The Evolution of Lo Titgodedu (Pt III) | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | Feb 17th 2026

this entire academic year. Okay. Okay. So we continue on with our loted god do and um we spoke about some interesting minim if you remember we spoke about what page in a second we spoke about the shinu and we are on page seven seven towards the end of page seven uh you see mohee Okay, so we spoke about a lot about how to daven when you go if you are in Ashkanazi going to Es as or vice versa. So now take a look at what the function says here. Meaning if there is some kind of a concern that you need to have will translate in a second. So the question that was asked was the following rabbi what should I do I have two shoes to go to one sho big beanling everyone ds whatever they want whoever the kazan that's the nus and then each one of them do whatever they want like privately or to go to a sh that it's the nusak of pollin or hungaria and that's it. So what's the best? If I was I would answer >> go to the third job. But because there are only two. So that was the question. So basically what's the question? The question is should I go to a place that it's a mess. It's a chaos and everyone does whatever they want. Oh I go only to this. Maybe it's not even my but there is only one. Says he says it seems to be based on my humble opinion. says really they're not that important. What are the major differences really between the Whatever. What is the major deal with all those differences? Says it's a known fact that no one think that it's good because we know there's not such a what a big difference. Which means in order to define something a slotted go do it needs to be known that what there is a difference between what I do and what you do. And then he says and says no one is saying that so out loud that everyone knows that I start with and you start with people barely d so definitely they're not going to want to say it out loud and then he says and one says And the other one says because this is really not the major thing of so here says even though it's not it's not essential for the kadosha what is essential for kadusha is kadosh kadosh kadosh and So he says therefore it's not that difficult and he says it's better to say the same of the like what he said before but in but it's not essential which is little bit of a change from his previous chuva if you remember in the previous chuva he says what that you need to say the way the kazan says here he says which basically and this is where I think you sat right there you change your seat now you confused me So >> so um so the thing is is that this question of what and you know it's f it's interesting because I gave a sh when I ever I give a sh on Shabbat it's like series of classes so I gave like three or four classes about pronunciation okay the saf versus the tough and you can if you can change it should you change it or shouldn't you change it at the end of the day what says here which is very interesting and practical is what is the major difference not much and therefore everyone knows that you dav the way you d and you d the way you d I mean some people think that the way they d was given at sinai but you know I don't want to disappoint them and I don't think so okay I think uh mosha never dishona so we don't know exactly how is it given at sinai so the thing is is that at the end of the day It's part of it is what is the way that your parents pronounce it and the way they their parents and their parents and some of it is definitely an influence of what of the societies around okay and the language that they that they speak. So therefore according to Mosha this is a very interesting thing which obviously can reflect on any on different minhagim as well is the idea of what of goodu because that's really our topic. needs to be that you practice two different that we know that are not the same one puts and the other one does not put now we know that this is a real between based on based on okay that that's a real thing for example the is against because there is already a sign the intermediate days are already considered as a holiday and we don't put fill in and says no you can do it because most of it the reality was they went to work okay so and they don't hold from the zah so the there is a dispute so there it's like if I if one puts fill in the other guy does not put fill in I have a problem but here is not a big deal now why I'm telling you that what do we do next week next we read right that's the okay so if the Oh, pronunciations all every variation of the word. Okay, which by the way there is something to pronunciation says that one of the mistakes that Sha had >> it says but which means only what >> males and not females and not the animals and he is memory zar is a male and that was one of the mistakes that his teacher taught him and that's like the talks about the idea how careful a teacher needs to be when he says something. By the way, you can it's very interesting you can see how things that we learned in childhood was so ingrained in us that you can pronounce it in a different way. I remember in one of the places I was I would not say well someone says to me he says um Rabbi I have tonight I have a Chevra I looked at him I said what does that mean I said is that like a name of a person because he asked me says do you know where what is shea I was like I don't know is she a member of mine I I don't know and then I said to him what do you mean like what kind of an event so he talked to me there a wedding and rabbi you don't know there is a wedding and after the wedding there is this I was like ahvot you mean oh yeah yeah yeah yeah this event now why I'm saying that because that's the way it was engraded in him that it's called or whatever it is some people you have in you have words that you think that that's the way you pronounce it and so the idea is going back to inab because there there's little bit more in the more of an encouragement to hear it the way your min is does not mean that you don't fulfill your obligation you do but it's being encouraged again not mandatory but encouraged to to do it in the nus that you know yes >> is there a case that in Hebrew grammar until tennis is in the singular and after 10 is in the plural >> what >> isn't it in Hebrew grammar that the you use the singular until 10 and then or the other way around you use a plural in then it becomes a thing you know like and things like that I don't know anyone who says that's what we say okay we >> yeah today is okay so that's now let's see so page eight so turn to page Oh, that's an interesting question again. So, he got a question from student. Now, why