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

Special Shiur: History of BMT and the Horwitz Family - Apr 8, 2024 - Video of this Shiur on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/QMwVrKJa13w

R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 9:216: May or Should One Institute Takanot Against Jews Who Are Not Sufficiently Observant? In General, How Should We Relate to Less Observant Jews in Modern Times? Long Term Consequences are Crucial. - Apr 7, 2024 - R' Klein's lady editor. R' Moshe: Son must obey father & not go to yeshiva he preferred. London student forbidden to attend BMT came back to observance and Torah. Student whom R' Elchanan told not to attend YC is identified. Should one institute תקנות discriminating against non-observant Jews? What results in the future from such a takanah may be bad. Chatam Sofer, R' Hirsch & Austritt 1876, Würzburger Rav, Netziv, & Rav Soloveitchik dealt with this issue. Chazon Ish on 26a ע"ז. Gentile shepherds & thieves, should not be saved from death. They destroy society. Also execute מינים ומומרים. Rambam, Mamrim 3:2: agrees but only for the original apikorus, not descendants who should be brought back. Golda Meir in Moscow. Chazon Ish: Yoreh Deah, שחיטה ,2:16 states only if השגחה גלויה exists may an apikorus be eliminated. A Life Apart. The greatest rabbis in 1880s, 1940s, & today, made wrong decisions. Use love and inspiration for Torah. Examples of children of non-observant who years later became observant. Sotah 46b & מלכים ב 2:18. Elisha curses 42 children who mocked him & are then killed by bears. Justification is he saw that they & all their descendants were completely non-religious.

Volozhin Yeshiva: R' Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (Netziv) is Now Dominant. Descriptions of Some of the Students. What Made Volozhin Special for Them. Writing Biographies. Graetz. Historical Development of Talmud - Apr 1, 2024 - Shabbtai Tzvi, his effect on Sephardim, R' Emden vs. R' Eybeschutz, Cleves get & all of the above, their impact on rise of Reform Judaism. Israeli Post office. R' Friedman regretted contributing to responsum permitting driving on Shabbat. How birth of Conservative Judaism could've been prevented. Netziv is now dominant. His appreciation for haskalah, Zionism, & other areas, but never inside the yeshiva. Why no biographies were written until the 1800s. Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport wrote biographies. Barbara Streisand. Hesped for R' Aharon Lichtenstein. ישיבות ליטא פרקי זכרונות by עמנואל אטקס, שלמה טיקוצ'ינסקי Rose Lieberman and the 6th Rebbe. The 400 Volozhin students were multi-faceted. Many students appreciated 'History of the Jews,' by Graetz. R' Hirsch did not. The student who was driven away from his wife & child then found solace in Volozhin. The Rav's semikhah. The student who read Graetz and literature at midnight. Individuals who dealt with historical development of the Talmud beginning with 'Darkei ha-Mishnah,' by Zecharias Frankel. The wealthy student's library. R' Melech Schachter's doctoral dissertation. R' Rakeffet's 1972 speech about President of Israel.

R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 9:216: May or Should One Institute תקנות in a Shul Against Jews Who Are Not Sufficiently Observant? In General, How Should We Relate to Less Observant Jews and Do We Expel Such Students from Yeshivot? Sabbateans? - Mar 31, 2024 - Chabad visiting soldiers on Purim. R' Elchonon Wasserman's letter to a student: Do not study at Dr. Revel's yeshiva. Mishneh Halachot 9:216. Should one institute תקנות discriminating against non-observant Jews such as no aliyot nor being שליחי צבור? This might drive them away & make them worse. We appreciate less observant Jews who are dedicated to Israel but it's not sufficient. Does civil marriage require a get? This needs a conference of rabbis. Expelling a student for bad behavior. BMT student. The views of חזון איש וחפץ חיים. Rema vs. Taz. Be'er Heitev & Pitchei Teshuvah. Chabad on relating to intermarried couples. Synagogue Council. Sabbateans and Frankists are to be totally banned (no מחלוקת). Austritt & R' Hirsch. Limud in England. Why Shabbtai Tzvi attracted followers. Each situation is unique. Consider children & grandchildren. Zohar, וירא: From Avraham, we learn it is forbidden to pray for destruction of רשעים such as Terach. R' Theodore Friedman debate: Catholic rabbi. Mordecai Kaplan. The Rav on how to treat Conservative & Reform rabbis. R' Klein doesn't decide. Only גדולי הדור can decide on such תקנות. Each case is unique & needs מתינות גדולה וישוב הדעת of Gedolim.

Volozhin Yeshiva: What Was Crucially Important to R' Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (Netziv) & Therefore What Did He Think Should Not Play Any Role Within the Yeshiva. His Broadness Outside the Yeshiva. Why Did R' Chaim Select Volozhin Instead of Vilna. - Mar 18, 2024 - Daniel Peretz, הי"ד & his family. The Rav & במה מדליקין. R' Dovid Lifshitz & his wife. R' Bezalel Naor & Richard Nyer. R' Kook wearing tefillin all day in Volozhin was not appreciated. Split in Mercaz HaRav over teacher's degree option. Netziv was worldly and appreciated Russian Literature, Zionism, & secular studies, but never inside the yeshiva. He opposed divisions within Jewish community. Learn from חזקיהו המלך & bring everyone into the yeshiva, including phonies. They will be influenced by Torah study. Lakewood now has outreach via Kollelim. Avoid discussion of theological questions. Torah observance first, theological questions will be answered later. Example: Uri Zohar. Arik Einstein and his wife Sima. Alternative view as to only Torah studies in the yeshiva: R' Soloveitchik and R' Aharon Lichtenstein. No ghetto mentality today. Synagogue Council & its closing. Haskalah in E. Europe vs. W. Europe. Why R' Chaim selected city of Volozhin: 1) Sha'agat Aryeh was there. 2) In Vilna he would not be able to be as selective about students. 3) Financial support of students worked better there. R' Dovid Lifshitz' broadness. Refusal to imitate the rabbinic seminaries. R' Salanter.

R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 6:158: Son Wants to Transfer to Study in a Different School With a Different Rav (Teacher). Father is Opposed and is Worried in the New School With Fewer But Brilliant Students His Son's Learning Will Suffer Badly - Mar 17, 2024 - R' Karmi Gross & derechaim.com. Megillah 3a: Army&Torah study. שבט לוי ומלחמת מצוה. R' Hutner: NY Times. R' Y. Kamenetsky on child carrying tallit on Shabbat. Shabbos goyim of Kew Gardens Hills. Milking cows on Shabbat. Comparing the Rav to R' Ahron Soloveichik as פוסקים. Mishneh Halakhot 6:158: Son wants to transfer to another Rav he feels will be better for him but his father is opposed. The new teacher was like a מלאך. Mothers especially want their children to live nearby. Examples of students changing teachers. Examples of concept that students should especially study what interests them. Importance of everyone NOT being the same. German Rishonim. Terumat Hadeshen, siman 40: Father is frightened by the idea of his son going to a country where Jews are persecuted: Permitted. No Sephardic girls in מכון גולד ומכללה in 1971. Parents were worried. It's permissible to leave Israel & also one's parents in order to study Torah as יעקב אבינו did. Son wants to leave Young Israel shul & daven elsewhere. ש"ע יו"ד 240:25 permits changing schools. כתובות ע"א: Husband forbids wife to go to בית האבל או לבית המשתה because there is promiscuity. R' Rakeffet's vision. Haaretz article on hostages.