Explore every episode of the podcast West Deal Torah Center
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Mishna #48: Berachot 8:7 | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:02:05 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah 8:7 teaches that Birkat HaMazon must be said in the place where one ate. If a person forgot and already left, Bet Shammai says he must return to his original spot, while Bet Hillel allows him to say it wherever he remembers - though one who goes back is praised. The commentaries limit the leniency to one who forgot; a person who deliberately left without blessing must return even according to Bet Hillel. The Mishnah closes with the time limit: one may bless only until the food in his stomach is digested - once he grows hungry again, the obligation over that meal has passed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapters: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 3:9 "The Source of Life" | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:17:13 | |
Mr. Sammy Saka hosts classes on Zoom Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30PM. Contact Jacob Betesh to be added to the chat. Mishnah 3:9 sounds harsh at first: a person walking on the road and reviewing his Torah who stops to say "how beautiful is this tree" bears guilt for his soul. Mr. Saka explains it through the order of the morning prayers - in Ahavat Olam we thank Hashem for constantly renewing creation, and then move straight into the words of Torah, because seeing Hashem in the world is a helper while Torah is the foundation, the blueprint, the steak next to the mashed potatoes. Along the way: Rabbi Avigdor Miller's walks on Ocean Parkway, why David ha-Melech was chosen over his impressive brothers, checking people out before shidduchim and business partnerships, and a cassette-tape class from Rabbi Raymond Beyda on "midvar sheker tirchak" - run from falsehood. The Torah's first and last letters spell lev, a heart: how to treat people and bring them closer to Torah with love. That is the source of life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapters: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #47: Berachot 8:6 | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:02:55 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. The Mishnah lists the candles and spices that cannot be used for havdalah. One says no beracha over an idolater's candle, since it may well have burned on Shabbat and the havdalah light must be one that rested, nor over his spices, which the Gemara explains were used at his parties, and an ordinary gathering of idolaters is tied to idolatry. Likewise a candle or spices designated for the dead: that candle is lit to honor the body rather than to give light, and those spices mask odor rather than give a pleasant smell, and the berachot require light enjoyed as light and scent enjoyed as scent. The same goes for a candle or spices set before an idol, from which no benefit may be had at all. The Mishnah closes with the rule that one says bore me'orei ha'esh only once he actually benefits from the light, which is the source of the custom of holding up one's fingers to distinguish the nails from the flesh by the havdalah candle. - - - 0:00 Candles and spices that cannot be used for havdalah 0:24 The idolater's candle: it may have burned on Shabbat 0:49 The idolater's spices: used at his parties 1:17 A candle or spices designated for the dead 2:08 A candle or spices placed before an idol 2:28 No beracha until you benefit from the light - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Daily Mishna #46: Berachot 8:5 | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:05:22 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. The Mishnah takes up the motzaei Shabbat puzzle of a person who made kiddush during the day and has only one cup of wine, which he needs for havdalah, so Birkat Hamazon and havdalah must be said over the same cup. Bet Shammai order the blessings ner, mazon, besamim, havdalah; Bet Hillel say ner, besamim, mazon, havdalah. All agree ner comes first, since we benefit from the light right away and fire was first created on the motzaei Shabbat of Creation, and all agree havdalah comes last, to show we are in no rush to end Shabbat. The fight is over the middle: Bet Shammai put the obligation of Birkat Hamazon first, while Bet Hillel treat ner and besamim as one unit marking the end of Shabbat and the loss of the extra soul. The Mishnah closes with a second machloket over the text of the beracha itself: Bet Shammai say "bara me'or ha'esh," speaking of creation in the past and of fire's single color, while Bet Hillel say "bore me'orei ha'esh," staying loyal to the language of the pesukim and recognizing fire's many colors. - - - 0:00 One cup of wine for both Birkat Hamazon and havdalah 0:46 Bet Shammai's order: ner, mazon, besamim, havdalah 1:13 Bet Hillel's order: ner, besamim, mazon, havdalah 1:19 Why ner comes first for everyone 1:48 Why havdalah comes last for everyone 2:17 The disagreement: besamim or mazon first 2:31 Bet Shammai's reason: the obligation of Birkat Hamazon 2:50 Bet Hillel's reason: ner and besamim are one unit 3:43 Second machloket: bara me'or ha'esh or bore me'orei ha'esh 4:13 Past tense or the language of the pesukim 5:02 One color of fire or many - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 59a | Weekday Gemara | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:24:02 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. Rabbi Hanon continues Pesahim 59a with the order of the daily Temple service. After reviewing the first opinion that closes the day tamid, korban pesach, ketoret, nerot, he presents the dissenting braita that makes the korban pesach the last offering of the day, and explains how each side reads the words "oto" and "ben ha'arbayim" in the pesukim. The Gemara then zooms out to the whole day: nothing precedes the morning tamid except the ketoret, and nothing follows the afternoon tamid except the ketoret, the nerot, the korban pesach, and a mechusar kippurim on erev pesach who suddenly remembers he never brought