History of Eastern European Yeshivot - Slobodka - January 5 - Jan 5, 2026 -

Responsa Literature - January 4 - Jan 4, 2026 -

History of Eastern European Yeshivot - Slobodka - December 29 - Dec 29, 2025 -

R' Henkin. R' Menashe Klein, Mishneh Halakhot: The Reasons a Rav Must Not Answer a Halakhic Question he Receives via Telephone - Only in Person. An Individual Who Makes Use of the Computer to Answer His Own Halakhic Question - Dec 28, 2025 - What YU provides that is special. The ways R' Yosef Eliyahu Henkin supported Torah. His difficulty with Jewish life in America. His עדות לישראל. P. 166: Chazan must be observant. Make this announcement: There will be Arvit after Neilah. Renting dance halls & movie theaters for davening. A Rav must first be a posek, if possible, a dayan, only then a darshan. Conservative Movement's apology of December 2025 on intermarriage. P. 167: Anonymity when using the telephone for psak is forbidden. Posek must know the questioner, especially for a de-Rabanan question. R' Aviner. R' Feinstein as posek. Karlin-Stolin Rebbe permits smartphone. Mishneh Halakhot (MH) 14:163: Individual who relies on computer for psak. Questioner: R' Nisim Karelitz. MH: Use of strong language for ban on computer for psak especially for Nidah questions. R' Yosef Klausner's Semichah. Devar Avraham: The civil marriage question needs a gathering of poskim. MH: Use of computer requires a convention of poskim to ban it. Use of קיצור שולחן ערוך is bad. A posek must have שימוש. Texts are not enough. One who has ability must not refuse to be a posek. But also, he must understand his ability & limitations.

History of Eastern European Yeshivot - Slobodka - December 23 - Dec 23, 2025 -

Hakirah Article: R' Soloveitchik on Torah U-Madda Compared to R' Hirsch. Suicides. Importance of Women Poskim. R' Menashe Klein – Answering Questions Via Telephone. R' Yosef Eliyahu Henkin: His Life in Europe, His Move to the US, and His Uniqueness - Dec 21, 2025 - Torah im Derech Eretz - Yocheved Friedman, Hakirah 37: Why it is hard to find precisely the Rav's view on Torah U-Madda. Increase in suicides in the Charedi world. R' Rakeffet's explanation & solution. After the Holocaust it felt like Torah was in danger of disappearing. What was done and not done in NY. Women poskim are very much needed. Give them an official title. Makor Rishon article עולות לתורה. Mishneh Halachot 12:122: R' Menashe Klein: Answering שאלות via telephone as opposed to via a local shul rabbi reduces the need for the existence of a shul with a paid rabbi where you live. Great Rabbis from E. Europe were brought to the US starting in late 1870s. High level of assimilation among US Jews before this, while in England much less assimilation. US rabbis applied this lesson, that is, create a Chief Rabbi and a Rabbinic organization. Malbim. R' Yaakov Yosef. Formation of Agudath Harabonim. R' Yosef Eliyahu Henkin: His life in Europe. His move to the US. Ezras Torah. Renting space in a Conservative temple. Civil marriage. R' Henkin would stand his ground and was fearless. Changing the wording of קל מלא רחמים. Why R' Henkin's responsa had less lasting impact than R' Moshe's.

Rav Rakeffet with Rav Yosef Mendelevich — A Discussion with Rav Yosef and a Book Launch. - Dec 1, 2025 - A Discussion with Rav Yosef about his experiences as a Prisoner of Zion in the Soviet Union. And a Book Launch of Rav Yosef's new book in English on the lives of the Jewish Cantonists in the Army of the Russian Czar.

