From Verse to Verdict: The Evolution of Lo Titgodedu | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | January 27th 2026

Hello everyone. So first the show is sponsored for the 2025 2026 academic year in memory of Mayor and Sylvia by their families should be okay. So we are starting a new a new topic. Um, how many of you have the associates? Just >> Oh, da. The back the back seat of the room has it. Um, >> here. >> Oh, okay. They used to be okay. >> Okay. What's the title? Okay, let's start. So we are starting a new a new subject that [clears throat] will take us uh to few weeks and we're going to talk about um probably a lic concept that uh we all know and uh we all think that we know it well and surprise surprise we're going to realize that uh the source is really interesting the way it was evolved is very interesting and then the applications are also So interesting. So what am I talking about? So the title uh in a way uh reveals it. We all know the idea of what is do that if you have in a shoe let's say in a one puts on the filling onoid and the other one does not. We tell him we will try to keep one minhag in one place another that this one is doing A and the other one is doing B and the other one is doing C. Okay, that's basically what many times will say lot to do. Okay, so the first source says the following that's you are God's children. which means the verse basically is saying what he's saying that you are God's children and he talks about what about a case of death so what do you do whichever whatever that means we will see in a minute which means don't what start pulling hair okay or doing anything else to show your grief uh upon the death of your relative and part of this I will call it commandment there is also the word do so what does it mean say the so that was basically in the time of so it's inferred which is basically the discussion about what what do we have there versus the 400 false prophets right so says to them okay you go first you call to your god and let's see if he brings rain right and if he if he consumed the the kban and they tried in the morning didn't work And Elia start making fun of them. And then says, "You know what? Maybe you should, you know, scream. Maybe he can't hear you. You know, maybe he's out of hearing." And um and then he says to them, "Also, do do what you do." So they start which means start basically stabbing each other. So means what? To cut yourself. to cut yourself which says oh I don't have a source so it will be with a no it's fine I can read it for me but you don't want >> you listen thank you okay it's appreciate it thank you um so basically the midrash says that means what don't cut yourself now we know that in many ancient uh cultures when someone died what What they do? They will start cutting themselves. Now what do we do? We cut a garment to in a way show the grief. And by the way, part of it is that why during the seven days of aut you are with it. And even if you want to change your shirt for whatever reason, you need to make another so people will recognize you as an a. It is an expression of grief. But God says don't start cutting yourself and lose blood on it. And part of it is because you are will take care of you. Even if there is death, Hashem will care about you. So the idea is and this is really the simple understanding of the verse which by the way makes sense. Lo don't cut yourself and also don't start pulling hair when there is death. Right? So it make sense. Now we have the Tanim the Tanak era comes along and says something else in the already. You are God's children. So says when it says you are God's children there is a condition if you act like children you will be God's children and if you don't act like children like meaning like God's children so it's a lot and it says which means he says mayor says no I don't care how you behave in my opinion You are always be my children. Okay. Until now. Wonderful. Now says the what does that mean? Don't create unions. Don't create your own separate groups. But rather all of you, I want you to be what? One group. God builds in heaven. His like his dwelling places and his unit, his group, his camp is where is on earth. And who is his group? Is so now that's interesting. The word lot the the biblical interpretation is what? Don't cut yourself. In the tic interpretation, lotu is transformed into what? >> Agricultura means what? Groups. By the way, what is the name of the bus company here? >> Eged. >> What does it mean? Eged. >> Monopoly. >> That it's something the what? >> Monopoly. monopoly, right? I mean, they are the only one, right? That they gathered all of them together, right? >> Not anymore. That's true. Or what do we call the thing that we put around the shalosim? >> Egg. That's what we call it. We put it in an egg until the idea that says some of the says by egg. What kind of egg in order to put the three together and the fourth obviously that is not part of it. So the idea of what of being together to create a group that it is together. So that's very nice in the midashic way. What does it mean in terms of we will see that in a few minutes. So the in a different place says the following right? It says together all the tribes of Israel again meaning I like Israel when they are what? when they are one and they are not separate to a group and another group and another group and again quotes the same verse. Yes. If he holds this opinion about the meaning of does he also hold and takes through a different source of the prohibition to cover yourself? Ah um seems to be that meaning