(5783 - Spring Semester) (Sunday) Shemot 1-15 describes in vivid detail Israel’s experiences in Egypt, from slavery to liberation. This series will utilize literary tools, midrashim, biblical exegesis and scholarship’s understanding of Ancient Egypt to broaden our understanding of these seminal biblical chapters. Above all, this series aims to explore the text of the foundational story of the nation to discover its moral depth, its theology, and its vision of Israel’s place in the world.

(5783) (Tuesday) The haftarot usually reflect the weekly parasha in some way. Comparison between them enriches both our understanding of the prophets and the Torah. Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Yaakov Medan brings his vast knowledge and unique, creative thought to both and adds depth of his own. The reader is in store for unique, challenging interpretations that will certainly deepen his thought and broaden his knowledge.

(Wednesday) Weekly addresses to the students, with a focus on messages for contemporary life, by the Rashei Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion - Harav Mosheh Lichtenstein, HaRav Yaakov Medan and HaRav Baruch Gigi.

(Wednesday) VBM Digest, concise divrei Torah in a pdf format, prepared weekly by Rav Dov Karoll, for distribution in shuls. Previous years' archives of VBM Digest can be found here>>.

(5783) (Tuesday) The psalms are heartfelt poems of longing for a connection to God, and therefore they serve as the basis of our prayers. This series will study a number of mizmorim, utilizing tools of linguistic and poetic analysis and traditional commentaries, from medieval times until our own.

(5783) (Thursday) An analysis of the major issues in the gemara, geared for students who are learning the basic text on their own. This sidra - on Ketubot - allows, in essence, every Jew in the world to join a beit midrash, and receive a weekly gemara study lesson at home. It is intended for yeshiva graduates, chevrutot and anyone who wants to enrich his study of the gemara by an in-depth iyuni shiur. The lessons are based upon advanced preparation of sources (source sheets are included).

(5782-5783) (Thursday) Although Torah She-be’al Peh (the Oral Law) is the lifeblood of Judaism, its students often fail to address foundational issues: Which components were given at Sinai and which were developed by the Sages? What is the relationship between the simple meaning of biblical verses and their interpretation by the Oral Law? What can account for the discrepancy between the literal meaning of a Mishna and its interpretation in the Gemara? How did sages throughout the generations address a changing reality using the tools of the Oral Law? These questions and  others receive comprehensive and in-depth treatment in this series. New subscribers are welcome to join. We recommend that you become acquainted with the first year's installments - just click on the Series Name to access our archives.

(5783) (Sunday) Both the Talmud and Chassidut, though separated by over a millennium, convey some of their most central messages by means of stories. In both, these stories interact with more formal presentations of law and belief. This series will examine the centrality and function of the story in both of these literatures, and also the ways each of these disparate periods sheds light on the other.

(5782-5783) (Thursday, every other week) Guided, source-based study of halachot pertaining to women, from a woman's perspective. This series is presented in conjunction with Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot, a halachic education website sponsored by Yeshivat Har Etzion in partnership with the VBM and Beit Midrash Migdal Oz. 

(5783) (Mondays) The 20th century hosted many more remarkable poskim than we tend to notice. This series will give us a chance to get more acquainted with the teshuvot of R. Kook (known more for his philosophical works), R. Uziel (the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel), R. Herzog (the first Ashkenazic one), these latter two involved in the interesting questions that arise when building a new country, and R. Hayyim David HaLevi, the longtime Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv. By sampling their responsa, we will get a sense of who they were, what they contributed to the Torah conversation of the Jewsh people, and how.

(5783) (Monday) “And you shall live by them.” The Torah preserves and and enhances life, and this fundamental principle drives the thought behind a whole set of halakhot - “pikuach nefesh,” the protection of life. This series will discuss the main principles of pikuach nefesh on Shabbat and Yom Tov, with an emphasis on public systems. Some of these questions are relatively new, innovations of modernity and sovereignty, and therefore not discussed in the literature before the establishment of the State of Israel. We will evaluate the activity of public and governmental systems that are designed to preserve the health, safety and welfare of the community as a whole in light of the guiding principles of pikuach nefesh.

(5783) (Wednesday) Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik was not only one of the outstanding Talmudists and religious leaders of the past century, but also one of its most creative and seminal Jewish thinkers. This comprehensive study of Rabbi Soloveitchik's religious philosophy offers a broad perspective and balanced understanding of his work. By interpreting and analyzing both individual essays and overarching themes in an accessible and engaging manner, it uncovers the depth, majesty, and fascination of his thought.

(5782-5783) (Wednesday) Behind our routines of daily prayer lies a hidden world of interiority, which touches upon both the heights of faith and the depths of the soul. This past year, the series explored the insights of great medieval and early modern thinkers, from R. Saadia Gaon to R. Moshe Chayyim Luzzato, and next year the series will continue with Chassidic and contemporary thinkers. We will continue with this series shortly after the chagim. New subscribers are welcome to join!

(5783) (Monday) With our return to the land of Israel we have experienced seismic historical shifts and have entered a new period of history. This has awakened hopes for redemption and has altered our sense of peoplehood. How can we navigate this uncharted territory and how do past sources provide signposts for this journey?