Rabbi Adam Mintz Past Jewish History Lectures http://www.rayimahuvim.org/ en-us ℗ & © 2006-2007 Rabbi Adam Mintz & Family Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. In the medieval period this debate was initiated by the Christians and the Jews were left to defend their religious and their interpretations of the Torah. In 1965 the Catholic Church passed the document of Nostra Aetate which called for a reconsideration of the Church's relationship with the Jews. There were various opinions within the Jewish community how to respond to this new initiative. Rabbi Adam Mintz smond@yahoo.com Rabbi Adam Mintz The process of Jewish law has developed and evolved over the past three thousand years. According to Jewish tradition, the Written Torah was accompanied by an Oral Torah. This Oral Torah was written down in two phases; the first phase was the writing of the Mishna at the end of the second century CE, the second phase was the writing of the Gemara in the sixth century CE. How did the decision to write the Oral Torah affect the evolution of Jewish law? How has Jewish history addressed legal issues since the writing of the Oral Torah? http://snuffymond.tripod.com/Introduction_to_Jewish_Law.mp3 Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST 1:04:58 Mintz, Jewish, East Side, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam Rabbi Adam Mintz The challenge facing the rabbinic community following the redaction of the gemara in the sixth century was how to transform the gemara into a usable and useful code for the people. Jewish codifiers have taken different approaches to the issue ranging from the narrow code of the Rambam to the expansive code of the Tur. Rabbi Joseph Caro grappled with this issue as he decided to compose the Shulchan Aruch at the end of his life. This lecture will address the history of codification and its importance in the history of Jewish law. Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST 01:03:35 Mintz, Jewish, East Side, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Codification%20Part%20I.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This class will analyze and compare the treatment of the Laws of Visiting the Sick as they are described in the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch. We will also discuss the reaction of the rabbinic community to the Shulchan Aruch and explain why there has not been a complete code written since that time. Finally, we will introduce the topic of Responsa Literature and define the difference between codes and case law. Wed, 1 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST 59:52 Mintz, Jewish, East Side, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Codification%20Part%20II.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Crusades in Germany in 1096 and the Spanish riots of 1391 created tragic situations for the Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity. How did the rabbis in each country address the problem of these Conversos? Were they to be considered Jews even after they had converted? This lecture will explore two responsa; one written by Rashi and the other by the Rivash, the leading halakhic authority in Algiers in the fifteenth century who had escaped from Spain in 1391 after being forced to convert to Christianity. Wed, 8 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST 58:10 Mintz, Jewish, East Side, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Conversos.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In the early nineteenth century, the Reform movement began in Germany. It soon spread to Hungary and created a serious challenge to the Orthodox rabbinate which struggled to define legitimate Orthodoxy and to decide how to view these reformers in a legal framework. One of the leading Orthodox rabbis in Hungary who dealt with with this issue was Rabbi Moshe Schick. In this class, we will study and evaluate Rabbi Schicks' teshuvot on this topic and analyze his seemingly contradictory views on this subject. Wed, 15 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST 01:05:56 Mintz, Jewish, East Side, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Response%20to%20Reform.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jewish law has responded to life and death situations throughout Jewish History. During the Nazi era, the rabbis were faced with tragic situations that required their insight and decision. This class will study three teshuvot from this period; the first, addressing the Nazi prohibition against shechitah, the second, reflecting a life and death question that was asked in Auschwitz and finally a question that was raised in the DP camps immediately following the liberation from the death camps. These questions and the responses of the rabbis attest to the power and relevance of Jewish law in all situations. Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST 01:03:13 Mintz, Jewish, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Holocaust%20Responsa.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Rav Moshe Feinstein was the leading halachik authority for the Ashkenazic community of the United States during the second half of the twentieth century. His teshuvot are collected in the eight volume set of Iggerot Moshe. In this class, we will study and analyze three teshuvot of Rav Feinstein; the first dealing with participation in a conference with Catholics, the second dealing with the permissibility of teaching in a Conservative Hebrew school and the final teshuva addressing the proper conduct for a Jewish doctor on Shabbat. Wed, 29 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST 58:56 Mintz, Jewish, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Rabbi%20Feinstein.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Conservative movement has created a literature of teshuvot that address critical issues for the movement. In this class, we will explore the methodology of these teshuvot and study three examples; Ordination of Women, Driving on Shabbat and the Permissibility of "Non-Kosher" Wine. Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST 01:09:56 Mintz, Jewish, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Conservative%20Teshuvot.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Modern Orthodox movement has developed in the United States over the past forty years. The movement has experienced great success in building communities. However, the Modern Orthodox community has generally not been in the forefront of the halakhic decision making process. In this class, we will study several examples of Modern Orthodox teshuvot and attempt to both present the methodology of these teshuvot and explain why Modern Orthodoxy has ceded this aspect of the process to others. Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST 53:01 Mintz, Jewish, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Modern%20Orthodox%20Teshuvot.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Rabbi Hirschensohn came to the United States in 1903 and served as the rabbi of Hoboken for over thirty years. His volumes of responsa reflect an attempt to integrate his experience in America with his commitment to halakha and to the creation of a State of Israel in Palestine. While his approach was controversial in some rabbinic circles during his lifetime, one wonders whether he would have been accepted as an Orthodox rabbi today. Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:03:23 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Rabbi%20Hirschensohn.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Louis Ginzberg came to the United States in 102 and spent 51 years at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as a leading talmudic. He also wote numerous responsa on a variety of topics. This class will explore a selection of these teshuvot, all collected and published by Rabbi David Golinkin. They include teshuvot on the topics of how to deal with the new siddur of Mordechai Kaplan, whether one can listen to the radio on Shabbat and whether one is permitted to make kiddush on grape juice during Prohibition. Ginzberg's teshuvot contine to be a model for the teshuvot of the Law Committe of the Rabbinical Assembly to this day. Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:02:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Louis%20Ginzberg.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Solomon Freehof created the genre or responsa literature within the Reform movement. Raised in an Orthodox family in Baltimore, he studied at Hebrew Union College and served as a Reform rabbi in Chicago and Pittsburgh for almost 50 years. He authored eight volumes of Reform Responsa. His responsa are written in the traditional rabbinic style complete with scholarly traditional sources. However, he believed that halakhah was merely a guide and not the sole decisor of practice among Reform Jews. He felt that that community's interest must be taken into account when deciding issue of practice and ritual. Freehof died in 1990 at the age of 98 but his responsa remain an important part of the Reform movement to this day. Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST 58:12 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Freehof.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In the early 1930's Rabbi Tobias Geffen, the Orthodox rabbi in Atlanta, received some inquiries from colleagues whether Coca Cola was kosher. The "secret formula" complicated the process, yet Rabbi Geffen was to gain the trust of the Coca Cola executives and they shared the ingredients with him. Rabbi Geffen discovered that one ingredient contained non-kosher animal fat and another ingredient contained traces of chametz. Surprisingly, Rabbi Geffen was able to convince Coca Cola to change these two ingredients and Coke has been kosher for Pesach and year-round ever since. The manner in which Rabbi Geffen gained access to Coke is traced through his personal letters of correspondence Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST 47:12 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Geffen%20and%20Coca%20Cola.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Rabbi Henkin lived on the Lower East Side for over 50 years during which time he gained the reputation as "the rabbi's rabbi". His rabbinic responsa address many of the pressing issues confronting the Orthodox community during this period. In this class we will study three teshuvot by Rabbi Henkin; the first dealing with the permissibility of davenig in a non-mechitzah shul, the second concerning the validity of the Manhattan eruv and finally the issue of whether civil marriages and Reform marraiges are recognized by the halakhah as marriages that would require a get if terminated. Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST 54:11 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Henkin.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The age of technology has introduced new and innovative ways to spread all types of information including halakhah. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, the rosh yeshiva of the hesder yeshiva in Petach Tikva, has been one of the pioneers in the area of answering halakhic questions on the internet. In this class we will study some of the teshuvot exploring the various unique aspects of interent teshuvot including the question of anonymity and the ability to spread the answers instantaneously to a wide audience. We will focus on both personal questions as well as questions relating to the recent disengagement from Gaza. Tue, 27 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:01:11 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Cherlow.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In a continuation of the topic that was begun last session, we will explore the phenomenon of psak halakhah in an age of technological advances. We will study correspondences between rabbis on the Rabbinical Council of America rabbinic listserve. What types of issues are discussed? How is psak halakhah transmitted through the internet? How has the internet changed the method of psak and in what ways has the process of answering legal question remained in the traditional mode. Tue, 06 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST 57:17 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/21st%20century%20psak.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Galicia was created by the First Partition of Poland in 1772 at which time large sections of Central and Southern Poland were given to the Austrian Empire. The move of Galicia back into Western European society and culture created both Maskilim and Chasidim who battled to define the appropriate way to respond to this historic transformation of this region. While traditional Jewish scholarship has tended to view these two groups as extremists, recent scholarship has proven that a more moderate position was espoused by both the Maskilim and the non-Chasidic Orthodox. Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST 55:44 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/galicia.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This lecture focuses on the role of the Vilna Gaon in the shaping of the religious personality of Lithuanian Jewry in the second half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. The influence of the Gaon impacted on the development of the early haskalah in Lithuania and led to the condemnation of the Hasidim by the Vilna community. The Gaon's influence extended past his death in 1797 and created the environment that led to the founding of the Volozhin yeshiva in 1802. Tue, 01 May 2007 08:00:00 EST 59:22 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Lithuania.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jews have lived in Latvia since the early sixteenth century. The community developed and grew in the nineteenth century as Eastern Latvia became part of the Pale of Settlement and Western Latvia remained outside the Pale. This lecture will compare the history of the Jews of Riga and its German influence with the history of the Jews of Dvinsk which was included in the Pale. Tue, 08 May 2007 08:00:00 EST 57:41 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Latvia.