it's it's a good question meaning is the tanic approach was to basically dismiss the simple interpretation or just to add another interpretation can tell you from the sources that we have where to go but a good question okay so basically from the so now we have that you need to come together you need to be one people okay that's very The says also the way that Hashem will um appease uh that Hashem will forgive us will be again the idea that we need to come together and then Hashem will forgive us. Again the same from Amos So it seems to be that uh in a midrashic way or in theory it sounds very good that we all come together which means what? >> Unity which means what? >> The what? >> One opinion. >> Whose opinion? Okay. So does that mean that right? >> So it means what? >> Everyone together. >> Everyone together. And how can we have everyone together when everyone has his opinion? >> Actions but not thought. >> In action but not thought. How can we have one people doing the same action? >> Do we know anything about >> that? The what? >> Divergent opinions. >> Divergent of opinions. Right. Okay. Very nice. So how so how can we be one? I don't understand. >> Take a vote. >> You take a vote. >> Some of us seem to be in the dark. We don't have versions. What is the topic >> the topic? >> Yeah. >> The evolution of the simple understanding of the narrative into um aic gnome that was implemented at the time of the tanim. I don't see that I enlightened you even in in a bit which means what I want to show in this class sess will be how the >> rabinicic interpretation took a puk which has basically a very simple understanding reinterpret it and then redefine what it is to the extent that if I tell people what is going to The first thing that they will tell me will be what? The rabbinicic interpretation, not the simple understanding. That's what we will try to accomplish. And this is really something incredible in terms of uh uh Michael to your question in a way even if they didn't do it intentionally but it because it became so common that people don't even remember that what you got to do is don't cut yourself. And how does exactly did it work? That's the process that we're going to go through. Okay. Page two. In a late midash in letov it says go do this >> the what >> second line >> page two go second line goana it means what cut cut the tree okay in Daniel in book of Danielle there is a a verse that says go to ilana and goana means to cut the tree. So don't it says here it says it's not don't cut yourself but rather meaning don't make yourself groups and groups. Now, interestingly, it says that he gives a little bit of a of an explanation and he says, "Oh, now we have examples. What does it mean?" It cannot be that this group will say and the other group will say kasher. This group will say okay is Monday and the other ones will say is Tuesday. Okay, but rather for all of you, you need to celebrate on Monday and everyone need to say that this one is casher. Okay, [snorts] now trivia. We're going to play trivia. Trivia with Yes. Give me an example that for some people yipur would be one day and for the others will be a different day. >> Yes and right you remember that one made a decree you need to come to see me onipur that is on your calendar you need to come with your cane and with your wallet and with everything and they need to come here. Okay, which means according to Rabi Joshua, he would probably observe Yonipur on when on on that Tuesday and will do it when on on Wednesday. Um, by the way, it's not the only time. We know from another BC would eat chicken and cheese. Not cheese bul yet, but chicken and cheese. Not meat. Rabiosi don't quote him now. We don't follow him but that's what Rabio did. We have a it's called which means what a place that the custom there was a so what's happen when you come from B to A or from A to B? Do you do do you need to adapt the customs and the minagim of that town or you can still keep your own which means it's already a built-in thing that what that you have different of opinions. Now the thing is this midrash is a very late midrash. It's might be even 10 or 11th century midrash which means he is already well um aware that we have makot. It's not like you know at the time of the Sanhedrin that basically there was no I mean there was in no but at the end of the day you had one decision that everyone should follow. If someone does not follow it he's called what? If a rabbi does not follow the Sanhedrin what does he he's called what >> zak a rebellious elder and what do we do with him? Yeah he's done. So the idea is what is that there was a time like that but no more definitely not in the 11th century. So that begs the question of what exactly happened here now and I'm not talking just about like it's not I'm talking about that there are certain things that according to the for example according to this is or you have not only that you have other things that you have questions about you know almost every area of you do have this debate if that's mamash mutar or assu which means are we doing lotu or every time we have something like that now so this midrash is a bit of a mystery because of its time but it definitely help us to at least crystallize one thing in our mind when we saw all the other sources that talked about don't make groups groups we didn't understand exactly what does it mean what I cannot be on the polit on the right side of the political map and and you cannot be on the left what does it mean it means what really you need to what to follow one okay so let's just have