Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 2:12 “Book Smart or Street Smart”

Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 2:12 “Book Smart or Street Smart”

Mr. Sammy Saka hosts classes on Zoom Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30PM. Contact Jacob Betesh to be added to the chat. In this class on Pirkei Avot 2:12, Mr. Sammy Saka explores the two opinions cited in the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai regarding who was the greatest of his disciples: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkanos, known for his vast encyclopedic knowledge (the Sinai), and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, celebrated for his sharp creative reasoning (the Oker HaRim, or uprooter of mountains). Using examples from business, sports, and community leadership, Mr. Saka illustrates how both personality types are essential and complementary, comparing them to book smarts and street smarts. He also raises a thought-provoking point that the imagery of one rabbi outweighing all others on a scale suggests that majority rule does not always apply, particularly when an individual possesses extraordinary Torah gifts. The class concludes with a call to appreciate diverse types of minds within our communities and to continue growing in both Torah knowledge and creative understanding. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Introduction & Mishnah 2:12 (1:39) Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkanos Review (2:55) Book Smart: The Sinai Personality (4:03) Street Smart: The Oker HaRim (5:37) Book Smart vs. Street Smart in Business (7:29) Majority Rule & Leadership Decisions (9:02) The Value of Committees & Consensus (11:28) Two Types of Minds: Key Takeaway (12:41) Rabbi Ezra Labaton as an Example (14:35) Closing: Sinai, Oker HaRim & Growth - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe Tobal – On July 4th and the Perasha Pinhas | Weekly Parasha

Rabbi Moshe Tobal hosts classes every weekday at 6:30 AM at West Deal Shul. In this class on Parashat Pinchas, coinciding with July 4th, Rabbi Tobal opens with a reflection on the importance of Hakarat HaTov — gratitude — toward America for the extraordinary freedom it grants Jews to live Torah lives. He draws a parallel to the census in the parasha, examining Rashi's explanation of why each family is listed by name: to demonstrate that despite the moral corruption witnessed in Egypt, Bnei Yisrael remained untainted. Rabbi Tobal then discusses the devastating plague in which 24,000 people perished, emphasizing the spiritual danger of moral failure even after great miracles. He concludes with a powerful call to use the remarkable freedom afforded by America not to assimilate, but to deepen commitment to Torah and mitzvot, treating that freedom as a sacred trust. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Opening & Dedications (0:11) Parashat Pinchas Overview (1:00) July 4th & Hakarat HaTov (2:01) Gratitude to America (3:39) The Census in Parashat Pinchas (4:21) Rashi: Why the Families Are Listed (5:18) The Plague & God's Test (7:06) 24,000 Lost in the Plague (8:44) Lessons from Egypt & Temptation (10:07) Using Freedom for Torah (10:55) Closing: Torah & Mitzvot in America - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 45a - Parashat Pinehas | Weekday Gemara

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes weekdays at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class opens by concluding the sugya on Heter Mitzaref L'Issur, examining why the Torah gives two sources for combining permitted and prohibited foods to form a kazayit, and how Rebbi Akiva and the Rabbanan differ in their application. The Gemara defends Rebbi Akiva against a challenge from a Beraita about a Nazir, explaining that two prohibited substances can combine even when eaten one after the other within the time span of eating half a loaf of bread. The class then begins a new Mishnah about dough used to seal cracks in a bowl, discussing when such dough must be removed before Pesach based on whether a kazayit is present in one spot, and how the same dough relates to chatzitza laws when immersing a vessel in a mikveh depending on whether the owner is makpid. The class closes with a discussion of Parashat Pinchas, focusing on the daughters of Zelafchad and their selfless campaign to inherit their father's portion in Eretz Yisrael, tracing their love of the land back through the tribe of Menashe to Yosef himself. The parasha section concludes by explaining why Moshe placed half the tribe of Menashe on the eastern side of the Jordan — to keep Reuven and Gad spiritually tethered to mainland Israel. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Intro: Two Sources for Heter Mitzaref (0:25) Two Pesukim, Same Idea Problem (1:27) Rebbi Akiva vs. Rabbanan (2:08) Beraita on Nazir Combining Issurim (3:18) Bread and Wine Must Be One Bite (4:00) Defending Rebbi Akiva's Position (4:58) Summary: Ta'am Ki'Ikar & Heter Mitzaref (7:00) New Mishnah: Dough in Bowl Cracks (7:47) Kazayit of Dough on Pesach (8:38) Ownership vs. Eating Prohibition (9:02) Selling Chametz: Kelim Discussion (10:50) Dough as Chatzitza by Mikveh Dipping (11:56) Makpid or Not: Two Criteria (13:14) Parashat Pinchas: Bnot Zelafchad (14:42) Laws of Inheritance, No Sons (15:06) Their Righteousness and Sacrifice (16:38) Love of Eretz Yisrael: Yosef's Legacy (18:51) Half Tribe of Menashe East of Jordan - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi David Semah – Nuggets on Perasha Pinhas | Weekly Parasha

