KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Bamidbar | The Reasoning Behind The Exchange of the Levi'im for the Firstborn, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Perhaps the most curious item in the entire census (which covers the first 5 chapters of Bamidbar, properly speaking) is the command to exchange the Levi'im for the Bekhorot (firstborn males) and the subsequent directive to redeem the surplus Bekhorot, which became the paradigm for "Pidyon haBen." Why the first born were to be "de-sanctified" at all is never explained in the text, nor why the Levi'im are their "replacements". We examine the "popular" approach which first appears in a relatively late Midrash - that the Bekhorot all (?) sinned in the episode of the Golden Calf and that the Levi'im, contradistinctively, were the religious heroes of that dark moment and note several textual challenges to each of those assumptions. After a brief discussion, a novel suggestion is made that explains both sides of the question - the "redemption" of the Bekhorot as well as the initiation of the Levi'im into the sanctified world of the Mishkan. This shiur was given in memory of שושנה תמר בת הרב אשר אהרן ומרים ז״ל Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 45 | Bamidbar, by Rav Eli Weber Why are we not allowed to count Am Israel? Why is Levi the smallest tribe?

Yom Yerushalayim 2024 | Hodu LaShem Ki Tov, by Rav Moshe Taragin From the miracles of 1967 to the darkness of 2024, it is important to recognize Hashem's presence in this world

The Conquest of Yerushalayim: The Blind and the Lame, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In honor of Yom Yerushalayim, we examine the curious presentation in II Shmuel 5 of David's "conquest" of Yerushalayim, with the puzzling mention of the "blind and the lame". Surveying the pre-monarchic history of Yerushalayim in Tanakh reveals numerous anomalies; the earliest reference to "Shalem" helps us unravel these mysteries and address the odd phrases in this story. This shiur was given in memory of Nechama Rivlin ז"ל, the wife of our President Reuven Rivlin, a scion of a notable family that has helped rebuild Yerushalayim in the modern era. יהי זכרה ברוך Source sheet >>

Yom Yerushalayim | The Never Changing, Ever Changing City, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom As we celebrate the reunification, בחסדי שמים, of Yerushalayim, we take a look at a favorite Psalm associated with the day; this Tehilla alludes to the dialectic nature of Tziyon, its stability offset by the dynamic experience of visiting our capitol city. This shiur was given at Congregation Poale Zedeck in Pittsburgh on Yom Yerushalayim 2019 in honor of that celebration. Source sheet >>

Torah Lishmah and "Clothing" our Nakedness (Avot 6:1), by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Without these middot we are basically naked .... Learning Pirkei Avot with the commentary of Rav Asher Weiss

Decorating the Shul on Shavuot: Custom and Controversy, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb This shiur was given to the Kehillat HaEla women's group in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Discussing one of the very well-known traditional customs, which it turns out, was a hotly debated minhag.  

Midot are the Foundation of Everything (Avot 5:19), by Rav Dovid Gottlieb If midot are important why are they not counted among the 613 mitzvot?? Learning Pirkei Avot with the commentary of Rav Asher Weiss

Bechukotai | Rebuke and Memory, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is the rebuke (תוכחה) in Vayikra so much softer than its counterpart in Devarim?  Just having "gotten up" from Shiv'a for his beloved sister, שושנה תמר ז"ל, Rav Etshalom shares observations about the תוכחה, contrasting it with the much more severe threats in Devarim 28 (Ki Tavo) and commenting on the role of memory in the process of moving forward from mourning. יהא זכרה ברוך Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 44 | Bechukotai, by Rav Eli Weber What is the meaning of nature in Ramban's philosophy?