Monthly Archives: January 2010

Sources of Halacha 03 – Majority Rule vs. Halacha

Rabbi Triebitz reviews the Talmud in Nida 9b whether one may rely on a minority opinion in an emergency situation or not. He learns through the Chazon Ish (Yoreh Deah 150:3) and presents challenges and answers to that position.

What is meant by the Talmud when it says ‘halacha’ as opposed to ‘minority and majority – the halacha is like the majority’?

Rabbi Triebitz then shows a new understanding of Rabbeinu Tam’s opinion about the earliest time for saying the evening Shema

He then explains and discusses the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam (Berachos 2a“) that one may recite the Shema after plag hamincha. This is a radical position, and requires explanation.

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

[flv:/sources/soh_03.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 3

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Sources of Halacha 03
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Source of Halacha 03

Sources of Halacha 02 – R”I and Rabbeinu Tam

Rabbi Triebitz reviews the position of the R”I discussed last week. He shows from the Talmud in Nida 9b whether one may rely on a minority opinion in an emergency situation or not.

He then explains and discusses the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam (Berachos 2a“>Berachos 2a) that one may recite the Shema after plag hamincha. This is a radical position, and requires explanation.

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

[flv:/sources/soh_02.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 2

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Sources of Halacha 02
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Click here to download the shiur in audio mp3 format
Source of Halacha 02

Sources of Halacha 01 – Rashi and Yerushalmi

This is the first shiur in a new series of shiurim in which Rabbi Meir Triebitz will trace the halacha from its sources in the Talmud to the p’sak of the contemporary poskim. He will explain methodology of p’sak, rules of p’sak, and the interplay of various sources, and their relative weights. The shiurim begin with the beginning of Shas (Berachos).

In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz begins with the first Mishna and Rashi in Berachos 2a.

This leads to the Yerushalmi and is explained further by the Meiri.

The question being discussed is: Why do we (sometimes) read Shema (and daven Maariv) before dark, when the Mishna clearly states that the earliest time for Shema in the evening is after dark?

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

[flv:/sources/soh_01.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 1

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Sources of Halacha 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
Source of Halacha 01

Thirteen Midos 10 – Four Paradigm Shifts

There were several changes in paradigm, from deriving halachot from the text, to embedding halacha within the text, and back again. Rabbi Triebitz suggests that it was with Rabbi Akiva whose teachings form the basis of the mishna, tosefta, sifri and sifra.

In fact this was the third paradigm shift – Hillel and Bnei Beseira; Rabbi Yishmael; Rabbi Akiva. Then Rabbi Akiva’s students froze this process when they compiled the texts of the Oral Torah. After Rebbi Yehuda HaNassi the paradigm shifts again and sources for halacha are found in baraisas and mishnayos, rather than in text.

This is the final shiur in this series, but tune in next week for the first in an exciting new series “Gemara aliba de-hilcheta” (Learning the halacha (and process of halacha) from the Talmud).

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

[flv:/13midos/m13_10.flv 240 180]
Video of shiur 10

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Thirteen Midos 10
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Thirteen Midos 10