it in mind and now let's see because obviously is a healthy thing um the question is obviously what are the results of those of this But we definitely need to create some kind of uh definitions of when the loted god do applies and when it's not. So take a look at the brings this Mishna and this Mishna is by the way also in the bi but I just brought it because of the later on. So the Mishna says like okay so immediately the Mishna introduces us to what to a different custom in different places some people will not do any work on and some will what's the idea according to some of is like okay and it might be that already from you can bring so it has some kind of um implications of ytov of a holiday And therefore some people would avoid doing any they will not go to war and some people say no until I have time. Okay. So if you go from your town that let's say the custom there was not to do to a place that they do or vice versa. So you always need to be stringent. So if in your place they did walk, you go to a place that they don't do work, what do you do? >> You don't do it. If you go from a place that they don't do work to a place that they do walk, what do you do? >> You still don't do walk now. But some people will look at you and say, "Oh, look at him. Sadik." No one will do that. Why? Because there are many people who are unemployed. Okay. So they will look at you like we are not employed so you can move on. Okay. So you basically have and then the Mishna says you shouldn't change the custom because it will create what? Now by the way just as a side note sometimes I see that and I cannot understand that you don't need to be a scholar you don't need to be aika decisor you just need to be >> common sense >> a regular person with some common sense when you see the entire congregation stands even if your custom is to sit what do you need to do stand >> just stand up okay if the congregation all sit just doesn't take you know a brilliant mind to understand that you know what I'm not going to be the only one standing in a place for example that you have both for example some people stand some people sit okay so you see some other people standing yes >> so there are certain things that the custom is that there is no custom or there are multiple customs. Okay, like the joke with you know the say before. >> Yes. >> So someone came to the ra and he says to the and says to him what's the custom here to do with do we say it there is a do we say it or we don't say it? He says the custom is that we fight on it. [laughter] Okay that we fight over it. Do you say it or not? By the way, this you know why we say who composed it and when after the crusades okay after the crusaders that was a for the people who gave their lives okay it's not a joke but there are so many fights because of this aaramim that I think killed more communities than the crusaders okay and that's because people don't know and and let's say you need to say it and you didn't say it it's not like you didn't say kadusha okay it's not like you didn't read the para. It's not like that you didn't treat paras. Okay. Okay. So, you didn't say for that to have fights and and then screaming and yelling. >> You want to make a distinction between customs and don't forget this is like it's based on what? How do I view? Yes. >> What about like with waiting like some people wait six, some people wait into the six three Dutch wait one and it's how is it how long that we have to wait >> the is that you need to wait. >> So how do we have so many different >> Oh very good because the gives you um a guideline which we don't understand now it says from one meal to another and the gamarra says there according I think it was a I mean, who said it? I forgot. Who said his father? I think I think um Shu says on his father that he would wait for until the next day. But now, don't forget ancient times, they didn't eat every 3 hours. Okay? They had breakfast and they had probably supper and that's it. So, if he would eat, let's say, supper, he would eat it fleshic one. He would wait until tomorrow. But that's not because but that means more than six hours, right? So and also so then the rabbis came along and start figuring out some kind of a calculation. What does it mean? Which by the way in another opinion there in they talked about what talk about which means when the table was removed you could eat something else immediately. Now again ancient times they didn't sit around the table like what we sit. They brought a little table like a tray to them and then when they will remove it it's like a different meal. So that can take what three minutes. So the rabbis came along and they talked really about. So it's 6 hours let's say from breakfast to supper it's somewhere in the six hours. So that was the original one. The owl came along also from the three is a compromise. the met. >> Okay. >> Wow. >> Okay. A three is a compromise. Yes. >> Wasn't that because of a belief by some rabbis >> that the milking is digested completely in a much lesser time. So they didn't require a similar waiting period. And I spoke to a gastroenterterology professor. He said that's completely wrong. It's not so whatever there's no reason no real reason in terms >> health different time. >> Okay. So with the health issues I don't know I'm not going to argue with uh that professor or whatever and I don't think that that's was exactly the reason. I don't think it was a health reason to distinguish distinguish between them. I think there were other reasons. Some of them are mystical reasons and uh and some of them