TheYeshiva.net - Rabbi YY Jacobson

Basics of Emunah #21: Why Do We Learn Gemarah

Inspiring Teen-agers; Financial Stress; Family Fighting; Molestation; Does G-d Want Me to Learn All Day?

2 hr 14 min

5Comment
Call-in
Listen to the class on the phone
Call +1 (845) 201-1933
When prompted, dial the ID number below.
5464
MP3
MP4
Copy Embed

Class Summary:

The Emunah Series with Rabbi YY Jacobson has resumed, and continues every Thursday evening (save holidays), at 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, NY, followed by Q and A. For Men, Women and Teenagers (separate seating). You can send questions in advance by email to [email protected] or submit written questions before or during the presentation. Anonymity of the questioners will be respected. Hot food will be served. No admission fee.

Categories

Please leave your comment below!

S
Shimon -6 years ago
Really enjoyed number 21 emunah series. I hope you speak more regarding letters on anxiety , parnassa etc.

By the way it's extremely beneficial when you read the letters before your topics. It shows that we don't feel alone and many of us have the same problems and questions in life and that in of itself is chizuk. That we are not alone.

Also in regarding this shiur and others you speak about how the chinuch system is too cookie cutter and how you get letters from both rebbeim and bochurim how they don't have any appreciation to torah and how the yeshivos just teach shor, bor and other topics that might be too abstract for many people. But Torah has so much more tanach , hashkafa , halach a and deep and beautiful limudim that more people might appreciate if exposed too.

How can it be that our chinuch system is so bad and turning off so many young children from the beauty of what Torah has to offer?

It's not the children's fault that they dont appreciate the Torah and going off,but rather it is our institutions of learning which are guilty. Why would hashem have allowed such a system too develop? Nothing is by accident. Why does hashem want from all these lost Neshamos? If he doesn't give these children the sechel to fit in to this mold that our system has,its a miracle if these children turn out frum!

It Just doesn't seem fair. Even taking into account what you spoke about regarding what the rebbe answered the boy who wanted to be a gadol and the answer was if you develop what hashe m give you then you are complete. Buts seems thats asking to much from children and teens who are just seeing and experiencing what the yeshivos are preaching. We can't expect so young people to rise above what their rebbeim and rosh hayishivos are showing and preaching.

I wonder if it was ever that much different in europe. Some of the big yeshivos would not except you unless you were very bright. Otherwise you would not be accepted. I guess this is what the bal shem tov wanted to create. But unfortunately does not really exist in litvish yeshivos as well as many chasidish. How can it be that so many ( rosh yeshivos , and chashuv people)are missing the boat.

Wish more rosh yeshivos would have your foresight in chinuch. Wish my children would have had such exposure. Your like a breath of fresh air that i always felt should exist but unfortunately is more the miut then the rov.

Please continue to spread your foresight and would appreciate any input on why our children have to go through such a chinuch system that only works for the above average intelligence.

Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.
Anonymous -6 years ago
I heard this story:

Once during a trip to a large city, a the great German Rav, Rabbi Bomberger, visited the Rebbe Rashab in his hotel room. While in the room, the Rebbe was busy writing something on Halacha. Rabbi Bomberger asked if he could see what the Rebbe was writing, and asked to borrow it. The Rebbe Reshab explained that he did not have a copy, so it had to be taken care of,very carefully, and returned as is. During the Rebbe Reshab’s next visit to that city, once again Rabbi Bomberger visited him in his hotel room. When returning the writings, he expressed great appreciation for having read them. This time also the Rebbe Reshab was busy writing. Rabbi Bomberger asked if he could take a look at the writing, which was a continuation of his Maimor “Samach Vav”[or “Aiyen Bais”] rabbi Bomberger pulled back and exclaimed how this was too ‘way out’ for him to appreciate. After Rabbi Bomberger left, with the Rebbe Rayatz still in the room, the Rebbe Reshab told the Rebbe Rayatz that if Rabbi Bomberger knew the powerful Ruchniyus of the Gemorah, he would be afraid to read one word
.

Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.
S
shimon -6 years ago
We all know that our Parnasa is determined by Hashem. How do we explain the idea that if you are bright and go to a prestigious law school or medical school you pretty much know that you will be earning x amount of money. If you decide to learn in Kollel then you will struggle. I know that in each situation you may have exceptions to this rule but by and large the position or schooling one goes to determines how much one will earn.

I have learnt and spent a great deal of time learning the Chovas Halevavos and he explains that it is not to difficult for Hashem to make you earn a lot or a little in anything one may go into. However by and large if one is very bright and goes to a very good college then we know he will earn and good living and someone who for instance teaches will earn Much less. I know that some who don't go to college may become very rich regardless of education but by and large that does not happen.

I thought the answer may well be that someone who is destined to earn a lot of Money Hashem may make him very smart and that's why he was able to be a good lawyer doctor etc. and someone who is not destined to make a lot of money Hashem puts in his head to Learn or teach etc.

Is this a correct approach or is there some other explanation?