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jews have lived in Hungary for over a thousand years. This lecture will focus on the Jewish experience in Hungary on the eve of the emancipation from the Habsburg Empire in the 1860s. It was during this period that the Ultra-Orthodox disciples of the Hatam Sofer made several decisions that served to distinguish them not only fro the Reform but also fro the Neo-Orthodox, lead in Hungary at this time by Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer. This lecture will explore this decisions and their impact in determining the future of Hungarian Jewry. Tue, 15 May 2007 08:00:00 EST 56:16 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_07/Jews%20of%20Hungary.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The History of Jewish-Christian Dialogue Description: Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. In the medieval period this debate was initiated by the Christians and the Jews were left to defend their religious and their interpretations of the Torah. In 1965 the Catholic Church passed the document of Nostra Aetate which called for a reconsideration of the Church's relationship with the Jews. There were various opinions within the Jewish community how to respond to this new initiative. Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:04:38 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Dialogue.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The question of how the Jewish community deals with intermarried Jews is the most difficult problem facing the Jewish community today. This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. This will be discussed by comparing this question with the similar question whether a Shabbat violator can be counted toward a minyan. Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:16:38 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Intermarried.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The question of how the Jewish community deals with intermarried Jews is the most difficult problem facing the Jewish community today. This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. This will be discussed by comparing this question with the similar question whether a Shabbat violator can be counted toward a minyan. Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST 01:16:38 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Intermarried.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The attempt to reconcile Western morality and halakhah has become an important issue within the Jewish community. Is it possible that halakhah collides with general moral principles? This issue lays at the foundation of the question whether a Jew is allowed to violate Shabbat in order to save a Non-Jew. This lecture will explore both the halakhic and moral background of this issue and attempt to explain the relationship between halakhah and morality in this instance. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST 56:37 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Saving%20Non-Jews%20on%20Shabbat.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The distinction that halacha places between the manner in which a Jew is obligated to interact with other Jews and how he is obligated to interact with non-Jews in business dealings has been a point of contention throughout the centuries. Jew have been called upon to explain these distinctions and to resolve the ethical difficulties raised by these issues. In this lecture, we will explore two instances of this distinction; the rules of the lost object of a non-Jew and the law of a non-Jew's mistake in business. We will analyze the basic parameters of these laws and see how these ethical problems were addressed by traditional Jewish scholars throughout the ages. Wed, 7 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST 1:00:24 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Business%20Ethics%20and%20the%20Non-Jew.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud records that that certain foods prepared by non-Jews are not allowed to be eaten, even though the ingredients are kosher, due the risk of assimilation and intermarriage. Do these laws apply today/ This lecture will explore the evolution of these laws and their application in modern times where assimilation and intermarriage remain a serious concern. Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST 1:05:28 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_07/Forbidden%20Foods.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud requires that men recite recite a daily blessing each day thanking God that they "were not created a woman". How has this brachah been understood throughout the centuries? How did women respond to this brachah and how did the rabbis react to the women's innovation? Wed, 16 JAN 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:05:10 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08/Prayer%20and%20Women.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In the period following the destruction of the Second Temple, Jewish prayer began to take shape. The Daily Amidah was instituted and an additional bracha was added rejected the heretics. There is scholarly debate about whom this bracha refers which most suggestions centering around the early Christians who had broken away from Judaism. This lecture will explore this material and analyze how this bracha has been interpreted throughout the centuries. Wed, 23 JAN 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:55:56 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08/Velamalshinim.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Mourner's Kaddish has become the most emotionally charged prayer in the Jewish Liturgy. What is the history of Kaddish and how did it achieve this central place in the prayer service? We will explore the evolution of the Kaddish and the different customs that were practiced in specific communities. We will also see how Kaddish has been utilized in the State of Israel and during the Holocaust. Wed, 30 JAN 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:58:56 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08/Kaddish.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The tradition to recite a special prayer to honor specific members of the community dates to the Geonic period over a thousand years ago. This custom was expanded during the medieval period to pray for members of the community who were ill or found themselves in specific danger. The rabbis addressed this special prayer and its appropriateness to be recited during the service and on Shabbat. This lecture will explore the history of this Mi Sheberach le-Cholim. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:56:24 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08/Mi%20Sheberach.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Kol Nidrei service begins with a declaration permitting the "sinners" to participate in the Yom Kippur service. What is the origin of this declaration? How was it utilized throughout history? What is the definition of a "sinner" as it relates to Jewish prayer? What is the relevance of this declaration today? Do we attempt to include everyone in the service or are there certain types of people who are excluded from the service? Wed, 12 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:55:23 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08/Prayer%20and%20the%20Sinner.