The Jewish Prayer Podcast

The Maggid section of the Seder - that is, the story of the Exodus - begins with a seemingly disingenuous invitation, addressed to anyone who is needy, to join the Seder. Why is it there? What is its purpose? Rabbi Scott Kahn investigates this question, and in the process uncovers an important message about the Divine Presence, the secret of Jewish history, and the necessity of unconditional love for every member of the Jewish people.

Avraham's great prayer on behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom was one of the paradigmatic moments in the religious history of mankind, a prayer from which we draw inspiration to this day. But wasn't it ultimately a failure? This shiur was sponsored in memory of Chaim ben Yosef HaCohen, Miriam bat Moshe, Yosef ben Yehoshua, Rachel bat Mordechai, and Rachel bat Yitzchak.

Chazal tell us that G-d established a covenant with Israel such that their recital of the thirteen attributes of mercy will always result in divine favor. The great Kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (d. 1570) explains that it's not enough to recite these attributes; rather, we must learn what they are, and embody them in our own relationships. Join Rabbi Scott Kahn for a ten minute explanation of the thirteen attributes, as well as Rav Cordovero's practical suggestions of how to implement them in our lives.

With the imminent arrival of the New Year comes the obligation to hear the shofar. But there are many details involved in this mitzvah; without knowledge of these details, you may not understand why you're hearing what you're hearing. In this shiur, Rabbi Scott Kahn presents a comprehensive review of the laws of shofar in only 26 minutes, so that when you hear those sounds, you'll be informed and ready.

The words of this kinah sound as if there is almost no hope, until we look at the context: it is describing a woman in childbirth. Just as the pain of labor gives birth to the hope of tomorrow, our mourning this Tisha B'Av will hopefully lead to the final Redemption.

We learn the history behind the burning of the Talmud in Paris in 1236. While certainly tragic, why was it viewed by the Maharam MiRotenberg - the author of this kinah - with such a sense of foreboding?

The Chofetz Chaim told a parable about a man who prays, but doesn't do his part to make his prayer come true. Are we any different when it comes to praying for the redemption?

Why should we continue to mourn today, when we are fortunate enough to have been given the Divine gift of the State of Israel? Is there something missing? This shiur was dedicated by Tzvi Klein in memory of his grandparents, Daniel and Rhoda Schwartz.

Why do we refrain from saying Tachanun on Tisha B'Av, as we do on days of rejoicing? And if the answer is that Tisha B'Av will one day be a holiday rather than a day of mourning, what does that have to do with our experience today? And finally, why will Tisha B'Av be a happy day, rather than merely a "neutral" day?

A riddle, a beautiful woman, and a mysterious prayer: the secret of the mystical and timeless Assembly of Israel.

This kinah is used by some Halachic authorities as a proof that we may not add additional days of mourning to the Jewish calendar. Why is this so? Do we believe that the Temple's destruction was a greater tragedy than the Shoah?

How was the Beit HaMikdash different from any other synagogue? Are we mourning the loss of a beautiful building, or something more substantial?

This kinah describes the tragic impact of the Churban upon individuals - in this case, the two children of Rabbi Yishmael Kohen Gadol, who were sold into slavery.

This is the first kinah that describes something other than the destruction of Jerusalem - namely, the destruction of an anonymous German town at the hands of the Crusaders. We we discover why, according to Rav Soloveitchik, these killings were a greater tragedy than the Churban itself.

This kinah, the story of the ten martyrs, is one of the most well-known kinot. But the story we tell today is fundamentally different from the equivalent poem we recite on Yom Kippur. Why are they different? What does that difference tell us about the nature of Tisha B'Av? This shiur was dedicated by Tzvi Klein in memory of his grandparents, Daniel and Rhoda Schwartz.

In this kinah, we ask that G-d listen to the blasphemous declarations of our enemies. In this way, we are echoing the prayer of Moses on the very first tragic Tisha B'Av in the desert.

This kinah continues the theme of the previous one, in detailing G-d's miracles. But this time, instead of discussing how the miracles have been reversed, we describe how we failed to respond to His miracles in the proper way.

If we once were the recipients of miracles, those miracles have now been completely reversed; the miraculous salvation has turned into destruction.

During the destruction of Jerusalem and its aftermath, there was a complete dehumanization of the victims - up to the point that mothers even consumed their own children.

This kinah describes the atrocities committed by the Roman general, Titus, when he destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.

This, the longest of the kinot, describes the terrifying image of G-d not merely allowing our enemies to attack us, but actually helping them in their fight against the Jewish people.

This kinah describes how exile did not originate with the destruction of the Temple; instead, it is actually built into the very fabric of creation.

Do we relate to G-d as a parent, or as a spouse?

Not only the Jewish people, but also the Divine Presence Itself, was exiled after the destruction of Jerusalem. What does this mean?

Who was Yoshiyahu, and why was his death so tragic that this kinah may be considered the most important of all the kinot? This shiur is dedicated in memory of Meir ben Todros.

This kinah is quite important from an historical perspective, as it is the only extant source of the names of the cities of the Kohanim. We also discuss Josephus' role in the story of Tisha B'Av.

This kinah discusses supersessionism - that is, the idea that Judaism has been rendered obsolete by the rise of other religions. The Romans were motivated by a desire to discredit the Jewish G-d.

Tisha B'Av was not a localized tragedy, but, in fact, caused an upheaval in the entire cosmos. We also learn that Tisha B'Av was not merely the date of tragedy, but - metaphysically speaking - also the cause of tragedy. This shiur is sponsored in memory of Reuven ben Wolf.

The question of eicha - "How could this have happened?" - should be illegitimate. Why are we permitted to ask it on Tisha B'Av?