is what the Torah says that you have meat in your teeth and that it's if you drink milk hot whatever it can be something along the lines of basal even though I understand some people will tell me okay I'm going to brush my teeth floss really well and then I'll be fine I know heard don't have an answer for the health perspective Okay. So back to our case. So basically it says you shouldn't change because of the okay >> because of what >> the it will create a dispute a debate >> shaving >> change. Change not to change meaning if a community does one thing don't they go ahead and change it in front of them because that will create a debate. says, "So asked his father-in-law, he says, his brother-in-law, sorry, and he says to him, He says, you know, just don't change because it's going to create, you know, a debate. That's it. If I change and I do something else in front of the community, I'm creating my own ag. That's violating the prohibition of what of what did God do? It's not just it's not nice. Oh, just use your common sense. Everyone stands. Don't see it. You're talking about what? Violating what do So he says to him, "No, no, no, no, no. Don't create groups. It's only if one group of people follow Bet Shamay and the other group follow Hel and And um and we all know that we need to follow obviously bet. So when they follow betai they violating what lord did go to do. So basically he says so so what's the definition here? When do you violate what it's going to do? Only with the of that what it seems according to the army though is definitely not happy. And he says, so he says to him, if someone follows Rabi and the other one follows Rabio and we know that Rabiosi, they also should should violate what go do. So he says to him, mayor. Okay. So, take a look at that's like the next source was one of the Okay. So, he says like that and it's not prohibited because of what do he's asking about the So basically he's asking on the Mishna. The Mishna says what? that if in my town you do you do work on and in your town not you come here just don't do it because but he says to him it should be what do so he says to him at the beginning he says to him no look look is only in but when it comes to mean hug doesn't mean what did go do it's only because of what of you understand the difference is that people will start saying hey no why do you stand why do you sit okay is really prohibition okay >> let's say somebody goes to a town and it's his minhug not to work he goes to a town where their minhug is to work and somebody asks him to do something for him. What is he supposed to do? >> Just can't do it today. I'm sick. Just I I'm ill. I I don't feel well today. >> Make an excuse. >> Makes an excuse. >> Do what? >> Do you think it's your >> No, but then then it's exactly the problem because then they will tell you what you have a min to walk and what about me? By the way, I'll just give you Okay, whatever. We don't have too much time, but I'll give you an example. One of the most uh extreme cases of that is >> Israelis go to the states or wherever they are and Yonto comes along. Okay. So we know what the Halaka says. Okay. In terms of that they need to keep it in public and in private they can do some things not all the things. Okay. instead of the problem is because everyone knows it. I was there 16 years. I I start keeping two days after my first year because my contract was extended and I had to according to Rob Israeli if you have a three-year contract you need to start keeping two days. Okay. But I will tell you that the funniest part is that all the hutsnikim all the all the people in know that the Israelis don't really keep the second day. So it's always the same jokes knew what's the score, right? Okay. Because they think that they saw TV or whatever they they would check their phones. Okay. So it's becoming a joke to some extent but at the same time they can do whatever they want. So there it's not only but then there is a question and the question is should a minion of Israelis should make their own minion on the second days of Yum especially the last day. Why the last day >> fill in if I keep second day of YTO and so the first day of second day of so I don't put fill in but the second day of the last day I should put fill in right I should put fill in it's a regular day for me it's not it is but it's not only we put fill in so do you put fill in can they people. >> Yes. No. No. And yes. Right. >> So, >> oh, so there is what we call Mari. Okay. So, Rabbi, can I order from Amazon? I'm leaving the night after the second like the night of the second night like like at the end of the I'm out of here. Can I order from Amazon on that day? I have a not in 24 hours, I have a 12 hours shipping uh method. Okay. Or I can I go and order the food to come even before Pes to bring Kamet into my apartment on the second day of their Yumtov to leave the package somewhere else. I'll pick it up on my way to the airport. I I shipped it to the airport. Okay. So there is no maritine when I go. Can I do it on the second day? Okay. Jews are creative [laughter] [snorts] and uh It shouldn't be a problem. >> If you are in a Jewish neighborhood, >> it might be an apartment. It might be a problem. >> Sure. Also, you have it many times when people fly here on which is still second day there and they enter the states whatever in the afternoon and kag is over only at 7:30 and they landed at 4. Okay. So, what do they do? So many of them stay in the airport or let's say they need to see their sick mother who is about to die and um and what do you