Avigdor Goldberger
A Day Trip with Hashem - Back Again!
A Day Trip with Hashem - Back Again!
Avigdor Goldberger
A Day Trip with Hashem
A Day Trip with Hashem
Avigdor Goldberger
Chol Hamoed Shiurim Uplift, Inform, and Inspire
Chol Hamoed Shiurim Uplift, Inform, and Inspire

The Business Breakfast: Amazon Primer

Our latest Business Breakfast explored the interface between the world of Amazon, and online commerce in general, and the Torah system of acquisition. Rabbi Yerachmiel Pickholtz of the Chicago Choshen Mishpat Institute explained how the Torah looks at ownership, in contrast to the conventional perspective, and how that affects order fulfillment and shipping in a very practical way.

When does the product actually belong to you?

When you click “Place Order”?

When it arrives on your doorstep?

When you bring it inside?

What if you receive a product that was ordered by someone else, or duplicate of your own order?

Is there a difference between Amazon and Ebay?

Also discussed was what may be written in online reviews, using someone else’s Amazon Prime benefits, and using a product that arrived on Shabbos.

Listen to the audio below for the full shiur.

Daily Learning Initiative

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We launched a new Daily Learning Initiative in the Community, here is the introductory letter:

Dear friends, members of the Minneapolis Torah Community,

This week, we are celebrating a communal Siyum HaShas, a project that was inspired by the Chavrei HaSiyum program of Agudas Yisroel of America. Our community, together with the Torah world at large, has בלי עין הרע seen a great upsurge in לימוד התורה . The Siyum Hashas of the Daf Yomi and the start of the new cycle have effected a positive trend of Torah learning and כבוד התורה . This is an incredible opportunity for us as a community to give this commitment and positive attitude towards לימוד התורה permanence. We therefore encourage all members of the community to join the newly formed “ קביעת עתים Initiative.” This is a group of individuals who commit to concretize learning by committing to the following:

  • Schedule at least 20 minutes of learning in their daily schedule

  • Learning should be at a fixed time

  • Learning should be done in person with a chavrusa, chabura, or shiur (whenever possible)

  • Official commitment is from Sunday -Thursday. (Friday and Shabbos learning is also strongly encouraged)

  • Initial commitment is through Shavuos and is בלי נדר

Join those who have already joined: Lev Bakunin. Dovid Biron, Dovid Bodner, Yehoshua Borenstein, Meir Chodos, Adam Crystal, Ari Dorfman, Aaron Dukes, Yaakov Nesanel Finkelman, Stewart Fishman, David Fredman, Arnie Frishman, Yonatan Ghermezian, Avigdor Goldberger, Uriel Gross, Shmuel Hechter, Aharon Helman, Dan Avi Israely, Avrum Kaufmann, Shlomo Kutoff, Tzvi Lichtman, Moshe Livshitz, David Lynn, Ron Mandelbaum, Yaakov Mandelbaum, Eli Markowitz, Michael Morris, Moshe Murray, DJ Paxton, Ed Rapoport, Meyer Roberts, Shlomo Rothstein, Sender Russell, David Schulman, Conrad Segal, Zevi Segal, Avi Shaver, Mark Sherman, Daniel Shertok, Harry Silver, Ephraim Silverberg, Mordechai Skapino, Shragi Smith, Yoni Spar, Moshe Spiro, Sidney Usem, David Weinberg, Michoel Weinberg, Pesach Weinberg, Yehuda Wolin, Avi Yardley, Moshe Zeffren…

Community Celebrates Renewed Commitment to Learning

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On Shabbos Parshas Yisro, the Minneapolis Jewish community gathered in what can only be described as a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. The weekend was full of inspiration from HaRav Mordechai Finkelman, Mashgiach of Ohr HaChaim in Queens, and culminated in a community Siyum Hashas and commitment to a new daily learning initiative.

Here are some pics, clips, and sounds of the weekend.

Let Them Eat Cake: January 1st Yarchei Kallah

It’s a complicated topic, and the stakes are high: What bracha is pizza? Hamotzi or mezonos? Do I need to wash and bentch? It depends on how much I eat? Ok, how much is that? And most of all, why?

So many questions! Rabbi Moshe Spiro shows us the way, with a lucid and comprehensive overview of the laws of Pas Haba B’Kisnin, those baked products that fall between Hamotzi and Mezonos. Hear the shiur below, and follow along with the sources here.

The Business Breakfast: The Damage is Done

In our latest Business Breakfast, we tackled a topic that can raise the blood pressure of those involved: Accidents, fender-benders, even double parking. Rabbi Gershon Schaffel of the Chicago Choshen Mishpat Institute presented, in his clear and precise way, a clear outline of the responsibilities on both parties, providing a measure of peace of mind. Hopefully it won’t be needed! Listen below to get the entire shiur.

Sous Vide or not Sous Vide: Thanksgiving Day Yarchei Kallah

At this Thursday’s Yarchei Kallah, we focused on two cornerstones of Judaism:

  • The laws of Shabbos, especially how to go about heating food for Shabbos. We love Shabbos, and we show it with delicious Shabbos food, but it has to be done the right way to preserve the sanctity of Shabbos.

  • The importance of holding up any new technology to the light of the Torah and Halacha. The sous vide can turn out entrees cooked to perfection, with set-it-and-forget-it ease. Great for Shabbos, right? Listen to the shiur below as Rabbi Yehuda Wolin guides us through the intersection between the sous vide and Shabbos.

Follow along with these source sheets.

Lunch & Learn: Forgiveness

Real World Scenarios

Repairing our relationships is important and rewarding. It's getting to that point that can be challenging. At our most recent Lunch & Learn at LeoDaniels, we explored the practical halachic details of trying to make amends.

Questions discussed include:

  • If you know the person forgave you in their heart, do you still need to ask?

  • If you said something negative about someone but they are unaware, do you have to tell them about it to ask forgiveness?

  • If you feel someone is upset at you for no reason, do you have to appease them?

  • If someone says they forgive you but you know they don’t mean it, does that count?

  • If someone rejects your appeasement, what should you do?

  • How should you respond when someone asks you for forgiveness?

  • Are there times where you are not required to forgive someone?

The Business Breakfast: Addictions

The Torah provides insight on every aspect of life; the topic of addictions and behavioral risk factors is no exception. Over 65 people came to the Kollel Library to gain a Torah perspective from Rabbi Zev Cohen, renowned Rav and Rosh Kollel in Chicago. You, too, can listen to the powerful shiur from R’ Cohen and fortify yourself for the challenges that the Jewish community grapples with in this day and age.

Kivrei Tzaddikim: Independence Day Yarchei Kallah

We had all of the fireworks right here at the Yarchei Kallah: An intense, age-old controversy involving the some of the greatest figures in our history. A topic that involves the very foundations of Jewish belief and practice. And the stakes are high for anyone who is looking for the right place to turn for salvation for their troubles.

Rabbi Yakov Skolnick guided a packed Bais Medrash through the sources and halachic opinions around which the debate stirs: When we pray, what is the permissibility of invoking either the angels, or great people who have left this world, to intercede on our behalf before the King of Kings? Is it an idolatrous practice of ascribing the power of salvation to those entities, or are we simply asking them to assist us as we approach Hashem in our time of need? This question becomes especially pertinent to the widespread practice of praying at the gravesites of righteous people. How best do we go about effectively accessing the great merit of the tzaddik?

For all this and more, listen to the shiur by Rabbi Skolnick, along with the sources.