• June 20, 2025
  • 24 5785, Sivan
  • פרשת שלח־לך

Basic Halakhic Concepts

Basic Halakhic Concepts

Do you want to better understand the halakhic mind? To do so, it is important to understand that halakhic discourse is governed by rules (כללי פסק). Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and survey the most important of these basic halachic concepts including: Rule of the Majority; Rule of the Most Recent Authority; Strictness in Torah Matters and Leniency in Rabbinic Matters; the Authority of the Mystical; The Rule of Reason; The Rule of Precedent; Leniency Be-di-avad (after an error).

January 15, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description

Our first topic focuses on the role of majority rule in halacha. When the poskim are divided, must we follow the majority?

A source sheet with principal sources is available through the links in both WORD format and pdf. In class we will translate and explain these sources.

Subsequent topics will include:

Following the most recent authority

Embracing the stricter (or more lenient) opinion

The authority of the local rav

The role of minhag in establishing halacha

January 22, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
January 29, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
February 5, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description

When rabbis disagree with each other, the rules of halachic decision making call for embracing the most recent opinion.

Although this rule does not appear in the Gemara, it has been widely accepted since the days of the Geonim.

We will survey the opinions of the leading poskim regarding the application of this rule.

As usual, sources are available through the links. In class we will focus on the most important of the sources in the links.

February 12, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
February 19, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description

Next topic: The power of human reason.

We will survey the sources according to which all mankind is obligated to conform to the dictates of human reason.

Note that according to these sources, human reason obligates non-Jews and Jews equally. This, therefore, has an element of universalism to it.

As usual, a source sheet is available through the links.

 

February 26, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
March 4, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
March 11, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description
Archives
March 18, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Basic Halakhic Concepts: Basic Halakhic Concepts
Class description

Source sheet for הוצאת לעז על הראשונים (being stricter than earlier generations and thereby slandering them for having failed to keep the mitsvot correctly).

Handouts
Archives

In addition to being one of Rabbi Brovender's first students, Rabbi Dovid Fink is an outstanding expertᅠand teacher of Halacha. Rabbi Fink received his Rabbinic ordination from ITRI and the Mir and was awarded his Ph.D in Semitic Languages and Linguistics from Yale University. Rav Fink has taught thousands of students from all over the world for over 35 years.