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jewish community of Berlin following World War I consisted of both German Jews and Eastern European Jews. Each of these communities played an important role in the development of the Jewish community during the short lived democratic Weimar Republic. This lecture will explore the importance of each of these communities and the both the friction and cooperation that existed among the Jews of Berlin during this period. Mon, 12 May 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:01:23 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08_II/Berlin_1920.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jews have lived in Alsace since the early medieval period. However, the relationship of the Jews to Alsace underwent many changes as the region oscillated between French and German rule. In 1871, Alsace was conquered by the German and the Alsatian Jews were faced with the difficult decision of whether to switch their allegiance to the Germans. Initially, the Jews remained patriotic to the French. However, following the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890's where Alfred Dreyfus was criticized as a both a Jew and an Alsatian, the Jews began to express allegiance to the German cause. This lecture will explore the issue of these conflicting allegiances and their implication for the history of the Jews in Modern Europe. Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:52:46 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08_II/Metz_1895.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jews have lived in England for over one thousand years. However, they were expelled in 1290 and not readmitted until 1655. This lecture will explore the Jewish community in London at the beginning of the twentieth century. We will focus on the career of Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz and his attempt to unite the British and immigrant Jewish communities and his attempt to improve the reputation of the Jews among the non-Jews in England. Mon, 26 May 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:55:46 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08_II/London_1935.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jews have lived in Syria since the Biblical period. There is a legend that associates the Arabic name for Aleppo, Halab, with Abraham milking his cows and giving the milk to the poor of Aleppo. The history of the Jews of Aleppo in the first half of the twentieth century is a rich and fascinating one. This lecture will explore this history with a focus on the rabbinic tradition that developed in Aleppo during this period. + Tues, 27 May 2008 08:00:00 EST 00:55:46 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_08_II/Aleppo 1900.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Bible has been studied through the eyes of traditional rabbinic commentaries throughout the centuries. In the last two hundred years, Biblical scholars have claimed that the Bible was authored by multiple authors long after he events that are described. This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. We will also explore how contemporary Orthodox scholars have addressed the Documentary Hypothesis. Wed, 5 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:07:17 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_08/What Happened at Sinai.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Book of Devarim poses serious questions for both traditional commentators and Bible Scholars. Devarim begins with the statement that "these are the words of Moshe". Did God dictate these words to Moshe or did Moshe write these words on his own? This lecture will explore the ways in which the traditional commentators address this issue. It will also present the view of the Bible Scholars who claim that the Book of Devarim was composed at a later date. Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_08/Sefer Devarim.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud argued that anyone who does not believe that the entire Torah was written by Moshe is considered as ridiculing God. Yet, there are several verses in the Torah that appear to have been written at a period later than Moshe's time. This lecture will explore the commentary of the ibn Ezra on a number of these verses and will examine two super commentaries on the ibn Ezra that attempt to reconcile the ibn Ezra's commentary with the traditional view of Moshe's authorship of the Torah. Finally, we will analyze the Song of the Sea as another potential chapter that was written after Moshe's time. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:05:56 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_08/Ibn Ezra and Text of Torah.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Orthodox theology today teaches that the text of the Torah that we have today is exactly the same text of the Torah that was given by God to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. Is this really true? This lecture will examine the evolution of the history of the Torah text beginning with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, continuing through the talmudic period and culminating in the creation of the first Rabbinic Bible in 1525 in Venice. The story of the text of the Torah contains many twists and turns and may have some surprising conclusions. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:02:03 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_08/Textual Criticism.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz While Jewish tradition has always emphasized the sanctity of the Biblical text, the rabbinic tradition, that often contradicts the literal meaning of the Torah, has defined religious practice and observance throughout the ages. This lecture will explore four explanations for the relationship between the rabbinic interpolation of the Biblical texts and their literal meaning. Each explanation reflects the tension between the religious obligation to observe the law while at the same time the need to respect the sanctity of the Biblical text. Wed, 3 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST 01:04:45 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_08/Peshat and derash.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jewish Theology is a subject matter that has largely been overlooked by rabbis and scholars. This lecture will explore the history of Jewish Theology beginning with the Biblical and Rabbinic understanding of the term "emunah". During the medieval and modern periods, there were a number of rabbis and philosophers who wrote Jewish Articles of Faith. The most famous and well-known work was written by the Rambam. Was the Rambam's work accepted by the Jewish community? What is the place of Jewish dogma within the Orthodox community today? Wed, 3 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST 01:14:54 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_09/History of Jewish Theology.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Fifth Principle of the Rambam includes the prohibition to pray to God through intermediaries such as angels. This lecture will explore the history of the Jewish attitude towards praying to angels. While this issue has been a matter of dispute among philosophers and rabbis, the prevalent view has accepted the fact that we use angels as an intermediary to God. How can this view be reconciled with the Rambam's opinion? Is it OK to disagree with the Rambam on matters of theology? Tues, 10 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST 01:07:54 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_09/Angels.