Learning Mussar
- Excerpts from Chapter 4 “Frumkeit”
- Chapter 13: Summary: Removing the Impediments
- Chapter 14: Summary: A Short Guide to Mussar Study
Mussar Practice
- Chapter 5: Hislamdus [Teaching Oneself / Taking Lessons from Life] (ve’adim)
Intimate Knowledge of G‑d
Compassion Toward People
Splendor in Mind and Heart
Avodah
- Dr. Francis Collins on Science and ReligionMicha Berger: Dr. Francis Collins on Science and Religion: An interview with Dr. Francis Collins (an Obama appointee now most famous for being Dr. Anthony Fauci's boss). https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/07/anthony-faucis-boss-on-why-things-could-be-much-better-soon.html Three snippets that are on topic for our group, but there is more discussion of G-d there than this: "I was an atheist when I entered medical […]
- Risk RewardRich, Joel: Risk Reward: A note I wrote To a pulpit rabbi: I strongly support a recent discussion concerning return to synagogue. I do have to say that there's one point that I deeply disagree on. Maybe it's a matter of nuance that cannot be communicated in trying times to the general public. […]
- Induction stovetop halachic statusMicha Berger: Induction stovetop halachic status: [...] The problem is, that determination is often non-trivial to make. Where is the end-quote -- is the explanation part of the quote of the wording of the gezeira, or the gemara's explanation of its purpose stated and stated after the quote? We discussed this idea many years ago, […]
- Induction stovetop halachic statusMarty Bluke: Induction stovetop halachic status: Rav Hershel Schachter has a fascinating essay in his Sefer about when we say lo plug by gezeros and when not. It has been a while but I believe he says that gezeros are all lo plug except if the reason was written into the nusach of the gezera.
- Realities of Times Past (Was: Latecomers to shul on Friday night)Arie Folger: Realities of Times Past (Was: Latecomers to shul on Friday night): Fellow Ovedim have (IIRC at the behest of RAM who asked the question) been wondering why Tefillat Me'eyn Sheva' is said on Friday evenings. RJK particularly cited RAM: [...] There may be a clue in an article by Jacob Mann. Jacob Mann […]
- Induction stovetopMicha Berger: Induction stovetop: Someone pointed me to https://www.torahbase.org/%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%A0%D7%9B%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D See section 6. R' Asher Weid isn't comfortable have a nakhri cook for you by microwave. Something I had thought was pretty commonly accepted. […]
- Induction stovetopMarty Bluke: Induction stovetop: R’ Simon Montagu asked: [...] This would seem to be a classic case of davar shebminyan tzorich minyan acher lhatiro which we don’t have. There are many gezeras that we observe today even though the reason behind the gezera no longer applies. For example, taking medicine on shabbos is prohibited because […]
- Induction stovetop halachic statusZev Sero: Induction stovetop halachic status: [...] The pot or pan doesn't get nearly hot enough to qualify as fire. It doesn't have to, since it's heating the food directly, rather than heating a pot sitting on top of it, which will then heat the food it contains.
- Realities of Times Past (Was: Latecomers to shul on Friday night)Joseph Kaplan: Realities of Times Past (Was: Latecomers to shul on Friday night): R’Akiva Miller asks (38/54) a typically thoughtful question about adding Magen Avot on Friday night. The reasoning and realities are difficult to understand, he notes, and so he asks, “There's something that I'm missing about the realities of how those […]
- Induction stovetop halachic statusMicha Berger: Induction stovetop halachic status: [...] I believe Zev is saying that the induction cooker doesn't cause any metal to glow. However, when you cook on an old-school electric stove, the coil will glow. And glowing is included in "eish". (I'm not sure about the last part. I think it would depend on whether […]