Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 3rd, 2023

In our Mishna on Amud Aleph, a bachelor is referred to as a Ravak, with its Hebrew root being רק, meaning empty. As I've emphasized numerous times in the Psychology of the Daf, Hebrew is a language rich in meaning, and delving into the roots of words provides extraordinary anthropological and psychological insights. According to the Wikipedia entry, the English word "bachelor" has an unknown origin, with its first attestation in the 12th centur …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 2nd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses how during the festivals, because it was a time of overall rejoicing and mingling of many people, there was a greater susceptibility to sexual transgressions. (Some say this is the source for the custom of fasting "Behaab" after Pesach and Succos.) Tiferes Yosef (Shavuos 15) provides a spiritual and psychological insight. Yom Tov induces a joyful state that, when properly channeled, leads to attachment to God. G …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 1st, 2023

In our Gemara on Amud Beis, there's a discussion regarding the vulnerabilities of women compared to men: גְּמָ׳ מַאי טַעְמָא? תְּנָא דְּבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ: הוֹאִיל וְנָשִׁים דַּעְתָּן קַלּוֹת עֲלֵיהֶן. What is the reason that a man may not be secluded with two women, but a woman may be secluded with two men? The school of Eliyahu taught: Women are of light mind. The phrase …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 31st, 2023

In our Gemara on Amud Beis, there's an intriguing phrase used to describe young children's attachment to their mother: כרוכים אחריה, which I would translate as "wrapped up with her and following behind her." Rashi here employs a word that literally translates as attached, נדבקין. The Gemara in Shabbos (141b) uses a different idiom to describe paternal attachment: געגועים, which translates as "pinings or longings" and is li …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 30th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis references the principle that only kings from the Davidic lineage were granted the privilege of sitting in the courtyard of the Temple. Most rishonim hold that this is a Torah law (halakha Lemoshe Misinai, see Rashi Sanhedrin 101b), and no other prominent figure is granted this same privilege. The simple explanation is that a divinely ordained monarchy symbolizes God's glory on Earth and, as such, deserves a similar degree …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 29th, 2023

This daf delves into the intricate matter of the invalidation of Challalah to marry a cohen. A challalah is a woman who either descends from a forbidden priestly marriage, such as when a Cohen marries a divorcee, or a woman who engages in such a prohibited union, like a widow who marries a Cohen Gadol. As a result, she becomes a challalah, rendering her ineligible to partake of Terumah and preventing her from marrying another Cohen in the event o …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 27th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis describes a rivalry between two sages regarding who would hold a public office. Rav Ada Bar Ahava ruled that they should split their duties, with one in charge of spiritual affairs and the other responsible for civic matters. Rav Dovid Sperber (Afarkasta D'Anya, YD 126) used this Gemara as a basis to reject a proposal for two rabbis to serve as the chief rabbi of a city. He referenced Rav Ada Bar Ahava's stance against "tw …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 27th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses a dispute regarding how long it takes for a convert to be seen by the community as a regular member of the tribe, which has halakhic implications in terms of how many generations would be allowed to marry a mamzer. If the community thought of the convert as purely Jewish, it would be maris ayin (the appearance of sin), as a full member of the tribe may not marry a mamzer. Some say it takes until people no longer …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 26th, 2023

