Audio Roundup Special: Rav Moshe Taragin
by Joel Rich
Rabbi Moshe Taragin
Torah for Bein Hezamanim
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1143700
#1 Thoughts Upon Visiting Teveriah/Kever of Rebbi Yirmiya (the Amora)
Three insights from r yirmiya: don’t divorce religion from nature, anivut and hishtadlut are a precursor to olam haba and how we personalize aretz as a body (tveria = tburo shel olam).
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1143862
#2: Thoughts Upon Visiting the Kever of the Rambam- What Each Sefer Epitomizes; The Mishnah Torah is Both “Periodic” and Eternal
Rambam’s history and works – yad hachazaka was groundbreaking for his classification system.
Interesting insight – klal yisrael paskins (and r mt trusts them) what approaches and works are within the fold!
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144001
#3- Thoughts Upon Visiting the Kever of Raban Yochanan Ben Zakkai: Transitioning from Early Tana’im to Later Tana’im; ;Transitioning From Mikdash to Galut; Should Torah Learners be Prideful?
R yochanon ben zakkai led two transitions. The first was being an intellectual bridge between the early and late tannaim. The second was judaism’s transition from being a temple-based religion to a rabbinic based one.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144306
#4 : Adopting Chumrot Which Don’t “Fit”; Symmetrical Religious Growth
One must know their own level. Chumrot should be taken on carefully and reflect one’s current and desired religious level.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144375
#5: Validating Human Weakness and Anxieties or Moralizing From Afar
Moshe rabbeinu told bnai yisrael that “normal” but counterproductive human reactions (eg cochi votzem yadi) are normal, but they can be countered.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144484
#6: Why Does Moshe Request Yirat Shamayim NOW? What Does this Illustrate About Yirat Shamayim?
Yirat shamayim is really yirat harommut which is a combination of recognizing HKBH’s transcendence and surrendering to it. How do we attain that level? (It ain’t easy)
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144530
#7: Hakol Bidei Shamayim- Aside from Yirat Hashem- Why is Yirat Shamayim the Most “Human” of all Religious Experiences?
Ahava is about being attracted to HKBH and seeing the earthly benefits of that relationship vs yirah which is about when you don’t see the benefits.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1144872
#8: Federalization of Religion; Withering Communal Identity
There are dangers in the decentralization of religious institutions, primarily that there is no clear self-definition of group identity and values.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1145015
#9 – Three Reasons for Kashrut- Distancing From The Physical, Dignity of Man, Cultural Distinctiveness; Thoughts About Kashrut in the Modern Era
Lessons from the mitzvah of kashrut include: holiness means not to be immersed in eating, dignity means not to eat like an animal and being Jewish means being apart from other nations. In ourfoodie culture we need to think more about these concerns.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1145492
#10- Eglah Arufah: Empowering People and Building Self- Esteem
Perhaps the “sin” of egla arufa was that the offending city didn’t greet the visitor in a way that left him with positive self-esteem for the journey. People live up to expectations.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1145561
#11: Why I Believe in Da’as Torah …But Don’t Make Decisions Based Upon It
We all agree that you go to a rav for a halachic psak but where is the line where halacha ends? (eg investment advice? ethical trade-offs?) The chareidi (at least 100 + years) hashkafa invests/requires someone (gadol) with credibility in all areas of human endeavor. (me-AIUI the more removed he is from the real world, the better)
Do we believe this in theory? In practice?