Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 15th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that there is an obligation to make sure that Pesach falls out during the spring. Since the Jewish calendar follows the lunar months, a Jewish year is approximately 354 days. In order to keep the Jewish year aligned with seasons, there must be 7 leap years in every 19 Jewish years, adding on a second month of Adar. Elsewhere in Psychology of the Daf (Yoma 65) we discussed the significance of the Jewish Calendar a …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 28th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph asks, if you say that the Adar immediately preceding Nisan is always 29 days, why should they desecrate Shabbos for witnesses to travel, as the court can calculate the time of the New Moon without witnesses? The Gemara answers: Because it is a mitzvah to sanctify the New Moon on the basis of the testimony of witnesses who actually saw the new moon and not rely on calculations or established practices,מִצְוָה לְק …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 25th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discussed a unique problem with those who do not wear tefilin: ⁦There is a category of sin called “sin with the body - Poshei Yisrael Begufan” that has an additional deleterious effects beyond the actual sin, and the punishments and judgements can be more severe. The Gemara tells us for Jews the “sin with the body” is “the skull that does not wear tefillin” and since Gentiles are also …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 18th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Beis references the famous rabbinic dispute about whether the world was created in Tishrei or in Nissan.  Of course, many have asked how can there be a dispute about a historical fact, and we shall shortly discuss some answers offered by Rishonim and mystics, and their deeper meanings. Before I do that, I feel compelled to point out how the question itself only comes from a linear western idea that the history portrayed in …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 11th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us about the death of Aharon and its effects: ⁦“And when the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel” (Numbers 21:1). What report did he hear? He heard that Aaron had died, and that the clouds of glory had withdrawn from the Jewish people, and he thought that he had been granted permission to wage war against t …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 20th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that the fate of the Generation of the Flood came about in response to their behavior: They sinned with boiling heat, and they were punished with boiling heat; and they were punished with the boiling heat of scalding waters. What was the sin of boiling heat?  Presumably the sin of lust, as is implied from Sanhedrin (108b).  Tzidkas HaTzaddik ( צדקת הצדיק ק״ז:א׳ ) makes a point that if you …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

August 23rd, 2023

While no longer practiced and even already forbidden during the time of the Gemara (see 12b), one original method to establish a marriage bond was through sexual intercourse with the intention of consummation. Our Gemara on Amud Aleph delves into this process and examines when exactly the marriage bond is formed: A question was posed to the Sages: Does the initiation of intercourse effect acquisition, or is it the completion of intercourse that e …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 8th, 2022

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph and Beis discusses tricks that connivers may engage in to avoid paying tithes, Peah (corner of field left for the poor) and the like, such as declaring their field ownerless: אִי הָכִי, אֲפִילּוּ מִיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן נָמֵי לֶיהֱוֵי הֶפְקֵר! אָמַר רַבָּה: מִפְּנֵי הָרַמָּאִין, דְּמַפְקִירִין וְהָדְרִין בְּהוֹן. …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

August 9th, 2020

Psychology of the Daf This Daf discusses the Biblically ordained process whereby a husband can nullify vows made by his wife within a certain window of time.  The mystics could not miss the symbolism within a process of an archetypal feminine manifestation creating a vow and then having it nullified by a masculine manifestation. for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 157 I take responsibility for my interpr …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

June 16th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis considers a scenario where a husband appears to be canceling an agent who he sent to deliver a Get, but perhaps he is not really canceling, but only somehow sadistically teasing his soon-to-be ex-wife by pretending to renege on the agreement: גְּמָ׳ הִגִּיעוּ לָא קָתָנֵי אֶלָּא הִגִּיעַ וַאֲפִילּוּ מִמֵּילָא וְלָא אָמְרִינַן לְצַעוֹרַהּ ה …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

April 2nd, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the responsibilities of a free watchman, who is exempt from financial obligations if he claims it was stolen while adequate safeguards were taken. He must make an oath to affirm this. If he is reluctant to swear (pious individuals avoid making oaths even when true), he has the option to pay for the object. In an interesting twist of fate, if the thief was found, the thief now pays the object plus his additional …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 23rd, 2023

On amud beis Tosafos (“Velichayev”) infers from our Gemara that there is a stronger moral obligation and expectation that one safeguards his possessions from damaging others than from being damaged. Thus, in the case where a dog enters an area and grabs a cake with a hot coal attached to it, which ends up causing a fire, we expect the owner of the coals to be mindful that a dog might enter and he therefore shares liability with the do …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 8th, 2020

Sanctity Is Stronger Than The Whole Lot Of Hell  ― Thomas Merton The Gemara relates a quiz that Chaggai the prophet gave to the Cohanim. In our Gemara there is a discussion about the exact nature of the questions and the answers however I would like to focus on a beautiful explanation of the Malbim on these verses (Chaggai 2:12-14) הֵ֣ן ׀ יִשָּׂא־אִ֨ישׁ בְּשַׂר־קֹ֜דֶשׁ בִּכְנַ֣ף בִּגְד֗וֹ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

