Simcha Feuerman

Psychology, Torah and the Daf Yomi

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Dec 2, 2024, 10:47 PM

Talmudic BDS: Boycott Dove Sacrifices and More Bava Basra 164-166

164 Personal Bias and Self-Awareness Our Gemara on Amud aleph discusses various circumstances where a parchment that was erased can be reused without being vulnerable to forgery. Ordinarily, with the technology of Talmudic times, one couldn’t inkwash the contract and remove...

Dec 1, 2024, 6:56 AM

Scriptural Misappropriation and Do Angels Have Wings? Bava Basra 161-163

161 Scriptural Misappropriation Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the possibility that a witness might sign a document using his father’s name alone, without his name, as an identifier, much as different sages used symbols as a signature mark such as...

Nov 26, 2024, 6:08 PM

Biblical Russia Collusion Hoax and More Bava Basra 157-160

157 Unpaid Debts of the Dead Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the idea that there is a degree of responsibility for a child to pay his deceased parent’s debts. The poskim analyzes the nature and basis of this obligation, which...

Nov 24, 2024, 7:25 AM

Human Dignity without God leads to Immorality and More Bava Basra 154-156

154 Spiritual Debts Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses a legalism in regard to contracts. Ordinarily, a contract needs to be ratified by two witnesses testifying that they recognize the signatures of the witnesses who signed on the document. However, there...

Nov 19, 2024, 5:34 PM

A Novel Case of Pikuach Nefesh and More Bava Basra 150-153

150 The Fleeting Nature of Fortune Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the scope of assets included when a gift giver uses the word nechasim—an umbrella Aramaic term for possessions and assets. Does this term encompass movable property, cattle, and cash,...

Nov 17, 2024, 6:16 AM

The Power of Denial and More Bava Basra 147-149

147 The Power of Denial Our Gemara on Amud Beis explains the reasoning behind the extra legal power granted to a person on their deathbed to make gifts without requiring physical acts of acquisition (kinyan) to signify the transfer of ownership....

Nov 13, 2024, 12:00 AM

Attitudes of the rich and successful Bava Basra 143-146

143 Spirituality Abhors a Vacuum Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the Torah’s directive about the separation of Terumah from produce to be given to the Kohen. The verse reads: “And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, seeing that...

Nov 10, 2024, 10:11 AM

Are Law and Ethics the Same? And more Bava Basra 139-142

139 Till Debt do Us Part Our Gemara on amud beis discusses a case of a woman who entered marriage with a prior debt. This Gemara brings to mind a modern phenomenon that can trouble some couples today: one spouse may be...

Nov 5, 2024, 5:19 PM

The Echo Chamber of the Evil Inclination and More Bava Basra 135-138

135 The Echo Chamber of the Evil Inclination Our Gemara on Amud Beis addresses a case where a deceased person’s will was found tied to his thigh, a way to secure important documents in that era. In Maaseh Shem (Avos 33),...

Nov 3, 2024, 4:07 PM

The Messiah is not Late; He is Right on Time and More Bava Basra 132-134

132 Attachment, Consensus and Aggression The Rashbam, at the beginning of Amud Aleph, discusses aspects of the kesuba (Jewish marriage contract) that make it different from other debts. It has limitations on lien enforcement and variations in collection power, partly reflecting...

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About Me

Rabbi, Psychotherapist with 30 years experience specializing in high conflict couples and families.

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