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Reward and Punishment is the most basic principle of Judaism. How has it been explained in the Talmud? How do the rabbis address the question of theodicy (why bad things happen to good people)? This lecture will focus on analyzing the Rambam's novel and potentially problematic interpretation of this principle of faith through the study of selections from his Commentary on the Mishnah, Moreh Nebuchim and Mishneh Torah. Tues, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST 00:58:54 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_09/Reward and Punsihment.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The messiah is one of the foundations of Jewish belief. The twelfth article of faith delineates the belief in the messiah and this has become both a religious and popular principle of Jewish belief. What was the Rambam's definition of the messiah and the messianic age? In this lecture, we will explore the three places in which the Rambam discusses the messiah; in his Commentary on the Mishna, the Mishneh Torah and the Epistle to Yemen. We will attempt to reconcile the conflicts between these descriptions and to develop the Rambam's view of messiah. Tues, 24 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST 00:56:02 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_09/Messiah.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Resurrection of the Dead is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism. It has been included in the daily amidah and is considered by the Mishna as a pre-requisite for entry into the World to Come. This lecture will explore the various views of Jewish scholars concerning the exact nature of this phenomenon. Will the body and soul be reunited? Is this resurrection only for the soul? The main text will be the writings of the Rambam and the debate that these writings created on this issue. Tues, 3 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST 01:04:02 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_09/Resurrection of the Dead.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz While the first Jews to arrive in America came to New Amsterdam in 1654, in the early decades of the United States, the largest Jewish community was in Charleston, SC. This lecture will study the history and the culture of this early American Jewish community. Charleston was also the home of the first Reform congregation in America. We will explore how that congregation came to be and why American Reform began in Charleston. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST 00:57:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/spring_09/Charleston,_SC.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Cincinnati was one of the most important American cities in the second half of the nineteenth century. Its Jewish community evolved around the opportunities that the city provided. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise founded Hebrew Union College which began as the first rabbinical school in America and soon developed as the center of American Reform. The Eastern European Jews also created a vibrant Orthodox community in Cincinnati as did the German Jews who arrived after the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Tues, 05 May 2009 08:00:00 EST 01:05:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/spring_09/Jews_in_Cincinnati.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jews arrived in Boston in the middle of the nineteenth century. This community consisted of mainly Polish Jews and grew significantly in the last decades of the century. The Jews experienced both the anti-Semitism of Boston as well as the intellectual openness of the city. This lecture will highlight the roles of Louis Brandies and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik in the creation of an American Judaism that reflected the unique place of Boston in the American Jewish experience. Tues, 12 May 2009 08:00:00 EST 00:50:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/spring_09/Jews_of_Boston.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jews arrived in Brooklyn at end of the of the nineteenth century with the completion of the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges. The community quickly grew and developed and eventually spread to other neighborhoods in Brooklyn. This lecture will explore the development of both the Eastern European and Syrian communities in Brooklyn with an emphasis on the unique nature of each of these communities and their attitudes towards assimilating into American society and culture. Mon, 18 May 2009 08:00:00 EST 01:00:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/spring_09/Jews_of_Brooklyn.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The lecture will introduce the basic outline of decision making during the rabbinic period. How were decisions reached in the time of the Sanhedrin? Was the mishnah written as a book of law? How did the gemara transform the mishnah into a book of practical law? This lecture will explore the development of the earliest rules of decision making and the extra-halakhic considerations that help to determine the halakhah. SAT, 04 JUL 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:42:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/History_of_Halakhic_Decison_Making.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In this shiur we will analyze the role of the minority opinion. Can a rabbi rely on this opinion? If so, what are the limitations of this ability to rely on a minority opinion? Is the minority opinion ever considered "right"? We will trace this question from the Mishna through the rishonim and the poskim. SAT, 18 JUL 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:36:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Klalei_Horaah__2.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This lecture will explore the authority of an individual's posek and the posek of the community. Can a person or a community follow a posek even if he is a minority opinion? Does the authority of the posek apply even in today's society? The source material traces this issue through the rishonim to modern day poskim. SAT, 25 JUL 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:32:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Klalei_Horaah__3.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This shiur will explore the source material that discusses the issue of asking multiple rabbis the same question in order to receive a "satisfactory" response. The sources will span the gemara, rishonim, aharonim and contemporary poskim and will address both the conceptual and practical aspects of this issue. Finally, the shiur will analyze whether the categories that were expressed by the earlier sources are still relevant today. SAT, 1 AUG 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:35:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Klalei_Horaah__4.