May Hashem grant you the health and strength to continue to be marbitz Torah and save so many Jew from their doubts and give us all Chizuk to the many questions that linger but sometimes are afraid to verbalize.

Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.
PK
Pinchus Krieger -6 years ago
(בס"ד

Pinchus Krieger

37 Wilder Road

Monsey, NY 10952

March 12, ‘18

Dear Rabbi Jacobson, שליט"א

Thank you for your beautiful Shiur in the Emunah series #21. I would like to comment regarding that Rebbe and boys who have difficulty understanding why they spend so many hours each day learning Gemara, which is really not relevant to their daily lives.

I would like to share my thoughts with them. Learning Gemara is building a foundation and teaching you how to live a Jewish life. Let me give you a few examples-

If you are to ask a teenage boy who goes either to Wesley Kosher, Rockland Kosher or Evergreen to buy a package of meat – What was involved in order to get that package of meat to the store, you might just get a blank stare. Explain to them that you must first “shecht” the steer, bull or cow. Suggest learning with them Mesechta Chulin. Begin with the Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos. Learn the Gemara related to the “Siman” or “Simanim” in Shulchan Oruch. Continue on, to the Rosh and Ran, throwing in a Maharsha and Maharam Schiff. Then take a “Tur”and learn “Tur and Bais Yosef”. Next continue to the Shulchan Oruch – Mechaber, Rama, Shach, Taz, until the Pri Megadim.

Repeat this procedure based on the “Siman” or “Simanim” that you want to learn in Shulchan Oruch.

After learning הלכות שחיטה , do the same with הלכות טריפות . Then tell them that they are now ready for a field trip to a slaughter house.

I remember going to a slaughter house in “Shuafat” in Yerushalayim in 1971. Two gezunta Arabs led an animal by a rope tied around one foot, to a large open indoor area. They tripped the animal with the rope, being careful that the animal was able to brace its fall and not break any bones. Then they tied up all four feet of the animal and sat on it. Another Arab held the animal’s head and the Shochet shechted the animal. What a scene to remember!

Fast forward to 1996, when I lived in Postville, Iowa. I went numerous times to Rubashkin’s slaughter house, Agri Processors.   With Shalom Mordechai’s permission I took pictures.   That was before the days of PETA.

Just watch the “Shochet” shecht the steer and immediately afterward checking with his hand that he cut through the קנה   and ושט . The blood gushing out like water from a fire hydrant that was just opened. With your tall rubber boots, you walk through an inch or two of blood.

Next, watch the בודק פנים   checking the lungs for סירכות - adhesions, while the lung is still inside the steer. Then the בודק חוץ   checking the lungs by inflating them. Wow! A scene to remember! The Gemara has come to life!

Then, return to the Bais Medrash and learn הלכות מליחה . I remember seeing an old Yerushalmi woman, koshering her chickens as they lie on a זאלץ ברעטעל , which either had holes in it or if not was set on an incline for the blood to drip down.

Then, see if you can take the boys to a plant where they slaughter chickens or animals, to watch the salting process.

This is a process of how meat gets to your supermarket.

Next, learn with the boys the Gemara in Mesechta Chulin related to בשר וחלב - Meat and Milk. They will learn about how long should one wait to eat dairy after meat.

Ask them if they have any questions. Sit with them in an informal way and just schmooze. Learn with them about not eating meat and milk cooked together – חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא .

Then, ask them – imagine that you are living out of New York State. Your next door non-Jewish neighbor stops by your house after buying some groceries, including a non Kosher fish. You are in the middle of cooking a meat dish. Your 3 year old takes the package of your neighbor’s fish and throws it into the pot of meat. What’s the Halacha? Discuss with them – if there is 60 times the amount of meat in the pot, then the meat dish is Kosher. But what about the fish cooked with meat?   חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא .

Should you or are you allowed to eat the meat?

עיין בפרי יצחק חלק ב' מאת ר' יצחק בלאזער סימן כה' בדין דג טמא שנפל לתוך יורה של בשר .        (See Exhibit A-the slaughtering of a steer; Exhibit B- The בודק פנים checking the lungs of an animal while it is still inside the animal; Exhibit C-the בודק חוץ checking the lungs by inflating them, checking for סירכות - adhesions, which will determine if the animal is Glatt Kosher (smooth, no adhesions), stam Kosher due to an adhesion that did not render the animal Treif, or non Kosher.)

Now, going to Mesachte Rosh Hashanah, Daf 20b. I would like to note the Rov’s shiurim regarding מוליד הלבנה or the rebirth of the moon. The Rov spent 5-6 hours on less than an Amud Gemarah and Rashi. Any 17-18 year old boy that would listen to such shiurim would understand the cycle of the moon. Theshiurim were just so beautiful, inspiring and alive!

Sincerely,

Pinchus Krieger
Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.
- CB
  Chaim Bochner -6 years ago
  Rabbi Keirger, that's the idea. How many Yeshivas, Kollelim, etc, do this? Why are we SO lethargic?
  Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.
Anonymous -6 years ago
when will it be available for download?
Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.