In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz demonstrates from the Talmud in Pesachim (66b) and also in Rosh Hashana (31a) that the explanation of the Meiri (mentioned last week) is the correct one. Hillel did not introduce new halachos with his midos, but found sources for the halachos by creating the midos.

Rabbi Triebitz shows that this approach of Hillel, to use logic and create a common language for dialogue, is reflected in several other places in Shas, including the three scenarios of the converts who first come to Shamai (who rejects them) and then to Hillel (Shabbos 31b).

Finally Rabbi Triebitz explains how despite the radical change to Judaism and Oral Law wrought by Hillel, it turns out that in fact it is all halacha le-Moshe mi-Sinai (which he proves from the fact that nobody argues with the concept of midos).

Please contact me if you would like to attend the shiurim in person. They are held in Jerusalem on Mondays from 5:30-6:30. Please e-mail me to find out where the secret location is.

You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com
NEW: You can now download a transcription of this shiur as a pdf:

Thirteen Midos Shiur 02 Transcription

[flv:/13midos/m13_02.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 02

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Thirteen Midos 02
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Thirteen Midos 02

Here is the first shiur in the new series on the Thirteen Midos through which the Torah is expounded (hermeneutical principles). As you can see from the background we have moved to a new top secret location in Jerusalem.

This is one of Rabbi Triebitz’s best shiurim. He has spent the summer working out the midos, and the evolution and development of the Oral Law.

In this shiur he gives an introduction to why it is important to learn about the midos, and discusses where the midos are found. He then shows the contradictions between Hillel’s 7 midos and Rabbi Yishmael’s 13 midos (and Rabbi Yossi Ha-Gelili’s 32 midos), and explains how they developed and for what purpose.

It is worth learning through Pesachim 66a which is the story of Hillel and Bnei Beseira, which a lot of the shiur is based upon.

You can also have the Toras Cohanim with the commentary of Raavad in front of you if you click on this link: Toras Cohanim

Please contact me if you would like to attend the shiurim in person. They are held in Jerusalem on Mondays from 5:30-6:30. Please e-mail me to find out where the secret location is.

You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com

NEW: You can now download a transcription of this shiur as a pdf:

Thirteen Midos Shiur 01 Transcription

[flv:/13midos/m13_01.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 01

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Thirteen Midos 01
(you may have to right click on the link and click ‘save target as’)

Click here to download the shiur in audio mp3 format
Thirteen Midos 01