Rabbi David Semah hosts classes every weekday at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul. In this class on Parashat Pinchas, Rabbi Semah opens with the dedication to Kuki Masri, a great baalat chesed, and highlights how the daughters of Tzelofchad demonstrated that women have a deeper love for Eretz Yisrael than men. He then focuses on Moshe Rabbeinu's response upon learning he will not enter the Land — rather than attending to personal matters, Moshe immediately prays for a worthy successor, showing the defining trait of a true tzaddik who prioritizes the community even in his final moments. Rabbi Semah explores Moshe's specific requests to God: that the new leader have patience for every type of person, go into battle personally alongside the people, and win wars through the power of his own merits — drawing a parallel to the miraculous survival of Israel during the Iranian missile attack. The class concludes with a moving portrait of Rabbi Yosef Edis as a model of the ideal leader — patient, compassionate, firm when necessary, and beloved — and closes with the teaching that the death of a tzaddik is a greater loss than the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, since the tzaddik provides atonement for his entire generation. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Opening & Kuki Masri dedication (1:04) Bnot Tzelofchad & love of Israel (1:50) Moshe hears he will die (2:14) Greatness of tzaddikim at death (3:39) Moshe sees God giving & asks for his children (4:27) Why Yehoshua was chosen as leader (5:22) Moshe's prayer for a new leader (6:00) A leader with patience for all (7:06) A leader who fights with the people (8:04) Winning wars through merits of tzaddikim (9:14) Moshe asks: a leader who closes the deal (10:02) Rabbi Yosef Edis — the model leader (13:24) Tzaddikim spread through generations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 44b-45a | Weekday Gemara

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes every weekday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class continues the sugya on Pesahim 44b-45a, focusing on the principles of Ta'am Ki Ikar (taste equals prohibition) and Heter Mitzaref L'Isur (permitted and prohibited quantities combine). Rav Acha challenges Rav Ashi: if the Rabbanan use the word Mishrat from Nazir as a universal source for Ta'am Ki Ikar, why doesn't Ribi Akiva similarly use Mishrat as a universal source for Heter Mitzaref L'Isur? The answer is that Ribi Akiva's rule appears in two places — Nazir and Chatat — making it a case of Shnei Ketuvim HaBa'im K'Echad, two pesukim teaching the same lesson, which limits the rule to only those exceptions rather than establishing a universal principle. The Gemara then explores why the Rabbanan are not equally limited by having two sources for Ta'am Ki Ikar, concluding that each source — Nazir and Chatat — teaches something the other cannot, since mundane and holy categories cannot be learned from one another. The final tally shows that the Rabbanan hold Ta'am Ki Ikar universally and Heter Mitzaref L'Isur only by Chatat, while Ribi Akiva holds Ta'am Ki Ikar from the war with Midian and Heter Mitzaref L'Isur only in the specific cases of Nazir and Chatat. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Recap: Ta'am Ki Ikar sources (0:41) Rav Acha's question to Rav Ashi (1:24) Why not apply Mishrat universally? (3:22) Answer: Shnei Ketuvim HaBa'im K'Echad (4:53) Nazir and Chatat as the two cases (5:17) Berayta: Chatat meat and Shlamim (7:37) Chatat vs. Shlamim stringencies (10:01) Heter Mitzaref L'Isur in Chatat (15:05) Taste transfers between steaks (17:20) Challenge: Rabbanan's two sources (18:58) Why Rabbanan need both sources (19:27) Why Ribi Akiva needs both sources (21:11) Rabbanan's final position explained (22:14) Scoreboard: final halachic conclusions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com