Avrohom Avinu didn’t care for his children

Broad and Specific meanings of Sôphrosunê or Zehiurs

This shiur examines the virtue of zehirus (temperance/self-control) as presented in Rambam's Shemonah Perakim, tracing how abstract virtue-language developed from Biblical Hebrew's verb-based expressions to the Sages' philosophical terminology. The discussion analyzes three rabbinic terms—zehirus, yirat chet (fear of sin), and nefesh shefalah (lowly soul)—showing how they correspond to the Greek concept of sophrosyne, which Aristotle restricted from Plato's general self-control to specifically mean proper desire for physical pleasures. The Rambam follows Aristotle's narrow definition, understanding these virtues not as external control over appetite but as trained aversion to inappropriate physical pleasures, particularly in food and sexuality.

Authority, Form, and Content in Prophecy

Religious truth operates across three distinct dimensions that are often confused: authority (the source of truth), content (what is being taught), and form (how it is expressed and transmitted). While modern discourse tends to collapse these categories—either demanding blind acceptance of authority or claiming content alone matters—the most critical yet overlooked dimension is form: the specific strategies and vessels through which divine knowledge reaches humanity. Major religious movements succeed not merely through true content or divine authority, but through novel forms of revelation that work powerfully once but become exhausted after use—explaining why there are so few major religions, why prophecy appears to have ceased, and why future religious leadership must discover unprecedented strategies rather than repeat biblical patterns that any contemporary person could imitate.

Shavuos, Harvest, and the value and danger of belief in torah from heaven

This lecture examines Shavuot's true meaning as an agricultural festival celebrating the wheat harvest and economic prosperity, rather than simply commemorating the giving of the Torah. The speaker argues that Torah law should be read as utopian social blueprints for creating a just, prosperous society—where following divine economic principles (like leaving gleanings for the poor) leads to tangible material success—not merely as abstract religious obligations. The discussion concludes by challenging the concept of "Torah from Heaven," suggesting that prophets spoke in the normal rhetorical conventions of their time to address real human problems, and that modern distance from this context creates a false impression that ancient revelation was categorically different from rational moral teaching.

Stop beating your torah rock! Rambam and Mekubalim on shells and fruit in Torah

This shiur examines the fundamental distinction between virtues (character excellences) and mitzvos (commandments), arguing that mitzvos function as teachers for those who lack proper virtues rather than as ends in themselves. The Rambam and Kabbalistic sources converge on the view that Torah has both an external, utilitarian dimension—guiding people toward virtue through law—and an inner, true dimension concerning knowledge of God and reality. The discussion addresses why the Mekubalim insisted every mitzvah must have metaphysical meaning beyond its practical purpose, leading to interpretive methods like letter permutation, while the Rambam maintained that most mitzvos serve as preparation for the few that directly concern ultimate truth.

Talmidei Chachamim as elite investors – The Rambamist way of supporting Torah

The Rambam's approach to supporting Torah scholars is not a prohibition on fundraising but a specific economic model based on business partnership. According to Maimonides, Torah scholars should function as investors who provide capital while others conduct business and share profits, receiving the same preferential treatment friends give each other in commerce. This framework maintains the dignity of Torah study while creating a sustainable support system grounded in mutual benefit rather than charity.