Jewish Lifecycle Events

The beginning of life, with the berachot a father makes when a child is born.

Shiur 2– the bracha of ha-gomel, in general and for a new mother, and the practice of Shalom Zachar, vach nacht, and Shalom Bat.

Shiur 3–who gets circumcised and when.

The whens and whos of brit milah.

Finishing up our discussion of  brit milah, who says it, what the brachot are, and the other liturgical elements of the berit.

Some first issues: who performs it, when, how much money.

All of pidyon haben, in one shiur!

A bit on upsheren and then how the mitzvah of hinuch works.

Shiur nine, educating children, what parts of Torah we are supposed to teach our children, and who is obligated in the mitzvah.

Finishing up the definition and goals of the mitzvah of Torah study, and then the role of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah.

A discussion of the role of physical pleasures in life and how to handle them appropriately, and then of the halakhic idea of adolescence, a time to grow into one’s adult responsibilities.

Marriage and children– reasons why, the age at which to do it.

Shiur 13–Engagement and kiddushin, why we have the ceremony and how it looks.

The bracha on kiddushin and sheva brachot and the nature of the ketubbah.

Finishing the wedding ceremony, with sheva brachot, when they’re said, what they mean.

Divorce–reasons for it to happen (and not to happen), in first and/or second marriages, and what we do when one or other partner refuses to accept the divorce.

The divorce process itself, the cast of characters, and the roles each of them play.

The rhythm of life, what various ages and stages mean in our development of ourselves.

Visiting those who are ill, how to do it best, and meet the goals of a proper visit.

Tzitz Eliezer on when we must extend life, and on when we must bring a life into this world.

R. Moshe Feinstein’s views of medical treatments at end of life, balancing pain vs. outcomes, and trust of doctors.

Finishing R. Moshe Feinstein’s view of accepting medical care and moving on to a discussion of minyan.

When we can continue a service even if a minyan left, how together people have to be to count as a minyan, and when we can force the formation of a minyan.

Our last session: conversion and its problems–conversion for marriage, conversion for a prohibited marriage, and a child convert. With appearances by  R. Kook, R. Moshe Feinstein, and R. Zylberstein.