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz What is the role of precedent in halakhic decision-making? Should the rabbis consider the previous decisions on a topic? Is he bound by these earlier decisions? This shiur will explore the sources on this topic which present a surprisingly expansive view of the rights of the posek in determining halakhis decisions. These sources will begin with a selection from the gemara and then trace this issue through the rishonim and the acharonim. SAT, 15 AUG 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:31:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Role_of_Precedent.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This lecture will explore the limits of the decision-making process. Does the judge or posek have complete freedom to determine the halakhah or are there certain limits to his freedom of pesak? We will explore the relevant gemara and commentaries followed by an analysis of the reaction to the process of codification of the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch. SAT, 05 SEP 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:42:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Limits_of_Posek_s_Authority.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This lecture will explore the role of extra-legal material in the decision-making of a posek. While this issue is very broad and includes changes in nature and economic considerations, this lecture will focus on whether the posek has to consider changes in behavior or societal change. We will analyze sources from the gemara and the commentaries on a wide variety of issues. SAT, 13 SEP 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:33:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Extra-Legal_Material.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Recently, Rav Eliyashiv, the posek of the Lithuanian Yeshiva community in Israel has issue several piskei halakha prohibiting going onto the Temple Mount, wearing Crocs on Yom Kippur and using Shabbat Elevators. Is the America Modern Orthodox community bound by these decisions? This lecture will explore this topic through the lens of the tradition sources ans the analysis of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein. SAT, 18 OCT 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:39:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/summer_09/Rav_Eliyashiv.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud writes that the Amidah was instituted in Yavneh at the end of the first century CE. Did the Jews participate in communal prayer during the Temple period? Was communal prayer always a part of Jewish tradition or was it merely a consolation prize following the destruction of the Temple? This lecture will analyze several mishnaic sources and a source from the apocrypha that address this issue. TUES, 20 OCT 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:55:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_09/Introduction%20to%20Prayer.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The synagogue became a place of Jewish prayer following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. What was the role of the synagogue prior to the destruction? What does this role teach us about communal Jewish prayer prior to the desrtuction of the Temple? This lecture will examine several sources that describe synagogues in Israel and in the diaspora and analyze the role of these synagogues in the Jewish world of the time. TUES, 27 OCT 2009 08:00:00 EST 1:05:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_09/History%20of%20the%20Synagogue.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the rabbis in Yavneh sought to address the lack of a Temple and the service that was performed in it. This lecture will address the role of the synagogue following the destruction and the introduction of the Amidah during this period. Did the rabbis attempt to replace the Temple or did they recognize that the Temple could not be replaced and the synagogue and communal prayer were introduced as different modes of service? TUES, 03 NOV 2009 08:00:00 EST 1:05:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_09/History%20of%20Rabbinic%20Prayer.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Beginning with the creation of the Reform movement at the beginning of the nineteenth century in Germany, the Siddur has been used to identify many of the ideological beliefs of each of the movements. This lecture will study the history of the Reform innovations in the Siddur and compare the modern day Conservative and Reform siddurim with a brief reference to the new Modern Orthodox Koren Siddur. TUES, 10 NOV 2009 08:00:00 EST 1:12:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_09/Different%20Siddurim.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Enlightenment created many changes in the Reform Prayerbook. Yet, it also played a role in redefining the approaches and philosophies of prayer. This lecture will study four nineteenth and twentieth century commentators and philosophers and examine how they address the meaning of prayer in an age of rationalism that is often centered on the individual rather than God. TUES, 17 NOV 2009 08:00:00 EST 0:46:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_09/Philosophies%20of%20Prayer.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The daily synagogue service begins with the public recitation of a group of blessings describing regular morning practices. They also include three blessings distinguishing Jewish men from Gentiles, slaves and women. This lecture will analyze the evolution of these blessings from their private recitation in the home to their prime role as the beginning of the daily service. The opinions of the Rambam, Rashi and the Provencal rabbis will be considered. WED, 27 JAN 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:04:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_10/Morning%20Blessings.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Shema is recited in the morning and evening services and is surrounded by various blessings. This lecture will explore the relationship between the Shema and its accompanying blessings. What is the central theme of the Shema and how do the blessing highlight this theme? The sources will include rabbinic material that traces the recitation of the Shema from the Temple period through the rabbinic period. WED, 03 FEB 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:14:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_10/Shema%20and%20Its%20Blessings.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud explains that the structure of the shemoneh esreh is divided into three parts, praise, petition and thanksgiving. This lecture will explore this division and study the structure of the shemoneh esreh as a unit and as the main part of the daily service. Was the shemoneh esreh a reaction to the destruction of the Temple? Does its theme revolve around a broader topic? Is it merely a random combination of ideas and themes? In this lecture, we will try to make sense of the shemoneh esreh. WED, 10 FEB 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:02:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_10/Shmoneh%20Esreh.