YUTORAH: R' Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff -- Recent Shiurim

Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Rabbi Dr. Aaron
YUTORAH: R' Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff -- Recent Shiurim Podcast

YUTORAH: R' Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff -- Recent Shiurim

  1. 16 SEPT

    Volozhin Yeshiva: What Led to the Closing of the Yeshiva on February 2, 1892. The Attitude Toward Secular Education in Volozhin Compared to YU. How the Opening of the Russian Secret Police Archive Changed What We Thought.

    Volozhin Yeshiva: What Led to the Closing of the Yeshiva on February 2, 1892. The Attitude Toward Secular Education in Volozhin Compared to YU. How the Opening of the Russian Secret Police Archive Changed What We Thought. - Sep 16, 2024 - R' Avraham David Cohen. Ben Gurion sent soldiers on deadly mission into Syria: The consequences. Comparison of importance of the two compositions: Ohr Somayach and Meshech Chochma. R' Revel saved R' Joseph Breuer. Sheldon Sokol saved YU. OU hashgachah of YU cafeteria. Why haskalah was less harmful in E. Europe. Attitude of maskilim to Volozhin. Lenin and antisemitism. Vilna Rabbinic Seminary. Finding a shul in Minsk. R' Irwin (Roy) Albert and the Rav. Stealing the four minim. R' Chaim Berlin vs. R' Chaim Soloveitchik. Rejected suggestions for scheduling secular studies in Volozhin. Secular studies in YU: Their scheduling and the interaction with the NY State government. Russian army seals the doors and bans Rabbis Chaim Soloveitchik and Berlin from the Yeshiva for 3 years. Students given 3 days to leave. Why R' Chaim was successful in Brisk. The Rav's hesped for R' Velvel Soloveitchik. R' Rakeffet accused of being a Reform rabbi. Lines left out of Bialik's poem. Millions of pages in the Russian archives opened to delegation from Yad Vashem in Sep. 1989. R' Joseph Breuer: He was saved by R' Revel and did teach for a short period of time at Torah Vodaath.

    1h 50m
  2. 15 SEPT

    Ransom for Hostages. Charedim in IDF. Mishneh Halakhot by R’ Menashe Klein – Volume 13 Sections 150–168. Translations of Torah Texts Are To Be Avoided. Sources of This View Are Rambam, R’ Shach, Chatam Sofer, Ohr Somayach. Update on R’ Belkin

    Ransom for Hostages. Charedim in IDF. Mishneh Halakhot by R’ Menashe Klein – Volume 13 Sections 150–168. Translations of Torah Texts Are To Be Avoided. Sources of This View Are Rambam, R’ Shach, Chatam Sofer, Ohr Somayach. Update on R’ Belkin Book. - Sep 15, 2024 - Danger of excessive ransom payments for hostages. Are women required to make havdalah? R' Mendi Gopin: Extend trumpets concept to R' Akiva & Moshe Rabbeinu. R' James Gordon, Young Israel of Oak Park, MI. The darshan's humorous portrayal of the Zionist army & the very critical reactions of R' Shkop & then R' Chaim. Uzi Baram on the IDF. Chaim Goldberg: How to make Charedim spiritually comfortable in the IDF. R' Menashe Klein opposes translations. Rambam's opposition to translating Mishneh Torah into Arabic & his regret in writing Perush al Hamishnah and Sefer HaMitzvot in Arabic. Why Moreh Nevuchim in Arabic is fine. Evaluating both pros and cons of English translations. R' Shakh opposed translations. Chatam Sofer opposed translations and regretted authorizing translation of the siddur. The concept that translations are harmful. R' Israel Salanter. Why Aramaic is special & thus an exception. R' Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his Ohr Somayach: Bechukotai, Vayikra 26:44: Hebrew Language is one of many things that preserves us in exile. Visit of rabbis to USSR under Khrushchev. Refuting claim that Conservative & Reform provide some short-term protection. Update on R' Belkin book.

    1h 47m
  3. 8 SEPT

    Is Teaching Torah in Hebrew or Yiddish Preferable to English? Mishneh Halachot 13: 150-163. The Lesson Learned From Moshe Rabbenu's Trumpets. Relating to, Evaluating, and Appreciating the IDF of Today, NOT of Decades Ago from a Torah Perspective.