Our Gemara on amud aleph discusses a legal process that seems odd and unfair. In certain situations, where there is strong compelling evidence on both sides and no hope to further clarify, the judges may arbitrarily decide to eddie in favor of one petitioner over the other. For example, Kesuvos (85b) deals with a case where a man’s deathbed wishes are to give his possessions to Tuvia. The problem is, there are two people named “Tuvia& …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 25th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the interesting halakhic idea of “Kavua.” Regarding most Torah prohibitions, the majority annuls the minority, and the prohibited substance or item is discounted. Yet, there are certain objects or situations where the solidity and fixedness interfere with nullification. The classic example is the “Ten Stores” case, as described in Pesachim (9b): דִּתְנַן: תֵּשַׁע חֲנוּ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 24th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph extols the Sages of Babylonia, describing them as "Heavenly Angels." The exile from Israel to Babylonia should theoretically represent a degradation, losing the holiness of the Land of Israel and a further disruption from the centers of learning. Yet, the establishment of Babylonian academies did not lead to decline but actually to spiritual heights. Rav Tzaddok uses this statement to push back against, and modify the tra …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 23rd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the protocol for reading the Tetragrammaton. Although it is spelled with the letters Yud, Heh, Vav, etc., it is pronounced as Ado--nai. The Yud-Heh, etc., name in Hebrew implies an intrinsic existence that makes itself. The Ado—nai name in Hebrew refers to God as a master or Lord. The duality between the pronunciation, and the word that is seen on the page, represents a fundamental duality and tension in t …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 22nd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph states an aphorism from Shmuel, which also has halakhic ramifications as it might cause us to doubt somebody's lineage: "If one habitually claims that others are flawed, he disqualifies himself with his own flaw. The flaw he accuses them of having, is in fact, the one that HE has." This psychological and spiritual process is one of the ego defenses that Freud identified. Briefly, an ego defense is an unconscious psycholog …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 20th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that the Bais HaMikdash is the highest spot in the land of Israel, and Israel is the highest land in the world. The Maharal (Be’er Hagolah 6) explains that this height is not referring to a physical height but rather a balance point. Maharal explains that a circle actually has no top or bottom, and since the earth is round, it's absurd to discuss a highest point. Rather, just as the top of a slope represent …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 20th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the status of a child born from a Gentile father and Jewish mother. The child is not a halakhic mamzer but is seen to be of inferior lineage and cannot marry into the priestly families.   This would seem to be contradicted by the following verse in Vayikra (24:10):   וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 19th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the status of an Egyptian, who may not intermarry with a Jew, even if converted, until the third generation post-conversion. As the verses (Devarim 23:8) state: לֹֽא־תְתַעֵ֣ב אֲדֹמִ֔י כִּ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ ה֑וּא לֹא־תְתַעֵ֣ב מִצְרִ֔י כִּי־גֵ֖ר הָיִ֥יתָ בְאַרְצֽוֹ׃ You shall not abhor an Edomite, for such is your kin. You shall not ab …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 18th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us an interesting story about King Yannai, a Hasmonean Jewish king: An incident occurred with King Yannai, who went to the region of Koḥalit in the desert and conquered sixty cities there. And upon his return, he rejoiced with great happiness over his victory. He subsequently summoned all the Sages of the Jewish people and said to them: Our ancestors, in their poverty, would eat salty foods when they were busy wit …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 17th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph uses an interesting idiom to describe Rav Yehuda's uncertainty about a halakha: "אִין וְלָא וְרַפְיָא בִּידֵיהּ" "Yes and no, and the matter was weak in his hands." The idiom indicates a sense of flux, yes, no, back and forth. The choice of the Aramaic word "אין" "Iyn," which means "Yes," instead of the Aramaic word "Hen," which also means "yes," may just be a matter of dialect. However, Arve …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 16th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph makes an assertion that a person is much more likely to tell the truth when he is on his deathbed. When faced with imminent death, a person realizes what is truly important. A close colleague who was fighting terminal cancer told me that he was no longer afraid of people's opinions or bothered by small things. How true that was, and yet such focus and awareness of truth does not come often without such "gifts." The Gemara …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 11th, 2023

I am a coward. When I read the stories about grandmothers bravely fighting off terrorists, or Holocaust stories of people enduring death marches, barefoot in the freezing cold, I know that I am not made of that stuff. The events in Israel are unprecedented and require some commentary, at least for those who read my blog and allow me the vanity of thinking my ideas have value and, for whatever reason, draw inspiration from them. In our religion, s …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph quotes the injunction from Devarim (23:16): לֹא־תַסְגִּ֥יר עֶ֖בֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑יו אֲשֶׁר־יִנָּצֵ֥ל אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵעִ֥ם אֲדֹנָֽיו "You shall not turn over to the master a slave who seeks refuge with you from that master." Although our Gemara darshens this verse differently, halakhically speaking, this verse is interpreted as a prohibition against returning a …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis rules that conversion to Judaism requires a Bais Din of three Jewish judges. Conversion without this criterion is not valid. The Gemara (Sotah 12b) tells us that when the daughter of Pharaoh went to the Nile to bathe, she also wanted to cleanse herself of her family's idolatrous practices. We can either understand this to be how she merited to be the adoptive mother of Moshe, or she intuited that a holy destiny awaited her …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on amud beis raises various proofs to Rabbi Meir's position that legal conditions for them to be binding must have both the positive and negative clause enumerated. Thus, one must state, "If you do X, then I will grant Y." The Gemara raises a question from the verse where God instructs Cain (Bereishis 4:7): הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣א …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph uses a metaphor to explain a structured legal process, likening it to a row of interleaved bricks. Rashi explains that in a wall of bricks, the second row is staggered so that the end points of each brick in the first row come out in the middle of bricks in the second row. This arrangement enhances stability. Otherwise, if a first brick on the wall's edge becomes loose, it could lead to the entire vertical row of first br …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the halakhic and moral injunctions against jumping the line and grabbing an item that another person resolved to acquire. A person who does so is labeled as wicked. Tosafos raises a contradiction based on a teaching in Bava Metzi’a (10a), where we learn that if someone sees a presumably ownerless object and falls upon it to acquire it, while another actually grabs it with his hands and acquires it. The hal …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on amud beis discusses the dictum of Shmuel, which states that in order to release the obligation of Terumah from produce (which is forbidden to eat prior to taking off the Terumah, known as Tevel), even setting aside one grain of wheat for Terumah is sufficient. (Although the Rabbis required 1/60-1/40 as an appropriate gift to the Cohen.) The idea that a small grain of sanctification can accomplish so much becomes a launching point fo …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