his korban. Rabbi Yishmael b'no shel Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka extends that allowance year-round, and the class works through Ravina's answer (a chatat ha'of, whose blood alone touches the mizbeach) and Rav Pappa's answer (placing the animal on the mizbeach overnight without violating linah), setting up the questions that carry onto the next daf. - - - 0:00 Review: the first opinion on the order of tamid, pesach, ketoret, and nerot 3:04 A dissenting braita: the korban pesach comes last 4:27 "Oto" excludes only the internal services 7:50 Wrapping up the machloket on the end-of-day order 8:39 Nothing comes before the morning tamid except the ketoret 10:49 Nothing comes after the afternoon tamid except ketoret, nerot, and pesach 11:18 The mechusar kippurim who remembers on erev pesach 14:33 Rabbi Yishmael: the allowance applies year-round 18:00 Why one mitzvat aseh overrides the other 19:16 Ravina's answer: the chatat ha'of 21:05 Rav Pappa's answer: overnight on the mizbeach without linah - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Daily Mishna #45: Berachot 8:4 | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:03:41 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. The Mishnah turns to mayim acharonim, the obligation to wash one's hands after a bread meal before Birkat Hamazon, and the Gemara's two reasons for it: approaching Birkat Hamazon in a respectful way, and the concern that Sodomite salt on the hands could, God forbid, blind a person who touches his eyes. Bet Shammai hold that one first sweeps the house and only then washes, because of bizuy ochlin: the mayim acharonim water might spill onto a dropped piece of bread larger than a kezayit and render it inedible. Bet Hillel permit washing first, since the waiter may only be a talmid chacham who already knows to remove the larger pieces, leaving no concern. - - - 0:00 Mayim acharonim: washing after the meal 0:23 Two reasons for the obligation 1:03 Bet Shammai: sweep first, then wash 2:19 Bet Hillel: wash first, sweep after 2:46 Why the waiter must be a talmid chacham - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Daily Mishna #44: Berachot 8:3 | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:03:35 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Berachot 8:3, applying yesterday's rules of tumah. In those days a person would dry his hands after netilat yadayim with a towel and keep using that same towel to wipe his hands through the meal - so may the damp towel rest on the table next to the food? Beit Shammai permit it: they hold one may not eat at a table that is a sheni letumah in the first place, so there is no concern that the table will render the wet towel - liquid being a ready conveyor of tumah - impure and pass it on to the food. Beit Hillel, who do permit eating at a sheni letumah table, rule the towel must go on the cushion: left wet on the table it could become impure from the table, then be picked up and render the food in hand impure. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Berachot 8:3: the wet towel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 3:8 “The True Value of Wealth” | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:15:14 | |
Mr. Sammy Saka hosts classes on Zoom Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30PM. Contact Jacob Betesh to be added to the chat. Pirke Abot 3:8 teaches "ten lo mishelo" - give Him from His own, for you and all your possessions are His. Mr. Saka pairs the Mishnah with David's words in Divrei HaYamim and a lifetime of lived stories: Neil Tobias, who originated the Hillel Chinese auction thirty years ago and still raises for the school today; and the book "Joseph," about a giant of our community who chased a visiting rabbi out of his office to pledge $52,000 to a yeshiva that was not even at the top of his list - and saw his business break records soon after. The lesson: nothing is really ours. Wealth is a loan from a Partner who owns the 90% and asks for His 10% back - in money, in loans, and in time for those who need help, like high school kids from broken homes. Aser tit'asher: give ma'aser, so you become wealthy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Pirke Abot 3:8: a lifelong lesson - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #43: Berachot 8:2 | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:06:10 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Berachot 8:2. The class opens with a primer on tumah: how impurity descends from an av hatumah through rishon, sheni and shlishi, and the rabbinic rules for liquids, utensils and hands - every person's unwashed hands count as a sheni letumah, which is why netilat yadayim precedes bread. The mishna then pits Beit Shammai against Beit Hillel on the order at a meal. Beit Shammai say wash first and then pour the wine: wine dripping onto unwashed hands becomes a rishon letumah on contact and can render the cup itself a sheni, unfit to drink from. Beit Hillel say pour the cup first and wash afterward: they permit drinking from a sheni letumah utensil, and they worry more that hands left wet from netilat yadayim will undo the whole washing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Berachot 8:2: tumah and hand-washing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Moses Hidary – Shaar Habitachon Perek 4 (15) | Mussar | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:44:00 | |