    Is Teaching Torah in Hebrew or Yiddish Preferable to English? Mishneh Halachot 13: 150-163. The Lesson Learned From Moshe Rabbenu's Trumpets. Relating to, Evaluating, and Appreciating the IDF of Today, NOT of Decades Ago from a Torah Perspective. - Sep 8, 2024 - Yakir Taitelbaum, hy"d. ArtScroll: pros & cons. In what language should Torah be taught to individuals who don't know Hebrew? Nechama Leibowitz: Only Hebrew. Why R' Rakeffet strongly disagrees. The Rav told Dr. Belkin to teach only in English, not Yiddish. R' Kotler: Only Yiddish. R' Silver: English is okay. R' Rakeffet's experiences with Yiddish. Menachot 28a: All utensils in the Mishkan may be passed down but trumpets of Moshe must be buried. Trumpets are a dialogue with the Jewish people. Communication differs in each generation. Black clothing. Michlalah student, Esther Sandler. Every generation must have rabbis with different abilities & characteristics. R' Kook & the Rav: Meaning of: Elokai ad shelo notzarti… & dor dor vedorshav. The Rav learned baseball. Fabrengen in Yiddish via satellite. Why R' Kahaneman refused a Knesset seat. Issue of serving in IDF. Why Roshei Yeshivah who said death is preferable to army are worse than extremely wrong. The IDF is much different than when they were young. Much more Torah. Description of the differences between IDF now & then. There are sometimes two different hashgachot on the kitchen. Gerrer chasid who graduated as MD from Technion.

    1h 51m
  4. 10 JUN

    Volozhin Yeshiva. Haskalah Publications. Not all Volozhin Students Were on the Same Level. Bialik in the Yeshiva. How He Lived in Two Worlds. Bialik's Oneg Shabbat & Poetry. Shutting Down Roads is Not Acceptable. The Rav on Matan Torah.

    Volozhin Yeshiva. Haskalah Publications. Not all Volozhin Students Were on the Same Level. Bialik in the Yeshiva. How He Lived in Two Worlds. Bialik's Oneg Shabbat & Poetry. Shutting Down Roads is Not Acceptable. The Rav on Matan Torah. - Jun 10, 2024 - Chasidus Meets America by Ora Wiskind. Students in Volozhin: Maskilim vs 'tzadikim.' Tolerance of Haskalah publications in Volozhin compared to elsewhere. Netziv's less negative attitude to such publications. Volozhin students with weaker backgrounds. Tutors. Town of Volozhin had a great feature: Nothing doing there, no coffee shops, clubs, external libraries. Why R' Aharon Kotler chose Lakewood. Why Bialik liked Volozhin so much. He was loved by all. His departure. R. Hirsch & Bais Yaakov Schools. Bialik would have loved Hesder Yeshivot. Bialik's poems showed his love for the yeshiva. He was in two worlds. The Rav on studying the New Testament. Bialik's well-attended Oneg Shabbat. R' Hutner thanks Moshe Dayan. Dayan's son in Hollywood. General Uzi Dayan. Aryeh Kroll on Charedim. R' Kook compared to Bialik. Shaul Stampfer. Traveling in NYC on train on Simchat Torah. The Rosh Yeshiva's role has more aspects than just teaching. Example: Dr. Belkin. Also R' Kotler. How he was treated by donors. Volozhin succession battle. Rav Auerbach: father & son. Shutting down roads is not acceptable. No pesak is lekhol hade'ot. The Rav on Matan Torah: We are all capable.

    1h 51m
  5. 9 JUN

    R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 13:150: How to Bring Tinokot Shenishbu Closer to Torah and Mitzvot. Rambam's Methodology and R' Menashe's. Importance of Hebrew.

    R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 13:150: How to Bring Tinokot Shenishbu Closer to Torah and Mitzvot. Rambam's Methodology and R' Menashe's. Importance of Hebrew. - Jun 9, 2024 - Percentages of Jewish communities that are Ba'alei Teshuva around the world. One must destroy & then create a new world. This is risky. Role of psychology in Mussar. Mishneh Halachot 13:150 pg. 196: Those who work in outreach should have training as rigorous as that of an MD. An MD trains for years. R' Rakeffet sensed there was a problem with potential convert in Maplewood. Meeting Naomi Shemer. R' Klein: It is worth doing outreach in spite of risk of mistakes. Theodore Friedman debate: Catholic rabbi. R' Menashe: Know what you're doing. Outreach is a profession. The stages of teaching non-observant. Rambam's methodology: Hilchot Talmud Torah 4:1: Make him הגון then test him & only then he enters Bet Midrash & is taught. Not applicable today. Lack of observance results in intermarriage. Jewish soldier in Russian army during WW I. Why the covenant with the Avot wasn't enough. Why are you living in a country at war? Teachers from Shanghai showed books are not enough. R' Menashe's methodology: First teach Hebrew. No ArtScroll. R' Rakeffet met two men who became observant via ArtScroll. Davening in English. Visit of US orthodox rabbis to Soviet Union in 1965 showed Hebrew unites us.