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The gemara relates a dispute between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding whether the obligation to daven maariv each night is compulsory of voluntary. This lecture will study the ramifications of this dispute through an analysis of the texts of the maariv service and a historical survey whether Jews actually davened maariv. In what ways did this uncertainty about maariv reflect itself in the liturgy and traditions of the evening service? WED, 17 FEB 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:08:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_10/Evening%20Servce.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Kabbalat Shabbat service incorporates several different elements. While in its essence it represents the acceptance of Shabbat with the recitation of the special Shabbat Psalm, the Kabbalists of Safed in the sixteenth century introduced the recitation of Lecha Dodi and the six introductory chapters of Tehillim. This lecture will examine the history of the Kabbalists in Safed and it will study the structure and themes of Lecha Dodi. Finally, it will trace the debate concerning the acceptance of Lecha Dodi in different communities. WED, 24 FEB 2010 08:00:00 EST 0:56:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_10/Kabbalat%20Shabbat.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Jewish tradition of burial on the day of death was opposed by the German Enlightenment which feared that people were being buried alive. This lecture will explore the edict passed by the Duke of Mecklenburg in 1772 requiring the Jews to delay burial for three days. The Jews petitioned Rabbi Emden and Mendelssohn to offer opinions on this edict. Their debate highlighted the challenge of integrating the scientific and medical advances of the Enlightenment into Jewish practice and law. SUN, 21 FEB 2010 08:00:00 EST 0:30:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/special_category/Burial%20Controversy.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Hasidism began in southern Poland in the middle of the eighteenth century. The founding of Hasdism is attributed to the Baal Shem Tov who lived in Podolia from 1700?-1760. This lecture will explore the origins of the Hasidic movement and the role of the Baal Shem Tov. Was he a charismatic anti-establishment leader or was this image of the Baal Shem Tov shaped later on as a reaction ot the growth of the movement and its search for a founding figure? Wensday, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:04:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_10/Origins%20of%20Hasidism.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The lecture begins with an analysis of the origins of the opposition of the Vilna community to Hasidism in 1772. What role did this play in the growth of the Hasidic movement? The lecture continues with a biographical survey of the life of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhiner dynasty. What was his power of leadership? Why was he so successful? The lecture will explore the political, personal and communal influence of this Hasidic leader who was the most influential Hasid of the first half of the nineteenth century. Wensday, 21 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:09:36 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_10/R.%20Israel%20of%20Ruzhin.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz In 1772, the members of the Vilna community issued a ban against the Hasidism. They criticized the nature of Hasidic prayer including their use of the Siddur of the Ari and their choice to pray in small minyanim. This lecture will explore the debate between the leaders of the Hasidim and the Misnagdim concerning the practices of Hasidic prayer, Finally, we will explore the responsum of the Rabbi Ezekiel Landau concerning the recitation of le-shem yichud prior to the performance of mitzvot. What were the social and political issues that drove this debate concerning Hasidic prayer? Wensday, 29 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:09:27 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_10/Hasidic%20Prayer.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz At the beginning of the twentieth-century, scholars believed that Hasidism had no future. Yet, in spite of the pogroms and the destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust, Hasidism has flourished in the last decades. This lecture will explore the Hasidic dynasties of Boyan and Bobov and analyze the reasons for their success in America. In addition, we will explore the culture of American Hasidism and how they have incorporated American values to allow their isolated brand of Hasidism to flourish. Wensday, 5 May 2010 08:00:00 EST 1:09:27 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Spring_10/Hasidism%20Comes%20to%20America.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Shabbat Shuva 2010 Wensday, 12 May 2010 08:00:00 EST 0:37:27 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Special_Category/Shabbat%20Shuva%202010.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Talmud records that prophecy ended during the Persian period around the year 500 BCE. Josephus also claims that prophecy ceased at this time. This lecture will explore the meaning of this tradition. Were there any prophets after this period? What is the significance of the end of prophecy for the history of Jewish law? How did the end of prophecy alter the role of Jewish leadership? Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST 01:02:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_10/End%20of%20Prophecy.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish author in the second century BCE. It contains a retelling of the first portion of the Torah complete with an elaborate description of the observance of the laws of the Torah by the people in the story. This lecture will study the use of halacha in the Book of Jubilees and explore the importance of this work in the history of halacha. Did the rabbis actually reflect an unbroken chain of the tradition of does the Book of Jubilees express an alternative halachic tradition? Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST 01:02:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_10/Jubilees.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The legal scrolls of Qumran, written in the first century BCE, have been the subject of much scholarly interest over the past thirty years. This lecture will explore the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document and analyze their content. Did these scrolls contain interpretive material similar to rabbinic exegesis? Did these scrolls contain laws that were similar to later rabbinic law? If so, what does this material teach us about the innovations of the rabbis. Did the rabbis institute a new system or was their system of exegesis already found among the Jews of Qumran? Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST 01:00:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_10/Halakhah%20at%20Qumran.