In our Gemara on Amud Aleph, Rabbi Akiva's renowned derasha asserts that when the Torah adds ״את״ (es) to the commandment ״אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא״, it obligates us to fear Torah sages as we fear God. The statement of Rabbi Akiva is that “Es”, comes to add an obligation to fear Torah sages as one fears God. Translating "es" into English is challenging, but it signifies an association, even when it seems obv …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara in Amud Beis uses a derash to derive that mixed species in the vineyard are forbidden to benefit from. בְּכִלְאֵי הַכֶּרֶם מְנָלַן? אָמַר חִזְקִיָּה: אָמַר קְרָא: ״פֶּן תִּקְדַּשׁ״ – פֶּן תּוּקַד אֵשׁ. From where do we derive that one is prohibited from deriving benefit from diverse kinds in a vineyard? Ḥizkiyya said: The verse states: “You s …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis considers the moral and halakhic dilemma of what to do if by violating a minor prohibition, one can accomplish a great merit. Our Gemara discusses the case of an animal found in Yerushalayim, which is assumed to have been dedicated for a sacrifice. Since it is of unknown designation, it cannot be brought as is on the altar, as each sacrifice has different procedures. Redeeming a non-blemished animal is forbidden, but the t …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

In our Gemara on Amud Aleph, we encounter a compelling argument regarding the use of Temple vestments by a Cohen for personal purposes. The Gemara boldly states: "שֶׁלֹּא נִיתְּנָה תּוֹרָה לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת." "The Torah was not given to the ministering angels." That is to say, since it would be impossible to calculate the precise moment when the service was finished, expecting the Cohen to immediatel …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 5th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that the modest Cohanim would not enter the fray to grab a portion of the Lechem Hapanim, despite it being a mitzvah to eat. On a practical halakhic level, this teaching is used as a source and reminder that it does not bring honor to a mitzvah if you fight over it, as we can see in Baer Heytev OC 53:27. However, is this teaching so clear-cut? The Gemara (Yoma 39a) provides more detail to the story: In the times …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 4th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis tells us an interesting story about Rabbi Yehuda’s reaction to Rabbi Meir’s students: The Sages taught: After the death of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda said to his students: Do not let the students of Rabbi Meir enter here into our house of study, because they are vexatious [kanteranim]. And they do not come to study Torah, but rather they come to overwhelm me with halakhos. Sumakhos, a student of Rabbi Meir, pushe …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 3rd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses an interlude where a sage, named Bar Ahina, explained to Rava how a certain law is derived from a verse. Apparently, this Bar Ahina had a knack for noticing scriptural derivations as we see in a different Gemara (Sotah 39b) that once again, Bar Ahina helps Rava understand a scriptural derivation.  Akeidas Yitschok (65:1) uses this relationship as an object lesson from the dictum, “Who is a wise man? O …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 2nd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses that when someone prefers to bring an offering, if he wants to reneg, the Jewish court compels him to fulfill his pledge. However, since the verse (Vayikra 1:3) implies that it is brought with his will and intention, we force him until he verbalizes that he is “agreeing” and “wants” to bring the sacrifice. This is an interesting psychological domain of religious worship. On the one hand, …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 1st, 2023

Our Gemara on Daf 48 begins a discussion about a scenario where a woman was betrothed with a specific sum of money or another positive condition, and it turns out that she was given more money, an object of greater value, or a superior condition was met: מַתְנִיָּא: "הִתְקַדְּשִׁי לִי בְּכוֹס זֶה שֶׁל יַיִן" וְנִמְצָא שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ, "שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ" וְנִמְצָא שֶׁ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 29th, 2023

Our Gemara on amud Aleph and Beis discusses how we view the obligation to pay a worker’s wages, and how it would affect a betrothal that was done via an agreement for the groom to perform a task as the exchange of an object of value: תַנְיָא: ״עֲשֵׂה לִי שִׁירִים נְזָמִים וְטַבָּעוֹת, וְאֶקַּדֵּשׁ אֲנִי לָךְ״, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן – מְקוּדֶּשׁ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 29th, 2023

This daf continues the halakhic discussion of betrothal using money forgiven from a loan. As we explained on Daf 46, a woman cannot be betrothed by allowing her to keep money she had previously borrowed. This is because the marriage bond needs to be effectuated via a transfer of a tangible object. The loan is not tangible, and even if the money was not spent and thus still tangible, the transfer of money to her domain occurred as a loan, and not …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 28th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the rule that a woman cannot be betrothed by allowing her to keep money she had previously borrowed. This is because the marriage bond needs to be effectuated via a transfer of a tangible object. The loan is not tangible, and even if the money was not spent and thus still tangible, the transfer of money to her domain occurred as a loan, and not an exchange for marriage. A second rule discussed is that if a woman …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 27th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses a scenario where a daughter who is a minor accepts marriage in front of her father but without his explicit consent. The Gemara discusses what to make of his silence: is it assent or seething anger? This highlights an important aspect of human nature – a person can feel so trapped in a situation that he will externally comply while internally boiling with anger. As parents and educators, when we find oursel …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 26th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph relates a scene that occurred in the Beis Midrash where Reish Lakish was screaming like a "cruchia" bird, and no one paid attention to his halakhic argument. What was this "cruchia" bird? Some translate it as a crane, which apparently makes a very loud cawing sound. However, Rashi here identifies it as an Agur. Elsewhere, an Agur bird is identified with a parrot (see Radak Yirmiyahu 8:7. Radak himself learns that "cruchia …
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