Monthly Archives: March 2011

13 Ikkarim 15 – G-d’s Knowledge

This shiur begins the analysis of the 10th Principle of Rambam – G-d’s Knowledge. Rabbi Triebitz finds a fundamental contradiction in the writings of Rambam on the issue of G-d’s knowledge, which seems to undermine Rambam’s explanation of the contradiction between free choice and G-d’s knowledge.

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll put up links to the sources, but in the meantime here is the shiur. Enjoy.

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

Video of shiur 15

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Thirteen Ikarim 15
(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 Ikarim 15

13 Ikkarim 14 – Rabbinic Mitzvot

This shiur is not ‘Purim Torah’ but is relevant to Purim, so if you are still sober it is worth listening to it today!

In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz discusses Rambam’s 9th principle – that the Torah of Moshe may not be added to or subtracted from by the prophets. He then points out apparent contradictions from the Introduction to the Commentary on the Mishna, the Introduction to Mishne Torah, and the Laws of Megillah.

It seems that there are many laws which have been added to Judaism by the prophets in apparent contradiction to Rambam’s principle. Rabbi Triebitz gives two explations – the safe one (which is good) and the dangerous one (which is cutting edge).

Some sources:

Yesodei HaTorah chapter 8

Yesodei HaTorah chapter 9

Mitzvos Lo Taaseh (look at the very end)

Hilchot Megillah chapter 1

Gemara Megillah 2a

Gemara Megillah 17b

Moreh Nevuchim I:59

Gemara Megillah 7a

Gemara Shabbat 88a

Meiri introduction to Avot (This is a very hard to read copy – if anyone can find me a better link and/or a page number I’ll update this link. Thanks)

Mabit – Beit Elokim (I’m too tired to find the page – if anyone feels like sending me the link to the actual page I will update the webpage link)

Gemara Temurah 16a

Hilchot Sukkah 7:22

Gemara Sukkah 42b

Hilchot Mamrim 1

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

Video of shiur 14

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Thirteen Ikarim 14
(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 Ikarim 14

13 Ikkarim 13 – What did they hear?

This shiur is dedicated to the Fogel family who were murdered tonight in Itamar by Palestinian terrorists. May their souls be bound in the bonds of eternal life.

In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz proposes a radical new solution to a classic problem (which has been bothering him for many years). In Moreh Nevuchim II:33 Rambam clearly states that at Mount Sinai the Children of Yisrael heard only a sound, but did not hear any of the words of G-d. Moshe reported to them what G-d had told him. Yet in Yesodei HaTorah 8:2 (in Mishne Torah) Rambam writes that the people heard G-d say “Moshe, Moshe, go and tell them such and such…”

Rabbi Triebitz bases his answer on the different girsa’ot of the Gemara in Bava Batra 15a regarding the last 8 verses of the Torah.

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

Video of shiur 13

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Thirteen Ikarim 13
(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 Ikarim 13

PS If you want to know where Rabbi Triebitz was last week, you can see a picture of him on Yeshiva World News.

13 Ikkarim 12 – Accepted Explanations

In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz discusses the eighth principle. He focuses in particular on the Rambam’s assertion of Divine origin of the Oral Law. What part of the Oral Law did Rambam believe to be from Sinai. The discussion centers around the Rambam’s term “peirushim mekubalim”.

Sources for this shiur:
Rambam’s shoresh sheni from Sefer HaMitzvos

Introduction to Mishne Torah

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

Video of shiur 12

Click here to download the shiur as an flv file
Thirteen Ikarim 12
(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 Ikarim 12