March 28th, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud Beis warns of various careless financial practices: And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: In the case of one whose father bequeathed him a great deal of money and he seeks to lose it, he should wear linen garments, and should use glass vessels, and should hire laborers and not sit with them to supervise.  A unique feature of this Talmudic passage is that it seems to be resorting to sarcasm. Sarcasm is a particular human style of commu …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 3rd, 2024

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 a fish or a palm branch. While symbols were accepted and plausible as signatory devices, the Gemara concluded that a person would not use his father‘s name as an identifier, as this would be considered disrespectful. (W …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

March 10th, 2022

The top of Amud Aleph continues the discussion of why the Tanna of the Mishna began his enumeration of cases with the instance of the daughter. The principle stated is, “A law derived from a homiletical interpretation and is not explicitly stated in the Torah, is more precious to the Tanna, and therefore stated first.” כֵּיוָן דְּאָתְיָא מִדְּרָשָׁא חַבִּיבָא לֵיהּ This principle is difficult …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

May 19th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis strongly implies that there is no mitzvah of Aliyyah Leregel (Yom Tov Pilgrimage) in our times where there is no Bais HaMikdash: תִּינַח בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים מַאי אִיכָּא לְמֵימַר  The Gemara raises a difficulty: This works out well when the Temple is standin …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 16th, 2020

  Who are צדוקים ובייתוסים and how are they different? Mishna Avos 1:3 אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּהְיוּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, אֶלָּא הֱווּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

January 30th, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the financial value to the kesuba for the woman. The kesuba is a right to receive payment if there is divorce or death of the husband. However, while she is married, she has no particular claim. Yet, in theory, she could sell “options”, to “cash in on the policy” if her husband predeceases her.  There is a dispute as to whether the proceeds of such a sale would go to her, or since sh …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 17th, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses that during the day, the Sun appears white, while in the morning and evening it has a reddish hue. What are the suggested causes?   In the morning it becomes red as it passes over the site of the roses of the Garden of Eden, whose reflections give the light a red hue. In the evening the Sun turns red because it passes over the entrance of Gehenna, whose fires redden the light. And there are those who say th …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

January 24th, 2025

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph describes how every human being was endowed by the Creator with unique features, stating that no two people look alike. It can sometimes be challenging to discern whether the Gemara is presenting an absolute rule or a general observation. The Gemara serves as a legal record but also contains parables and allegories. For example, if the Gemara praises God for creating beautiful roses, is this merely a general statement of …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

March 19th, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud aleph discusses the legal status of  documents called “Shtarei Berirun”. According to one opinion, is a written record of each litigant’s claims.   The straightforward understanding of why the claims are written and agreed upon is that this way neither party can retract and modify their claims. (Rashbam, Bava Basra 168a, “Shtarei”.)   There also can be a psychological reason for this …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

February 18th, 2022

Our Gemara on Amud Beis presents certain ideas about desire and psychology. It states that there are two constant desires that plague people to an extraordinary extent: Theft and sexual relations. Presumably the Gemara is referring to rationalizations that people often commit to avoid making full payment, paying back loans, trespassing and similar ways of not respecting others’ possessions and keeping financial commitments. The Gemara notes …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

August 13th, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Beis introduces an intriguing idiom used to describe a precocious young child: "Flagos Reuven" (פלגות ראובן). This idiom finds its origin in a verse from the song of Devorah (Judges 5:15-16): "And the princes of Issachar were with Devorah, As Barak, so was Issachar— They rushed at his heels into the valley; Among the flagos of Reuven Were great decisions of heart. "Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, To hear …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

October 2nd, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud aleph discusses contradictory verses regarding where the Cherubs on the Holy Ark faced, acting as a bellwether of God’s pleasure or disappointment with the Jewish nation:    How were the cherubs standing? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar disagree about this. One says: Their faces were turned one toward the other. And one says: Their faces were turned toward the House, i.e., the Sanctuary. The Gemara asks: But ac …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 27th, 2024

Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the scriptural sources for determining the number of judges required to rule on Jewish calendar calculations: The Gemara asks: Corresponding to what was it determined that the intercalation procedure should incorporate these numbers of three, five, and seven judges? …One said: These numbers correspond to the number of Hebrew words in each of the three verses of the priestly benediction (see Bamidbar 6:24&n …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 22nd, 2020

The Gemara discusses the following verse as proof that the security is owned by the lienholder: Devarim 24:13 you must return the pledge to him at sundown, that he may sleep in his cloth and bless you; and it will be to your merit before the LORD your God. הָשֵׁב֩ תָּשִׁ֨יב ל֤וֹ אֶֽת־הַעֲבוֹט֙ כְּבֹ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וְשָׁכַ֥ב בְּשַׂלְמָת֖וֹ וּבֵֽרֲכֶ֑ךָּ וּלְ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 13th, 2020