Rabbi Moses Hidary hosts classes every Monday at 8:00 PM at West Deal Shul. The class returns to Chovot HaLevavot, Shaar HaBitachon perek 4 (page 199), on a big question: why does the Torah barely speak explicitly about Olam Haba? Three answers unfold. First, we cannot conceive the soul without the body - try describing blue to a blind man - though Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was granted a glimpse of walking among the angels. Second, it was an accepted tradition too obvious to spell out, like the color of a shirt in a Lakewood beit midrash. Third, the generation that left Egypt was in katnut, a constricted consciousness unable to receive it, so Hashem spoke on their level - a father motivating a child with what he understands now - until the small-mindedness would fall away. That same principle explains the Torah's anthropomorphisms: yad chazakah, "vayipach be'apav" - the Torah speaks in our language. Along the way: how to tell children about death, Mesillat Yesharim on why no one is perfectly happy in this world, the Lamborghini chill-spot mashal, Rabbi Neuberger's elevator mashal on who the "me" really is, and the Ramban on why Benei Yisrael could not hear Moshe - closing with a charge to teach every student and child from their vantage point. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Back to Chovot HaLevavot, p.199 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – From Avraham to Avraham Avinu | Breakfast Class | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:05:13 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. In this breakfast class for the week of Parashat Lech Lecha, Rabbi Ike Hanon asks why the Mishna in Pirke Abot shifts its language: the generations before Avraham are disappointing and he is simply "Avraham," yet when the ten trials are introduced he becomes "Avraham Avinu." Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin explains that Avraham became our father through the aseret nisyonot: every test he overcame entered the spiritual DNA of the Jewish people. That is why an instinctive love of Eretz Yisrael lives even in the unaffiliated - Avraham's own Lech Lecha - and why ordinary Jews have found the strength for mesirut nefesh, as Avraham did before Nimrod's furnace. We do not start from zero; the avot built their accomplishments into our souls, and we read these parashiyot to learn what to emulate. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Avraham appears at the end of Noah - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesachim 58b-59a | Weekday Gemara | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:24:45 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class continues Pesahim 58b into 59a, still on the timing of the afternoon tamid. It recaps the three readings of the beraita - Abaye, Rava, and Rava bar Ulla - then tests Abaye against another beraita, Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva on Erev Pesach that falls on Shabbat. Abaye's defense, rereading "kesidurah" as the Erev Pesach schedule of every year, is admitted dachuk, and the gemara leaves it. The sugya then proves the tamid's place in the day: nothing is offered before the morning tamid, and nothing after the afternoon tamid except the korban pesach, with Rava reading "hashelamim" as "hashlem" - complete every type of korban between the two temidim. Finally the class sets the afternoon order - tamid, pesach, ketoret, nerot - proving from "me'erev ad boker" that the menorah lighting goes last and that ketoret and nerot are linked, and notes that the dissenting order comes tomorrow. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Recap: three reads of the beraita - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #42: Berachot 8:1 | 19 oct. 2026 | 00:04:11 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Perek 8 opens the disputes between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel over the laws of a meal. Mishnah 1 takes up the order of Friday-night kiddush: Bet Shammai says bless the day first (Mekadesh HaShabbat), then the wine (borei peri hagafen), since Shabbat must arrive before kiddush can be said at all; Bet Hillel says wine first, then the day, since without the cup there is no kiddush, and tadir - the more frequent blessing - comes first. Rabbi Dana also clarifies what daytime kiddush really is: hagafen alone, with the customary pesukim only praise of the day. The halacha follows Bet Hillel, as we practice today. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #41: Berachot 7:5 | 19 oct. 2026 | 00:02:53 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 7:5 defines what makes separate parties into one zimmun group. Rabbi Dana explains: two groups eating in one room (bayit) who can see each other combine - a pair and a single across the room, or two groups of five who can even say zimmun with God's name; if something blocks the view, each benches on its own. The Mishnah closes with undiluted wine, too strong to drink in Mishnaic times: Rabbi Eliezer holds borei peri hagafen cannot be said until water is added - until then it keeps the grape's blessing, borei peri ha'etz - while the Chachamim allow hagafen even undiluted, since raw wine was eaten in the honey-and-spice dish called koraito. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #40: Berachot 7:4 | 18 oct. 2026 | 00:02:14 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 7:4 asks when a group that ate together may split up for zimmun. Rabbi Dana explains the Mishnah's chiddush: three who ate one bread meal share an individual obligation of zimmun, so none may leave to bench alone - and the same holds for four or five, even though the rest could still bless without them. From six up to ten the group may divide into smaller zimmun groups of three. But once ten are together, splitting is forbidden even into two valid groups, because it would cost them haskarat shem Hashem - mentioning God's name, which rests on a minyan. Only at twenty, when each half still counts ten, may they separate. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #39: Berachot 7:3 | 18 oct. 2026 | 00:06:58 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 7:3 gives the actual wording of zimmun as the group grows. Rabbi Dana walks through Rabbi Akiva's ladder: with three, "Nevarech she'achalnu mishelo"; with ten, the name of God enters - "Nevarech Leilohenu" - because the Shechina dwells with a minyan; and once you reach ten, nothing further changes no matter how large the crowd. Rabbi Yose HaGelili disagrees, adding "LaDonai" at one hundred, "Elohei Yisrael" at one thousand, and "Elohei Tzevaot yoshev hakeruvim" at ten thousand, reading "bemakhelot" as gatherings that each bless differently. Rabbi Akiva answers that the pasuk says gathering and gathering alike, Rabbi Yishmael sides with him on the wording of Barechu, and the halacha follows Rabbi Akiva. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #38: Berachot 7:2 | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:02:53 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 7:2 continues zimmun with who cannot be counted toward the three: women, slaves, and minors. Rabbi Dana explains why each is excluded - a woman is not obligated, the Canaanite slave's conduct disqualifies him, and the katan who does not yet know Whom he is blessing - with the Bartenura's note that a child who does know may join, at least in practice. The Mishnah then asks how much one must eat to be counted: Tana Kama says a kazayit, Rabbi Yehuda a kabeitza, and the halacha follows Tana Kama. A closing note: women answer zimmun when present, and three women may make their own. Chapters: (0:00) Mishna 2: who can't count (0:26) Women, slaves, and minors (0:44) Why a woman can't be counted (0:53) The Canaanite slave (1:07) A katan who doesn't know (1:23) If the child knows - a machloket (1:41) How much must you eat? (1:50) Tana Kama: a kazayit (2:01) Rabbi Yehuda: a kabeitza (2:19) Halacha like Tana Kama (2:27) Women answering zimmun Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Daily Mishna #37: Berachot 7:1 | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:05:09 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 7:1 opens the laws of zimmun - when three people eat together, they must join for birkat hamazon as one. After a quick map of terumah and the maaserot, the Mishnah lists who can still count toward the three: one who ate demai, maaser rishon whose terumat maaser was separated, and maaser sheni or hekdesh that was redeemed - plus the shamash who ate a kazayit and the kuti. The second half mirrors it with tevel, maaser rishon still owed its terumah, unredeemed maaser sheni, the shamash who ate less than a kazayit, and the oved kochavim - none of whom can be counted. Chapters: (0:00) Perek 7 opens: the laws of zimmun (0:33) Three who ate together (0:50) Terumah and maaserot in one minute (2:07) Who can join: demai (2:15) Maaser rishon, terumah taken (2:37) Maaser sheni and hekdesh redeemed (3:06) The shamash and the kuti (3:41) Who cannot join: tevel (4:24) Maaser sheni eaten outside Jerusalem (4:49) Why the last two can't count Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 58a-58b | Weekday Gemara | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:08:01 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. A re-recording of the erased October 14 class. The class reviews the beraita "kesidurah bechol, kach sidurah beshabbat" on the timing of the afternoon tamid and walks through its three readings: Abaye, who keys the Shabbat schedule to Erev Pesach; Rava, who keys it to a plain weekday; and Rabah bar Ulla, who reads the dispute as the time of the tamid in general, not Erev Pesach at all. Along the way Rabbi Hanon explains the disagreement over whether the korban musaf or the bazichin came first, and whether the kohanim might confuse the Shabbat schedule with a weekday. The class closes with the gezerah on nedarim and nedavot - whether the rabbis fixed one universal time so people could still bring their individual offerings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Note: re-recording the erased class (0:21) Review: the beraita on the tamid (1:24) Abaye: Erev Pesach sets the pattern (3:31) Rava: a plain weekday sets it (5:21) 58b: the meat-spoiling concern (5:59) Rabah bar Ulla: not about Pesach (7:23) The gezerah on nedarim and nedavot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 58b - Noah | Weekday Gemara | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:18:01 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class works through Pesahim 58b on the timing of the afternoon tamid, recapping the answers of Abaye and Rava to the beraita "kesidurah bechol, kach sidurah beshabbat." The gemara then asks whether the rabbis made an enactment on nedarim and nedavot so the kohanim would not confuse the Shabbat schedule with a weekday, and tests each reading against the fixed times of the korban tamid. That leads into Rashi and Tosafot on whether the calendar could let the fourteenth of Nisan fall on a Sunday, with evidence that scheduling preferences existed even in the time of the Bet HaMikdash. The class closes with a vort for Parashat Noah: the Torah gives the same reason for the flood and for the promise never to bring another, and Rabbi Asher Weiss with a mashal from Rabbi Elimelech Biderman (the blinking turn signal) explains that humanity's fluctuation between good and bad means the world is working as created. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Recap: Abaye and Rava on the tamid (2:56) A gezerah on nedarim and nedavot? (6:35) The challenge to Rava's reading (8:03) Rashi vs Tosafot on the calendar (12:08) Defending Rava: "like a Monday" (15:12) Parashat Noah: the blinker mashal - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com | |||
| Daily Mishna #36: Berachot 6:8 | 15 oct. 2026 | 00:04:28 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:8 - what do you say after eating? Rabban Gamliel holds that the seven species of Eretz Yisrael demand a full three-beracha benching, straight from "ve'achalta ve'savata u'verachta." The Chachamim shorten it to me'ein shalosh - al ha'michya, al ha'gafen, or al ha'perot - while Rabbi Akiva benches fully even on the cooked vegetables that make up his meal. And water? She'hakol only when it quenches real thirst - unless you hold with Rabbi Tarfon, who gives water the weightier boreh nefashot rabbah. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #35: Berachot 6:7 | 15 oct. 2026 | 00:02:43 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:7 - when even bread takes second place. Hamotzi usually covers the whole meal, but not always: picture the field-worker who snacks on sweet fruit all day and needs something salty to balance it. If his salted fish can only go down with a piece of bread, the bread is tafel - secondary - so the beracha on the fish exempts the bread too. The Mishnah's general rule: whatever is ikkar, the main component, carries the tafel along with it. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #34: Berachot 6:6 | 14 oct. 2026 | 00:04:51 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:6 - when a group eats together, who says the berachot? If they merely sat together, each person bentches for himself; if they reclined as one unit, one leader can say the berachot for everyone - and today, sharing a table already makes that unit. Wine changes the picture: a cup brought mid-meal gets a haGefen from each person (no one can answer a proper Amen with a mouth full of food), while the cup after the meal can be covered by the leader - who also keeps the honor for the incense that closed a meal. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #33: Berachot 6:5 | 14 oct. 2026 | 00:04:23 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:5 - what the beracha before the meal covers. Wine said before the meal (think Kiddush) exempts all the wine you drink until Birkat HaMazon, even after the bread is done. A beracha on parperet - the fish, eggs, or meat served with bread - does the same for those items. Bread is the strongest: Hamotzi exempts parperet entirely, but mezonot on parperet never exempts the bread. Beit Shammai add that mezonot on parperet does not even exempt ma'aseh kedeira, a cooked-grain dish, though both are mezonot - and Beit Hillel show why importance runs both ways. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 3:7 “Engaging in Torah” | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:14:50 | |
Mr. Sammy Saka hosts classes on Zoom Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30PM. Contact Jacob Betesh to be added to the chat. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pirke Abot 3:7 counts the quantities of Torah study - ten, five, three, two, even one - with the Shekhina present at every number. Mr. Saka draws out the Mishnah's verb oskin: not just sitting with Torah, but engaging and exerting. Five fingers grasp a bundle in one hand; three give a majority for any real decision; two lift more together than apart; and even one person learning alone is answered with a blessing. Along the way: phone-off time with his wife, the fire of a room full of young men at the SRC, and Rabbi Alouf's parting words - speak freely. More people, more quality Torah. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Back from traveling: Avot 3:7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #32: Berachot 6:4 | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:03:20 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:4 - when several foods in front of you share one beracha, which one do you say it on? The Mishnah's disagreement: Rabbi Yehuda says a fruit from the seven species Eretz Yisrael is praised with takes priority automatically; the Chachamim say it is whichever food you like best, even over a seven-species fruit. Where they agree: equal preference goes to the seven species. The class closes with the practical Rosh Hashana question - the apple or the date first - and the Mekubalim's case for the apple. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 58a II | Weekday Gemara | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:23:26 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon teaches weekday Gemara at West Deal Shul. The class continues on Pesahim 58a. After wrapping up Rava's answer - the Torah's real time for the afternoon Tamid is six and a half hours, when the sun tips west, delayed to eight and a half only to leave room for personal korbanot - Rabbi Hanon ties it back to Berachot: this sugya is the source of Mincha Gedolah at six and a half hours, and of why the Rambam prefers Mincha Ketana, since the Tamid was actually offered at nine and a half nearly every day of the year. Then the Gemara's braita - "as it was done on a weekday, so it was done on Shabbat," with Rabbi Akiva saying "as it was done on Erev Pesach" - a sentence missing its words, and a machloket over which words to restore. Abaye reads Erev Pesach into both clauses; underneath it all sits a dispute about the Shabbat morning schedule in the Beit HaMikdash: whether the musaf came before or after burning the spoons of levonah and distributing the Lechem HaPanim, which decides whether the Tamid could be slaughtered at six and a half or needed seven and a half. Along the way: what "during the fifth hour" actually means, and whether someone late to shul prays shacharit or musaf first. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 58a | Weekday Gemara | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:10:10 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon teaches weekday Gemara at West Deal Shul. The class continues into Pesahim 58a with the source for the times of the afternoon Tamid. After a recap of the Mishna - the Tamid slaughtered at eight and a half hours and offered at nine and a half, moved up an hour on Erev Pesach, and up two hours when Erev Pesach fell on Friday to leave time to cook the Korban Pesach - Rabbi Hanon asks Minuha Milet: where do we learn the eight-and-a-half-hour time from? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi derives it from "bein ha'arbayim": split the six-hour afternoon into two and a half hours, an hour, and two and a half hours, and the Tamid belongs in the middle. Rava objects - if that time is Deoraita, how does the Mishna move it up for Erev Pesach? The answer: the earliest valid time is six and a half hours, when the shadows tilt west; eight and a half is only the practice, kept so the window between the two Tamids stays open for personal nedarim and nedavot, since every offering must come between the morning and afternoon Tamid. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 57a-58a | Weekday Gemara | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:29:02 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon teaches weekday Gemara at West Deal Shul. The class finishes Pesahim 57a and moves into the mishnayot of the next perek on 58a. Rabbi Hanon opens with a follow-up on Yochanan ben Narbai's generosity - a house full of Kohanim he sustained, one reading of why nothing was ever left over. Then the story of Issachar of Kfar Barkai, the Kohen Gadol in silk gloves: called to settle the king and queen's debate over goat versus lamb, his dismissive gesture costs him both hands, and Rav Yosef, Abaye, and Ravina each pile on - he never learned the tradition, and he could not even read the verse showing the two are equal. After closing the perek and explaining why the Mishna is called Pesachim in the plural, the class begins the next perek: the times of the daily Tamid, and how the schedule moved an hour earlier on Erev Pesach - and earlier still when Erev Pesach fell on Friday - to leave time to slaughter and cook the Korban Pesach. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 57a II | Weekday Gemara | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:25:33 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon teaches weekday Gemara at West Deal Shul. The class continues Pesahim 57a, opening with Rashi on why the Torah ends with Moshe smashing the luchot. Following up on yesterday's class, Rabbi Hanon brings a proof from the Rambam on how the korban skins were distributed after the gold of the Bet HaMikdash was collected. The Gemara then lists those the Mikdash itself cried out against: the sons of Eli and their abuses of the avodah, with Rashi and Tosafot on how to understand their worst sin, and Issachar of Kfar Barkai, whose silk gloves showed he was too good for the service. The class closes with those the Mikdash praised, including the scholar the gates were raised to welcome and the host whose household never left anything over. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #31: Berachot 6:3 | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:03:28 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:3 - the reach of Shehakol. On anything that does not grow from the ground, the blessing is Shehakol: vinegar, novelot (fruit that fell from the tree before ripening), and govai - kosher locusts, which Yemenite communities still eat from a living tradition while Ashkenazim, who lost that tradition, refrain. Milk, cheese, and eggs get Shehakol too. Rabbi Yehuda disagrees on novelot and locusts: both are "cursed" - one a fruit that never reached its potential, the other a crop-destroyer that brings famine - and on cursed foods he would say no blessing at all. The class closes with why the Mishnah bothers listing milk, cheese, and eggs at all - and why those three words had to be there to answer Rabbi Yehuda. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #30: Berachot 6:2 | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:03:26 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:2 - when the wrong blessing still counts. Recapping 6:1's rule - Ha'etz on fruit where the branch remains to produce again, Ha'adama where picking ends that branch's growth (which is why a banana, tree and all, gets Ha'adama) - the Mishnah rules on mistakes: say Ha'adama on a tree fruit and you fulfilled your obligation, since trees do grow from the ground; say Ha'etz on a ground fruit and you have not, because it simply is not true. And Shehakol, said on anything, always covers the food after the fact - but the Bartenura warns against the common shortcut: Shehakol is no license to skip learning the right blessing. If you do not know it, look it up or call a rabbi. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #29: Berachot 6:1 | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:06:04 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 6:1 - the blessings said before eating and drinking. The rabbis instituted that a person may not benefit from this world without thanking God first, while Birkat Hamazon after a meal is an earlier, Torah-level obligation. On fruit of a tree, whose branches remain year to year, one says Borei Peri Ha'etz - except for wine, which gets its own blessing, Borei Peri Hagafen, because it gladdens and sustains; the Mishnah implies that without that unique blessing even wine would get Ha'etz, raising the modern question of orange juice. On fruit of the ground one says Borei Peri Ha'adama - except for bread, singled out for Hamotzi because it satiates and anchors a meal. On vegetables the Tana Kama says Ha'adama, while Rabbi Yehuda argues each deserves a more specific blessing - Borei Minei Desha'im on greens, Minei Zera'im on seeds - but the halacha follows the Tana Kama. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #28: Berachot 5:5 | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:03:41 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 5:5 - one who makes a mistake while praying the Amidah, for him it is a bad sign, and the Gemara explains this refers to a stumble in the first berachah. If the shliach tzibur errs, it is a bad sign for those who appointed him, because a person's agent is like himself. The Mishnah tells of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, who prayed for the sick and knew from the fluency of his prayer who would recover. The Bartenura traces the word "metoraf" to Yosef's torn cloak, and the Shlah cautions that such a sign belongs only to a tzaddik like Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 57a | Weekday Gemara | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:17:17 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon teaches weekday Gemara at West Deal Shul. The class continues Pesahim 57a with the distribution of korban skins among the Kohanim and the attempts to stop their seizure by force. Consecrating the skins to the Bet HaMikdash leads to a striking display of gold, and a parallel account explains why the people of Yericho consecrated their sycamore trees. The Gemara then criticizes powerful priestly families who abused their positions. Rabbi Hanon connects the discussion to Jerusalem's Burnt House and its evidence of priestly life, including stone utensils and a mikveh. Chapters: Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #27: Berachot 5:4 | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:03:43 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 