152. Why Do Some Mitzvos Follow Reason While Others Defy It?

PDF of kavanos with the numberingdrive.google.com/file/d/1Ik5fFkDjj4YtWKLmfe2Zu5ON8Ix_Zfsf/view?usp=sharing

Some brief follow up thoughts to the previous episode

In this class, we explore the various reasons for reciting Slichos around Rosh Hashanah and the different customs that have developed regarding the exact days on which they are said.

Halachic implications of changing the name of a sick person

The paradox of mitzvos; are they about submission to the incomprehensible? Or are we meant to integrate Torah’s perspective into our lives? In this class we examine the Rambam’s assertion that all mitzvos serve to improve us, alongside his acknowledgement that some remain beyond human understanding. By analyzing all of his relevant works, we gain a clear picture that we can apply to our daily lives.

Finding the perfect balance between a personal and relevant Yiddishkeit and submission to the Divine will.

A few notes: 1) As the Maharsha and others point out, there are in fact many sources that attribute the mitzva of אותו ואת בנו to compassion on the animal. The specific question of Tosfos is that the Kalir instituted it to be said by the שליח ציבור during שמונה עשרה, which is precisely what the Gemara forbids and tells us to silence such a person! 2) Now that we have the full text of the קדושתא, it turns out that מחשבותיך לרחמנו is in fact an entirely unrelated phrase, designed to link the last word of the last pasuk (מאוד עמקו מחשבותיך) to the conclusion of the bracha. 3) Even on Rosh Hashana, we do in fact include מעין החתימה סמוך לחתימה by adding the words מלך עוזר ומושיע ומגן after זכרנו. In its original form though, the מעין החתימה of the Kalir substituted מלך עוזר...

A question about drinking water on Shabbos afternoon reveals a deep schism between Rabbeinu Tam and Rabbeinu Meshulam and the divergent worldviews that shaped their halachic approach.

Exploring the origins of this custom

In part 3 of this series we delve into the true meaning of Pesach and discover how Rashi changed the trajectory of Hagadahs for centuries.