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Following the Hasmonean victory in 164 BCE, the members of the Hasmonean family assumed the kingship and high priesthood in Jerusalem. They allied themselves with the Pharisees and the reigning priests, the Sadducees, were forced to battle for their position of leadership. This lecture will explore three halakhic disputes between the Sadducees and the Pharisees and analyze these disputes from a socio-religious context and in terms of their importance in the development of Jewish law. What role did the Sadducees and their halakhic interpretations have on the later rabbinic interpretation of the law? Tue, 9 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_10/Sadducees.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the rabbinic period begins. What happened to the earlier halakhic traditions of the Sadducees and the Dead Sea sects? Traditional scholarship claims that these traditions were lost or rejected. However, recent studies have shown that some of these earlier opinions were incorporated into the pluralistic halakhic community that was created at Yavneh. This lecture will explore this tradition and evaluate why not all views were accepted into the rabbinic discourse. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:00:00 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Fall_10/Yavneh.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz This lecture will provide the background for the Jewish experience in Persia which began during the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. The Jews flourished under Parthian culture and then under Sassanian rule. The influence of Persian culture on Babylonian rabbinic tradition will be explored through the utilization of two sources; the first addresses the role of lineage in rabbinic and Persian culture; the second, examines whether the rabbis dealt with Jews in cosmopolitan cities in Persia differently than they dealt with Jews from more provincial Babylonian towns. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:00:00 01:10:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_11/Persian%20Culture.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The dominant religion in Persian society during the Talmudic period was Zoroastrianism. This lecture will evaluate the Babylonian Jewish attitude to this religious and compare it to the Jewish attitude to Christianity. In addition, we will explore the possible influence of Zoroastrian practice on rabbinic practice through the study of rabbinic and Zoroastrian sources on two legal issues that were addressed by both religious cultures. Tue, 1 Feb 2011 08:00:00 01:05:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_11/Zoroastrian.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz he Tractate Megillah's interpretation of the Book of Esther is the only full length midrashic analysis of a Biblical book in the entire Talmud. How was this analysis influenced by the Jew's interaction with Persian society and culture? Did the Persian Jews interpret the Book of Esther in a special manner because it was a book about their ancestry in Persia? This lecture will study specific examples in the Talmud's interpretation of Esther and parallel sources in Persian and Christian literature Tue, 8 Feb 2011 08:00:00 01:05:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_11/Book%20of%20Esther.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Jews entered the western diaspora as far west as Rome following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, sent as slaves to all parts of the Roman Empire. There is almost no communication between the Jews of the western diaspora and the Jews of Babylonia. This lecture will explore whether the rabbinic tradition was practiced in the western diaspora or whether they practiced a non-rabbinic form of Judaism during this period studying relevant Jewish and non-Jewish sources.. Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 01:05:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_11/Western%20Diapora.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz According to Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Talmud was edited in the fifth century CE by Ravina and Rav Ashi. This lecture will explore this tradition. Are there any Jewish or Persian sources that verify this tradition? Why was the Talmud compiled at this juncture of history? In conclusion, the editing of the Talmud and its subsequent transcription reflected the expansion of the Jewish community from Babylonia to North Africa and Spain. Finally, this lecture will examine the movement of the Babylonian Talmud to Germany and France and the origins of the traditions of Rashi and Tosafot. Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:00:00 01:05:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/Winter_11/Editing%20the%20Talmud.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Function of Dayenu in the Haggadah Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 00:18:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rayimahuvim.org/lectures/special_category\/Dayenu.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn founded the yeshiva in his hometown in 1802. What made this yeshiva special? How did it combat the forces of Hasidism and the lack of Torah study at the time? This lecture will utilize primary sources to present a taste of the Volozyn Yeshiva in its early days and to appreciate the unique approach to Torah study and to yeshiva administration that was introduced by Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn.. Tue, 3 May 2011 08:00:00 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/Volozhyn-Part-I.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Volozhyn yeshiva continued to prosper throughout the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of the Netziv. At the same time, the Jewish Enlightenment began to gain strength in Lithuania and the Netziv was pressured to formally introduce secular studies into the yeshiva. Although he personally had a laissez-faire attitude towards the study of secular studies by the students in Volozhyn, he opposed the introduction of these studies into the yeshiva curriculum. Eventually, the Netziv relented to teach secular studies in the evenings and he often had to force students to leave their learning to attend these classes. Finally, in February, 1892, the Russian authorities closed down the yeshiva, This lecture will also evaluate other factors that impacted the yeshiva in its final years. Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:00 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/Closing-of-Volozhyn.mp3 Rabbi Adam Mintz The Slobodka Yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel in 1882 in a suburb of Kovno. This yeshiva integrated the tradition study of gemara with the emphasis on mussar. Rabbi Finkel was a follower of Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the mussar movement. Yet, Rabbi Finkel emphasized the Gadlut Ha-Adam, the greatness and potential of people. This potential was realized in Slobodka through the traditional study of gemara and the inclusion of mussar. The yeshiva of Slobodka moved to Hebron in 1924 and then to Jerusalem after the Arab massacre in 1929. Many of the great roshei yeshiva of the twentieth century were students of Rabbi Finkel. Tue, 17 May 2011 08:00:00 01:03:55 Mintz, Jewish, Psak, Rabbi, Jewish History, Adam http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/Slobodka.mp3