Shabbos 129 for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 129 רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ: כׇּל הַמַּקֵּיל בִּסְעוּדַת הַקָּזַת דָּם — מְקִילִּין לוֹ מְזוֹנוֹתָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאוֹמְרִים: הוּא עַל חַיָּיו לֹא חָס, אֲנִי אָחוּס עָלָיו?! I …
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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

July 14th, 2020

DAF YOMI from a psychological perspective, Shabbos 130. For Mareh Mekomos, Click Belowלֵיכָּא כְּתוּבָּה דְּלָא רָמוּ בַּהּ תִּיגְרָא. for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 130 בית יוסף אה״ע קנד, מד כתוב בתשובת הרא"ש ורבי' בסי' קי"ח כתב הריב"ש בסט"ו על אדם שאין לו בנים ורצה לישא זקנה בת צ' …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 15th, 2022

There are times that the people we love say self-deprecating and critical remarks: “I am such an idiot”. What is the respectful thing to do?  On the one hand, people do not like to be corrected and also want to be validated.  On the other hand, it is risky to be quiet because the person may feel insulted, thinking, “So you agree that I am a fool.”  And then, of course, sometimes the person really did somethi …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 13th, 2022

  Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us an interesting vignette about when Rabbi Yirmiyahu was unwell and a doctor came to visit him. when the doctor saw that he had a particular kind of food believed to intensify the illness, the doctor, exasperated, declared, ”The angel of death is in this house, and you were expecting me to try to cure him?” It is worth focusing on the common challenging human behavior pattern of self-destructive …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 15th, 2022

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph and Rashi (“Ne’eman”) refer to a basic Talmudic principle known as Shavya Anafshei Chaticha Deissura, which means that a person has the ability to declare something to be forbidden based on his belief, even if there is no compelling evidence.  Thus, he must conduct himself as if it is forbidden, even if to outsiders there is no such obligation. The commentaries debate the conceptual underpinning of …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

May 3rd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the intentions of the Spies: וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי מַקֵּישׁ הֲלִיכָה לְבִיאָה מָה בִּיאָה בְּעֵצָה רָעָה אַף הֲלִיכָה בְּעֵצָה רָעָה And they went and they came” (Numbers 13:25–26). Rabbi Yoḥanan sa …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 4th, 2022

As we mentioned on the last daf, our Gemaras have been discussing various self destructive impulses. On the last daf we examined self-destructiveness that hurts others simultaneously. On today’s daf we still discuss self-destructive urges that are directed at self instead of others. According to researchers Tiffany B. Brown and Thomas Kimball, there a number of misconceptions about self-harm behaviors as well as functions that should be und …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

September 1st, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph delves into the profound measures one must undertake to demonstrate respect and dignity towards their own slave: The passage continues: This means that there shall not be a situation in which you eat fine bread and he eats inferior bread [kibbar], bread from coarse flour mixed with bran, which is low quality. There shall not be a situation in which you drink aged wine and he drinks inferior new wine. There shall not be a …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

June 21st, 2022

What is the Torah ethical position on charging a fee for necessary services, and what about charging excessive fees during times of peak demand? Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us  “הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹרֵחַ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין, וְהָיְתָה מַעְבּוֹרֶת לְפָנָיו, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ: טוֹל דִּינָר וְהַעֲבִירֵנִי — אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 5th, 2022

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that fever is both an agent of the Angel of death, i.e., extremely harmful, but at the same time also has health benefits. Ben Yehoyada notes that this aligns with our scientific knowledge in that the fever is the body’s way of fighting infection. The heat from the fever breaks down proteins and also viruses. Obviously, if the fever is too high it’s going to cook the person's internal organs, but at t …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

August 27th, 2023

Our Mishna on Amud Beis addresses the topic of the Jewish slave, discussing the requirement for a Jewish slave who chooses to extend his servitude beyond the prescribed six years to undergo a ritual that involves piercing his ear. The Gemara later on (22b) elaborates on the significance of this ritual: Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai would expound this verse as a type of decorative wreath [ḥomer], i.e., as an allegory: Why is the ear different from …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

March 29th, 2023

  Our Gemara on Amud Aleph quotes the verse which describes what the Nazir must perform in order to recover and restart his Nazirhood, subsequent to becoming exposed to a corpse (Bamidbar 6:9): וְכִֽי־יָמ֨וּת מֵ֤ת עָלָיו֙ בְּפֶ֣תַע פִּתְאֹ֔ם וְטִמֵּ֖א רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְר֑וֹ וְגִלַּ֤ח רֹאשׁוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם טׇהֳרָת֔וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִי …
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