and Photoshops; 3 Tips For Immersive Yom Kippur: Watch Your Tongue, Ignore Your Watch and Avoid "Sunday Thoughts"