The Colourful History of a Metaphor

If you hear the shofar live through Zoom, a telephone or a hearing aid, have you fulfilled the mitzvah? Journey from a Talmudic pit and its echo to the modern halachic debate over electronically reproduced sound.

A Jewish farmer owns his land, grows his fruit and is ready to thank G-d. So why must he wait until every other Jew has received a place of their own? Through a striking teaching of the Rebbe, this class uncovers the Torah’s radical definition of happiness: if someone else is still unsettled, my own joy cannot yet be complete.

The Talmud teaches a startling law: if every judge on the Sanhedrin immediately finds the accused guilty, he is acquitted. Why should unanimous agreement prevent a conviction? We explore the explanations of the Yad Ramah, Maimonides, the Maharal, and a fascinating Jewish-Christian disputation—culminating in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s powerful teaching that Torah punishment is meant not merely to penalize, but to uncover the hidden good within a person, bring atonement, and restore the soul.

Mystical angles on the power of the Shofar.

Every new stage brings new opportunities and new dangers. The Rebbe’s surprising lesson from the mitzvah of building a fence around your roof.

What Did King David Mean by this?

Why are actions the roots, and wisdom only the branches? A fascinating journey into the deeper soul, the hidden source of spiritual resilience, and why we sometimes feel suddenly called to grow.

If you agree to a price and the market suddenly moves, can you simply change your mind? This class explores the Talmudic rules of keeping your word in business

The spiritual meaning behind the Kosher laws.