5:4 - during Birkat Kohanim, the chazzan who prompts the Kohanim word by word does not answer Amen after each of the three blessings, lest he lose his place. If the chazzan is the only Kohen present, he does not raise his hands for Birkat Kohanim unless he is certain he can return to his place in the Amidah. The class concludes with the halacha lema'aseh: the Shulchan Aruch rules that the chazzan does not answer Amen, the Mishna Berura notes a leniency nowadays when praying from a siddur, and the Kaf HaChaim upholds the strict ruling. --- Chapters: --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #25: Berachot 5:2 | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:04:15 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 5:2 - three additions made to the Amidah depending on the time of year. First, mentioning Hashem's power to bring rain, placed in the blessing of the resurrection of the dead because both bring forth life. Second, asking for rain in the blessing of livelihood: in the Land of Israel from the seventh of Cheshvan, and outside the Land from sixty days after the equinox, until the first day of Pesach. Third, marking the end of Shabbat within the Amidah, with three opinions on where it belongs: inside the blessing of knowledge, as its own blessing, or added to the blessing of thanksgiving. --- Chapters: (0:00) Three seasonal additions to the Amidah --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 56b-57a | Weekday Gemara | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:17:41 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class completes the discussion of pe'ah on vegetables with the Mishna's five qualifications for produce to be obligated in pe'ah: it must be food, owned rather than ownerless, grown from the ground, gathered in a single harvest, and able to keep for a long time. Each qualification comes with its example, from safflower and saffron that are hard to digest, to mushrooms and truffles that do not grow from the ground, to figs that ripen a few at a time, to vegetables that spoil quickly. The Gemara then narrows the question to turnip leaves pickled together with the turnip, and whether that gives the leaves a long shelf life. A baraita mentioning turnips, cabbage and leeks raises the possibility of three opinions, and the Gemara resolves it as a simple one-against-one. The class ends with the story of a son who gave pe'ah from vegetables without knowing the halacha, and his father who gently asked the poor to put it back and promised them double instead. --- Chapters: (0:00) Pe'ah on vegetables: the problem --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #26: Berachot 5:3 | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:05:03 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 5:3 - three additions to the Amidah that are prohibited: declaring that Hashem's mercy extends to the bird's nest, blessing His name only for the good, and doubling the words of thanksgiving, each of which we silence. The class then turns to a chazzan who loses his place in the Amidah: someone steps in to replace him without hesitation, and the Mishnah teaches that the replacement begins from the start of the blessing where the mistake happened, with the first three and last three blessings each treated as a single unit. --- Chapters: (0:00) Three prohibited additions --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 56b | Weekday Gemara | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:22:44 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class continues the list of things the people of Jericho did that the rabbis disagreed with. This time it is letting the poor take dates that fell from a palm tree on Shabbat. The Gemara asks why the rabbis worried that a person might climb the tree and pick more, and why the dates caught in the natural basket near the top were the real problem. The class then looks at muktzeh, a fruit that was attached to the tree when Shabbat began, and at the Gemara's attempts to say it was ready for the ravens and so ready for people. A cow that dies on Shabbat shows why we may be able to upgrade from animal food to human food, but not the other way around. --- Chapters: (0:00) Jericho and the fallen dates --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 56a | Weekday Gemara | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:24:33 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. Pesahim 56a - the class opens by asking why King Hezekiah's leap month in Nisan stood, and whether a king can declare one. It returns to the Mishnah of the people of Jericho: grafting palm trees on the 14th of Nisan (two explanations), and wrapping the Shema, either by not pausing between the first two verses or by not saying Baruch Shem Kevod. The class traces Baruch Shem Kevod to Yaakov's sons, explains why it is said quietly all year, and why it is said aloud on Yom Kippur. --- Chapters: (0:00) Why Hezekiah's leap month stood --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 55b-56a | Weekday Gemara | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:13:17 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. Pesahim 55b-56a - the class opens the Mishnah of the people of Jericho: six local customs, three the sages protested and three they let alone - grafting palm trees on the 14th of Nisan, cutting and piling produce before the Omer, consecrated tree prunings taken for personal use, eating fallen dates, and Peah on vegetables. The daf then turns to the parallel list of King Hezekiah's six acts - three the sages approved (dragging the wicked Achaz's corpse on a bed of ropes, grinding up Moshe's copper snake, and hiding the book of healing) and three they did not (stripping the Temple doors to pay Sennacherib, plugging the Gihon spring, and declaring a leap month in Nisan instead of Adar). --- Chapters: (0:00) The people of Jericho: six customs, three protested --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 55b | Weekday Gemara | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:18:31 | |
Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes daily at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. Pesahim 55b. Two courtyard contradictions. First: the Mishna says dung in the courtyard may only be swept to the side, then says it may be carried out to the heap. Abaye splits the verses between the 14th and Yom Tob; Rava reads it as a courtyard so full it became like a stable. Then: bringing utensils to and from the craftsman's house even when you don't need them for the holiday - is the leniency about the date, or about whether you trust the craftsman? Rashi gives both reads. And the poor craftsman who has nothing to eat: pay him, but leave the goods. --- Chapters: (0:00) Dung in the courtyard on Yom Tob --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Rabbi Moses Hidary – Beresheet: Ramban's Intro | Weekly Parasha | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:38:27 | |
Rabbi Moses Hidary hosts classes Mondays at 8:00 PM at West Deal Shul. Rabbi Hidary opens the book of Beresheet by reading parts of the Ramban's introduction to the Torah. The Ramban says Moshe wrote the whole Torah as God dictated it, and the class asks when each part was written. The word Torah means instruction, so the stories of Beresheet are there to teach us faith. The Ramban adds that the Torah hints at all wisdom and is built from names of God, which is why a single missing letter matters. The class closes on why a divine book is worth learning again every year, and why some people reject the idea of a Creator. --- Chapters: (0:00) Back in Shul after the holidays --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #24: Berachot 5:1 | 05 oct. 2026 | 00:03:15 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 5:1 - the Mishnah opens the chapter on focus: a person may only stand to pray in a serious frame of mind, because he is speaking directly to Hashem. Rabbi Dana explains that the pious of earlier generations waited an hour before praying to settle their minds and clear away distractions. The class then covers the Mishnah's examples of not interrupting the prayer: not even to answer a Jewish king's greeting, and not even for a snake coiled at the heel, unless the danger is real, in which case saving life comes first. --- Chapters: (0:00) Standing before the King of kings --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #23: Berachot 4:5 | 05 oct. 2026 | 00:01:59 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 4:5 - the Mishnah teaches two rabbinic rules for the Amidah: it is prayed standing, and it is prayed facing Yerushalayim and the Kodesh HaKodashim. A person riding a donkey should get off to pray, and if he cannot, he turns his face toward Jerusalem. Rabbi Dana explains that the halacha does not follow this Mishnah, and that a rider is better off staying put and praying with focus, much like a person praying in his seat on a plane. If a person cannot face Jerusalem, he directs his heart toward the Kodesh HaKodashim. --- Chapters: (0:00) Two rules: standing and facing Jerusalem --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #22: Berachot 4:4 | 02 oct. 2026 | 00:02:17 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 4:4 - the Mishnah teaches that a person who makes his prayer a fixed obligation, something to just get done, has a prayer that is not truly a plea. It then gives the short prayer for a dangerous place: "Save, Hashem, Your people, the remnant of Israel; at every crossing may their needs be before You." The class explains that tefillah is about connecting to Hashem, and that even in danger a person still prays. Rabbi Dana also brings the Bartenura on the phrase "every crossing," which is read as a request that Hashem stay connected to us even at times when we have drifted away. --- Chapters: (0:00) Tefillah is connection, not obligation --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #21: Berachot 4:3 | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:03:46 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 4:3 - the Mishnah introduces the abridged Amidah, Havineinu, which replaces the thirteen middle blessings with one request for understanding. It sets out three opinions on when it may be said: never, when a person is too preoccupied to concentrate, or only when the text is not fluent in his mouth. The class explains how the commentaries read the third opinion, and why the halacha today is that Havineinu is not said at all. --- Chapters: (0:00) The abridged Amidah: Havineinu --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #20: Berachot 4:2 | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:04:30 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 4:2 - Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKana would say two short prayers in the Beit Midrash: on entering, that no harm come from his Torah learning, and on leaving, thanks for his portion as one who learns rather than one who idles on the street corners. The class walks through the Rishonim's explanations of the entering prayer, the practical halacha that the Rambam counts both prayers as obligations, and why most study halls today do not say them. --- Chapters: (0:00) Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKana's two prayers --- Visit: westdealshul.org | |||
| Daily Mishna #19: Berachot 4:1 | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:05:18 | |
Rabbi Joseph Dana records a short daily Mishnah class, working through all of Mishnah a few minutes at a time. Mishnah Berachot 4:1. The times for each of the daily prayers and how they parallel the daily korbanot in the Beit HaMikdash. Shacharit is said until midday, or until four hours according to Rabbi Yehuda. Mincha until evening, or until Plag HaMincha according to Rabbi Yehuda. Arvit has no set time. Mussaf all day, or until seven hours according to Rabbi Yehuda. Along the way: why the tefillot correspond to the korbanot, how shaot zmaniyot (halakhic hours) work, and why Arvit was originally voluntary before the Jewish people accepted it as an obligation. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) The tefillot parallel the korbanot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org | |||