KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (6): Erasing our Past or Elevating It? by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Sixth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva.  How should we relate to our sinful past? Does teshuva require me to "amputate" my past experiences and memories?  (This is my favorite piece in the whole sefer - it changed my life when I first learned it 30 years ago. for real.)

Kohelet 3 | To Everything a Season, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the wisdom hiding behind the famous "Song of the Seasons" in Kohelet 3? The third chapter of Kohelet begins with a famous poem, where the author presents 28 "seasons", some positive and some drastic, noting that there is a time for each of them. The choice of these 28 "times" has long challenged commentators; even more difficult is the sequence and hierarchy of these choices or experiences. Using Kohelet's own weltanschauung and utilizing literary structural analysis, we propose an explanation that not only explains the selection of these "times", but also their unusual sequence. Source sheet >>

Yom Kippur 5785 | Looking Back At Past Redemptions, by Rav Moshe Taragin To better navigate the current historical moment

The Role of the Tzibbur in Avodat HaKohen HaGadol, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the role of the community in the Avoda of Yom haKippurim? Vayikra 16, which is read in its entirety as the Kriat haTorah of Yom haKippurim, details the Avoda of the Kohen Gadol. At first read, it appears to be a ritual that the Kohen Gadol must perform any time that he chooses to enter the "Dvir" (Kodesh Kodoshim) - or if there is an occasional need to cleanse the Mishkan from Tum'ah. Yet, at the end of the chapter, we are told that this is an annual rite, one in which only one person performs all of the Avoda and no one else is even allowed to be inside the Mikdash while he is in the innermost sanctum. How are we to understand the sudden "imposition" of an obligation of everyone to afflict himself or herself and the nearly utter isolation of the central actor on this day? We propose a historic precedent which serves as more than background, but is essentially reenacted on an annual basis with an eye towards repairing what was broken back then. Source sheet >>

Sichat Mussar for Yom Kippur | 5785, by Rav Moshe Taragin  Dissecting the Pathology of Sin; Seeing Through Fantasy and Photoshops; 3 Tips For Immersive Yom Kippur: Watch Your Tongue, Ignore Your Watch and Avoid "Sunday Thoughts"

The Road to Teshuva | Part 9, by Rav Moshe Taragin Personal and Collective Viduy; Macro and Micro Teshuva; Creating Shock and Sorrow

Exploring the Themes and Pesukim of Rosh Hashana Part 2, by Rav Moshe Taragin Take Our Pain As Our Prayer; The Ashes; Love, Not Memories; Sacred Thunderclaps; The Melody of Pride

Changing the Tone of Selichot after October 7th, by Rav Moshe Taragin This shiur was delivered before selichot Motzaei Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayelekh, in Congregation Rinat Yisrael, 2024 (Teaneck, NJ)

Elevating our Sacrifice and Commitment, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb The soldiers are committed to the mission above all else - how can we make ourselves worthy of their commitment this Rosh Hashana?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (5): The Two Dimensions of Teshuva, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Fifth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva. Part 2 of our discussion of the second essay in the sefer. Is Teshuva an "obligation of the heart" or is there a required action?