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Welcome to the Two Hundred Twenty Seventh episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky looks at Masechet Eruvin Daf 72.
There are different levels of authoritative teachings in Halakha. Sometimes, the Rabbis teach what everyone should do, as the best option. Other times we learn what is acceptable after the fact, but what should not be broadcast as the proper behavior. In today’s passage, the Talmudic sages make this distinction.
Welcome to the Two Hundred Twenty Sixith episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky looks at Masechet Eruvin Daf 71.
Can you take possession or renounce possession of property on Shabbat? Today we will see whether one can renounce ownership of a property on Shabbat for the purpose of creating an eruv when one forgot to do so on Friday afternoon. Applying this principle to today: can a person acquire or give away property on Shabbat? Can people exchange gifts? Or would that too closely resemble a business transaction?
It has been a choppy week but I hope that some of you had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather while we were off. I appreciated the sunshine, a picnic in the park with friends and family, and saying Kaddish at synagogue, one of three times a year when we join as a community to remember loved ones who have died. I always welcome a moment, given my over-scheduled life, to take the time for memory, quiet and often tears.
The festival of Shavuot is often referred to as “chag ha’bikkurim,” the holiday of first fruits. This name is in recognition of the season in which Shavuot is celebrated, when the new spring fruits are harvested. In ancient times Jews would take their first fruits to the Temple to express their gratitude to God. In Deuteronomy it is written, “you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your Land that your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that your God, will choose…” There is much about this tradition that is foreign to us - we are New Yorkers, living in a hyper-urban setting, without the central temple of Jerusalem where people used to make a pilgrimage 3 times a year, without first fruits, and without a tradition of bringing gifts or sacrifices to God. So, “what does this tradition of Bikkurim have to do with us?” I wondered, as I sat in synagogue yesterday.
What can we learn from Samson? And why did the Nazirite offer a sin offering when the period of their vow was over? Perhaps there is a lesson for us about how we should live our lives.
For more information about Rabbi Danny, please visit RabbiDanny.com
Welcome to the Two Hundred Twenty Fifth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky looks at Masechet Eruvin Daf 70.
The Talmud is written in a kind of short-hand, with many points hinted at, rather than explained fully. That was even truer in the early middle ages, when the first manuscripts were even more fragmentary than they are now. Today we’ll see how the fragmentary text prompted two medieval authorities, Rashi (France, 11th century) and Rabenu Hannanel (Tunisia, 10th century) to offer diametrically opposite interpretations of our text.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity.
The Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu suggests that leadership contains elements of parenting and elements of being a ruler. Join in reflecting about how you can be a leader who balances both roles of leadership.
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Welcome to the Two Hundred Twenty Fourth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Eruvin Daf 69.
In the course of defining what level of observance is required to “relinquish rights” to allow others to carry, we end up wrestling with the question of whether there are certain observances that are “litmus tests” which make one a good Jew or a bad Jew.
Rabbi Joshua Heller is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs, and chair of the rites and rituals subcommittee of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.
The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.
Welcome to the Two Hundred Twenty Third episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Eruvin Daf 68.
We see the case of two rabbis who didn’t make an eruv in their neighborhood. We have a window on the question of the role of rabbis in communal life. Are there tasks that are beneath us? Or perhaps there are limitations in the roles that rabbis
Rabbi Joshua Heller is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs, and chair of the rites and rituals subcommittee of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.
The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.
The boys are back…Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana)
The film opens with the USS Enterprise on a observation mission to Planet Nibiru…When they arrive at the planet, the crew finds a volcano on the verge of erupting and wiping out its primitive inhabitants. In the process of launching a dangerous mission to halt the eruption, Spock’s life is jeopardized, forcing Kirk to break the ‘Prime Directive’ and reveal the Enterpise to the inhabitants…
Bad move: Not only is Spock pissed off at his BFF, Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) relieves Kirk of his command and he takes over the Enterprise.
Not a good week for our Captain.
But wait…Things are about to get worse. Starfleet agent John Harrison aka Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs a secret Section 31’ installation in London.
An emergency meeting of high ranking officers is called at Starfleet headquarters, which Kirk attends. The meeting is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison, who winds up slaughtering most of the attendees, including Pike.
Of course Kirk is reinstated and Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) orders him to hunt down Harrison, who is now hiding out in the land of the Klingons, and kill him. This becomes problematic since Starfleet and the Klingon Empire are at war. Remember those days?
To say anymore would spoil the surprises and there are a couple…Unfortunately, even though I enjoyed the relationships between the crew members, especially the love connection of Spock and Uhura, I didn’t find the plot all that original.
The film, directed by J.J. Abrams is very glitzy. Shot in 3D/IMAX, it’s beautiful to look at. But for me the plot wasn’t very original and it lacked the complexities and intensity of some of the other films in the Franchise. Personally, the ‘Borg’ films are my favorites.
It’s for that reason I gave ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ which opens in theatres, Thursday May 16, 2013 three bagels out of five.
Check out our video to see John’s bagel score and of course for more of our witty banter.