    1h 38m
  6. 3 JUN

    Volozhin Yeshiva. A Moving Description of the More Emotional Aspects of the Members of the Yeshiva Discussed Along With a Description of Bialik in the Yeshiva. Camaraderie and Kinship But Also Machloket and Romance. Abba Blusher's Memoir as a Source.

    Volozhin Yeshiva. A Moving Description of the More Emotional Aspects of the Members of the Yeshiva Discussed Along With a Description of Bialik in the Yeshiva. Camaraderie and Kinship But Also Machloket and Romance. Abba Blusher's Memoir as a Source. - Jun 3, 2024 - Hovevei Zion Kattowitz Conference of 1884. Intense Torah learning in Sochatchov. אבא בלושר memoir. Percent of Volozhin students who were maskilim. Blusher Library in Kovno. Infighting in Volozhin over succession. Russian government's plans for Volozhin. Who succeeds Netziv? Students wanted R' Chaim. Infighting was intense & frightened the Russian government. Bialik's letter supporting Netziv. Description of the students during Bialik's emotional departure from Volozhin. Volozhin student falls in love with the daughter of the family renting him a room & marries her despite opposition. Bialik approved. The way yeshiva and non-yeshiva studies combined in the city of Volozhin attracted Bialik. Graetz vs. R' Yitzhak Isaac Halevy Rabinowitz on writing Jewish history. His major work, Dorot Rishonim. His influence on the nature of Agudah. What if Rav Kook had helped form Agudah? Why mussar was banned in Volozhin. Can we answer the question of what Bialik really believed about the yeshiva world? He was shomer Shabbat. His oneg Shabbat. Description of 24/7 Torah studies in Volozhin. Comparison of the demeanor of R' Chaim vs. Netziv. The camaraderie and kinship within Volozhin. Arnie Rund.

    1h 46m
  7. 2 JUN

    R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 13:150-153: How to Bring Russian Jews in Moscow Closer to Torah and Mitzvot. The Danger of Relying on Emotion in Making Decisions. An Evaluation of Conversion-גרות. The Greater Importance of Chukim over Mishpatim.

    R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 13:150-153: How to Bring Russian Jews in Moscow Closer to Torah and Mitzvot. The Danger of Relying on Emotion in Making Decisions. An Evaluation of Conversion-גרות. The Greater Importance of Chukim over Mishpatim. - Jun 2, 2024 - Lighting Shabbat נרות before plag. Rabbis should've encouraged aliyah in 1884. Religious status in Israel much improved since 1969. Chilul Hashem in Charedi world. Mishneh Halachot 13:150: Efforts to bring Jews in the former Soviet Union closer to Torah & Mitzvot. Noticeable success between 1981 & 1985. In 1990s Chabad dominated Leningrad. In Moscow there was a noticeable Litvish presence. Putin. זרע בית ישראל concept. 13:151: Emotion must not be a factor or play a role in policy decisions & efforts. Reform rabbi on Amalek & sacrifices. King Saul & Agag shows the danger of emotion when making decisions. Langer case. Helen Seidman case. Russian aliyah: Encourage conversions. Yevamot 47b: קשה גרים לישראל כספחת. Converts can be better Jews than those born Jewish. Writing down on Shabbat shiurim given on Shabbat in Kamenitz. Professor Carmi Horowitz & writings of Prof. Isadore Twersky. 13:153: Using Mishneh Torah to find Talmudic sources. Mishneh Torah, Me'ilah 8:8: An intense presentation of how to relate to chukim & their greater importance over mishpatim. Reach out with Mishneh Torah first. Moreh Nevuchim will come later. P.M. Begin. The way to bring Charedim into the IDF.

    1h 38m

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YUTORAH: R' Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff -- Recent Shiurim

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