Discussion with Rav Yosef Mendelevich About His Experiences As a Refusnik in the Soviet Union. And a Book Launch of Rav Yosef's New Book in English on the Lives of Jewish Cantonists in the Army of the Russian Czar. - Dec 1, 2025 -

Responsa - November 30 - Nov 30, 2025 -

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.

History of Eastern European Yeshivot - Slabodka - November 18 - Nov 18, 2025 -

R' Menashe Klein: Should One Devote One's Life to Studying Torah or Teaching Torah to Others and Influencing Others? Mishneh Halachos 12:129. Answering the Phone in the Beit Midrash. 12:128 The Cause of Unhappiness Among Bnei Torah. - Nov 16, 2025 - Is the ideal shul rabbi a great scholar or one who gives great sermons? R' Melamed's article about R' Avraham Price. Article commenting on R' Rakeffet's Hakirah article on Daas Torah and R' Rakeffet's reply in class today. Demonstrations for Soviet Jewry: Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. My friendship with R' Teitz. "Mussar Avi" book by R' Meir Lichtenstein. Buddhist monk, Catholic priest, and Chabad rabbi discuss what is the best way to live. Mishneh Halakhot 12:129. In the Beit Midrash there should only be Torah learning—don't even say 'gezundheit' or answer the phone. The Amora Shmuel's ignorant teacher, and hand washing for food. Mishneh Halakhot 12:128 on unhappiness among Bnei Torah. Smoking outside yeshivot. Poverty is the cause of unhappiness. Elijah takes poor man to heaven to relieve his poverty. Relying on others for one's food (including buying at the shuk or store) causes great unhappiness. However, to be great in Torah, you need to be poor. Whether or not to take charity depends on the period of history, such as post Gezeirat Tach Ve-tat and post Shoah.

YAKAR. Event Memory Within the Framework of the Mussar Movement. R' Nosson Tzvi Finkel: The Alter of Slabodka. Descriptions and Short Biographies of Some of His Many Students. - Nov 11, 2025 - Effy Hochstein's bus ride. R' Moshe Hauer, zt"l: His influence & role in OU. R' Yaacov Kopul Rosen. His son Michael opens YAKAR. The Rav on Xmas trees. The type of person comfortable in YAKAR. Image vs. event memory. How & why mussar is event memory. Two examples: The kloiz & Yom Kippur davening. Slabodka. R' Nosson Tzvi Finkel: Alter of Slabodka. Explanation of "Alter." Bios of some of his students. R' Simcha Zissel Ziv. Why R' Ephraim Shach became YU. R' Eliezer Yehuda Finkel. R' Yitzchok Hutner. Synagogue Council. R' Yaakov Kamenetsky. R' Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan. WW I: German Jewish soldiers meet & are influenced by Polish & Lithuanian Jews. Crying at R' Kaplan's funeral. R' Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg. His train ride. R' Aharon Kotler. R' Shlomo Polachek. R' Shimon Shkop. Mr. Mendlowitz opposed the mussar shmuess. R' Dovid Leibowitz. Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim: Controversy over its name. Beards. R' Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. R' Y.Y. Weinberg's funeral. R' Avraham Abba Weingort. R' Yechezkel Sarna. Slabodka Yeshiva opens in Hebron. R' Shmuel Chaim Landau (שח"ל). R' Mordechai Shulman. Prof. Chaim Waxman's wedding. R' Moshe ha-kohen Lessin. Jack Levenstein joins the shiur.

Responsa - November 9 - Nov 9, 2025 -

History of Eastern European Yeshivot - Slabodka - October 20 - Oct 20, 2025 -

R' Menashe Klein: Should One Devote One's Life to Studying Torah or Teaching Torah and Influencing Others? Mishneh Halachot משנה הלכות 12:146 - Oct 19, 2025 - Hoshiyah nah succeeds, but then hatzlichah na is necessary. Korean Christians visit shul. Lakewood Yeshiva as an attraction for curious tourists. Censoring sex out of the Chumash. Chabad vs. Lakewood on outreach. R' Riskin. Death of R' Pinchas Bock. R' Chaim Kanievsky changes his mind on Torah study vs. affecting others. Mishneh Halachos משנה הלכות 12:146. Reallocating charity money toward payment of government head tax. Mordechai reduced his learning to save Bnei Yisrael. Story of dramatic efforts in teaching orphan children to prevent loss of Torah. Tosafot Yom Tov. Why it's necessary and permitted to pay teachers in our time. Events at the dock on the day the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe arrived in New York demonstrate the importance of influencing people outside of teaching. R' Rakeffet's student decades ago who was taught less but inspired greatly. Noda Biyehuda on the harm of Chassidut. Can a posek rely on his claim of his own lack of knowledge in making his decision on a derabanan? Why decades ago, R' Rakeffet always consulted with R' Aharon Lichtenstein. Yortzeit during Adar in a leap year. The Rav dealing with the mistake the Mexican woman made using dairy margarine.