R' Menashe Klein, Mishneh Halakhot: Studying Halakhah is Far Superior to Studying Analysis. Implications of the Concept that Angels Teach the Embryo. The Reasons a Rav Must Not Answer a Halakhic Question He Receives via Telephone - Only in Person. - Nov 30, 2025 - Uri Ilan: "I did not betray." Suicides, Charedi in particular. R' Menashe Klein, Mishneh Halakhot 12:124: Students were told in a yeshiva to not learn halakhah. Chassidic world: Studying halakhah is superior to analysis. Litvish world: the reverse. R' Menashe vehemently opposes the yeshiva's policy. Sanhedrin 93b: That yeshiva is גוזל מנחלת אבותיו. Also, those who prevent study of halakhah are cursed by embryos. The Rav: Benefits of R' Chaim's approach, i.e. analysis. Rambam supports R' Menashe הל' ת"ת 1:2. From יו"ד רמ"ה ג we see it's a communal obligation. Nidah 30b: Angels teach all the Torah to embryos, thus the embryos curse. Several lessons from this: Ba'alei Teshuvah, Uri Zohar, Amish girl, Daf Yomi. A Rebbi should be like an angel. Belzer Rebbi & Sinai Campaign. MH 12:122: Why do you oppose answering halakhic questions via the telephone? R' Menashe: Talking on telephone is too quick, little depth. The posek is sometimes interrupted by the call & this encourages a speedy answer. Rav does not know the caller's phone number if he realizes a mistake. People called MH to make trouble לקנטר. One must live where there are poskim near you, so you don't have to use a telephone.

The Mussar Movement. R' Nosson Tzvi Finkel: The Alter of Slabodka. Descriptions of his Interactions With Others Within the Mussar Movement. Problems With the Mussar Concept and How it Functioned. Creation of Slabodka Yeshiva and How the Alter Ran It. - Nov 24, 2025 - Slabodka is a suburb of Kovno. The controversy over Mussar. Torah was not given to angels. Success of Chassidut compared to Mussar. Problems with self-psychoanalysis within Mussar. R' Yisroel Salanter. R' Yitzchak Blazer. R' Blazer purchases and runs a hotel in Kovno. Why did R' Naftali Amsterdam move to Helsinki? R' Nosson Tzvi Finkel: Alter of Slabodka: He ran a high school in Kelm with R' Simcha Zissel Ziv. Nature of this school was unique for that time period. High school closed but the yeshiva continued. Alter comes to Slabodka from Kelm. He was very close to the students and minimized being out in public. Why Mussar and Gadlut Ha'adam were crucial there. Physical appearance of the students. Documentaries on Christians who converted. The Alter: What does God want of you? Key gemara is Chulin 92a which supports Mussar. Amish girl who converted. Levitan family. Tzvi Levitan starts Or Hachaim Yeshiva in Slabodka. R' Finkle was selected to run it. Being organized was extremely crucial to him. Examples. He introduced a rigid schedule that ALL students must follow. The Rav liked Chovot Halevavot. Presence of ascetic overtones in some, not all, of the Mussar books.

R' Menashe Klein, Mishneh Halakhot: 12:128: The Cause of Unhappiness Among Bnei Torah is Poverty. R' Menashe Explains Why Talmidei Chakhamim Should Take Money at This Point in History as Opposed to in the Past. Concept of Eit La'asot La-Hashem. - Nov 23, 2025 - R' Jay Marcus: His impact on Torah in Staten Island & his creation of Yeshivat Reishit. At what times was R' Aharon Kotler available to his students. R' Aharon Adler & IDF. R' Menashe Klein Mishneh Halakhot 12:128: Unhappiness among Bnei Torah. A symptom of this: Smoking outside yeshivot. Lack of a profession creates ליסטים. Some examples. Poverty is the cause of unhappiness. Rema and Shakh Yoreh Deah 246: 21: Rema: Work in daytime & study at night. Soviet Jewry demonstrations. Living Lechaim website interview of Amish girl convert. Shakh: 'עת לעשות לה: In our time, taking a salary is necessary. Shakh: Rambam's opposition to money for Torah does not apply now when it's unavoidable. Examples of the misuse of 'עת לעשות לה: Driving on Shabbat. Women cantors. Proper use of concept: Women studying Talmud. The Rav taking a salary. Shakh uses word: efshar. Taking gifts permissible. US Civil War's impact on immigration to US. Sridei Eish & climbing the ladder. Alan Dershowitz. The effect of his mother's constant criticism of their rabbi. Studying Talmud is more important than studying halakhah. Mishneh Halakhot, based on Shakh concludes: Taking money is unavoidable & God should help us.