do? So you can go with the car till the borders of somewhat of the Jewish neighborhood in certain cases. Don't quote don't quote me I'm recording but um but it depends obviously on the case. Each case is is very different. Basically you stay at the airport. if there are some uh dire circumstances you might get closer to the place but you cannot enter the Jewish neighborhood. So all those cases. So that's that mash. But the question of making a minion for quote unquote for Israelis especially many Israelis like to do it on the second day on the first day of because in so they want to do a kaf they don't want to do a kaf when it's for them and it's starting for the for theim. So they want to do their own minion. Can they do their own minion in the shul when the shul obviously keeps two days? Yes. >> Oh very good. Also for people from uh the states or Europe whatever they are they come here for the holidays. Should they have their own minion for second day of yto? >> Okay definitely do. >> So this now can they come and ask the sh to have a minion for them? The answer is they can but the SH will say no. So uh so the thing is is that you can see that is something which is very modern. So it's not just like um something ancient. It's something that it's real. However, what we see from the that there is a difference between what? Between what we will call minhag and ala. Okay. Very good. which means that by the way it's a lot of by the way by the way so we will get to that I think next week hold on to this if you have it and you are fortunate enough to have associate hold on to it okay or sell it on eBay but uh keep it >> or bring more >> or bring more yeah it's not me so um so the thing is is what is that um what did I want to tell There you go. Minhag and but even in the minhagim and the obviously you have some that became almost. Okay. So interestingly enough in Israel we have a lot of what we call intermarried families. Now I said and what do you do when you are invited to your fores and you are a good Ashkenazi boy. You eat before you go. That's what you do when you go to your pes. So this obviously they going to make a and then they you're not going to ask them to change their pots and pans and what do you do now? You could tell them I don't like this and I don't like that and I don't like that. So at the end of the day you will eat matzah which maybe you like and that's that's wonderful but there you also have an idea of a which means Okay. Don't. So we have two two variations of it. A is and then don't change and in order to create when it comes to what to borderline borderline your in-laws. I mean that's that's a mop thing alto together. So now you're going to say I eat food is going to be enough >> or you can also and we always sometimes we are stuck in in one way of thinking we can think about a different way that maybe the fatherim also can say look I know that it's very important for him so I'm going to add when they come for pes I'm not going to cook like that I'm going to cook something else we can survive with both ways no one is starving to death on so The idea is the idea is and that's what I want you to take for next time is that we we're going to encounter some examples of a builtin audim talk about it's nice but we know that they on we read the on. That's not a good >> It's what? >> Oh, it says it in the meil. Very good. So, you need to find a source for it which that basically perpetuates what the differences. So if you find the source in the megila or you find the source in something else that says that's the way to do it. The way to do it is that we don't do it the same way then you are safe. So we obviously need to to really think about it in many many ways. Um and um I will oh that's what I wanted to tell you. I sometimes I get calls from um people who make aliyah and they ask me for some guidelines regarding the kitchen and how to warm things on Shabbat and Yamto because there are differences between what the receive init or other places and what we do here. Uh which is very interesting. uh it's not major it's not like uh that here we are allowed to uh cook and bake on Shabbat obviously I'm talking about the way we warm up things and uh what do we do and um and this is also something very interesting that things change based on different circumstances or concerns that uh that we have um I don't know if you know Mosha Fer for example was really against Shaon Shabbat >> against what >> shaon Shabbat the shabas clock >> and in Israel It was always accepted. Now why Moha was so much against it? Some of it is the circumstances of the time. The fear was I will put the final you know the the finals and the football and the whatever it is on the Shabas clock so I will be able to watch it on on Shabbat. So that was the major concern. Here it was much less of a concern. Why? Because here if people wanted to see it >> there was none. >> That there was none. Right. That's true. There was no football here. There's no NBA here. And all the other games were not I mean Sak was on Shabbat. Um but the thing is is that sometimes is being formed not only not sometimes haka is always being formed with the information that you have and the circumstances that you that you meet. So this is for example some of the things that you see that when people move here they ask the question of how should I you know construct my my kitchen? What can I do? What I can do? So I am being able to invite other people and they will not think that I am you know too stringent or too lenient. So all those things we'll discuss plo. Okay.