students who we assume are obviously why would they ask? So, finish the sentence. So, you have some. Okay, they made it. Yeah. >> What's the question? Very interesting question. What's the question? The question is like this. We know when we come to the they start all the laws of mourning fordash only when and on and some of them in which is the is like that when we find a way to make it harder >> make it harder we love it we are happy we can do it for three weeks so the question is so we said for three weeks you don't shave you don't get a haircut and you don't Obviously no weddings, no nothing. Okay. So even though by the way just as a side note at the time of the war and even time of co there were leniencies regarding int and in why because we understood there is there is min okay and if people don't have any other time to get married besides that time so go ahead and do it okay but let's leave it that I mean that might be a different sh circumstances and how reacts to circumstances okay but that's something So the question here is like that. So this group of they ask what should I do? Should I come clean shave to the fourth day of when all my friends already have what a little beard and then everyone will ask me I'm passing like the and you asking like the so for 3 weeks you shouldn't shave. And here it's visible. Now unlike the davening when it's quiet no one knows what you say. You start with you say here it's visible. So what do you do? So he gives a long uh a long and then he says he says there is a we can add another reason that to say that there is really good does not apply here. Why she do this is interesting. We didn't see that. See, I'm not I don't want to repeat the same things here. It's a new thing. to do means what you can do whatever you want. What's the problem when you start telling other people what you do is wrong you need to do what I do. So then you will have in one sh you know this one says zash and you need to do what I do and that's a lot you got to do but if you do what you do and you do what you do and you don't try to what to preach me or to convince me to change my mind that's not what he's going to do which is interesting uh because that really relates to another story in the Torah which is zaken what is the zaken the rebellious elder not the rebell rebellious son the rebellious elder what is the rebellious elder a scholar he's maybe even part of the Sanhedrin the Sanhedrin wanted to decide that something is mutar and he tried to convince them that what that they are wrong okay there is a vote and he's voted out okay so his opinion was voted out he goes back home and he says to himself thisin they have no clue what to to do I think they are wrong I think I'm right you know what I think I'm right does Did he violate anything? Not yet. He says, "You know what? I think they are wrong and I'm right and I'm going to do what I believe it's true." Does he violate anything? Not yet. When does he become a he start teaching his own community, don't listen to them, you listen to me. Now it might be that he's correct but after it says you can't teach others to do it and therefore what he quotes of Shimon Greenfeld but basically what he says is what that loted God to do is only when you start what >> creating a tumo like you're creating a fight in the sh what you do is wrong you need to do a you need to do like me that creates what a lot going to do which we really didn't hear such a distin inction before. And then he says says even though when you look at the um from the 16th century in it doesn't look like that like what Greenfield says. So he brings one of the el. So according to this you can have one guy puts the fill in on putting fill in because that's visible and you can see it and the other guy sits next to him and what >> and not so they look at each other but because this guy does not tell this guy you are wrong I do what I do and so when is going to do >> only when I tell you you are wrong you understand the kush that there is here and at the same time also So it almost can basically make lot go do vanish. You know why? Cuz today with all the knowledge that we have, we have I'm not saying more understanding but we have definitely more knowledge than our ancestors. Okay? It's because it's all there. So basically if I have almost put every question in AI, Google whatever you will find what >> dozens of answers, right? I mean there's going to be some kind of limit you know and in between so basically because everyone knows that and if I don't preach or convince you to do otherwise so we can have a shoe that one put fill in one do not one put two pairs one put three pairs right because no one is going to convince each other that is wrong that would be okay the what >> no no that's what I'm saying that this this so but this is is very strange >> exactly the way it is in the United States only here pretty much that nobody puts on virus yeah in the United States maybe not and it's hard to kill but some people put on films some people don't >> and what do they do with the people >> know that you're keeping a minute from your family it's not an issue no for get well it's anyway so >> but for I don't know But I I wouldn't be surprised if it makes something probably make something >> interesting. Okay. Yes. >> I believe that this concept and because everybody's accepting of the other and therefore you have when you start to have you do and you do you have conflict you have not separated you. >> Okay. So it's it's interesting. Now we are going to talk about a little bit the psychology of >> he's saying that he's saying it's okay if one puts on to in >> that's what he said >> puts on was a rabbi whose name I will not mention a very very knowledgeable rabbi somebody did it in his sh and he asked them to leave >> that what we do it depends where >> not only they're in golus they bring it here >> it depends where very good so okay I'll just remind me for a second yes when a rabbi has always and then he learns more and more over the years and he says there's a better now I want them to know that it's so then he's changing >> that's fine if he comes with reasons that he made a mistake and now he wants to to rectify it with aasha he's more than welcome the question that that's not a problem that's not changing that does not create lot to do sometimes you make a mistake and you change it that say you have an answer >> okay so now let me talk a little bit about because I think this is and I mentioned that example a few times so I think it's important and why is that important we have a in should you put or not why because on one hand we all know we don't put on Shabbat and why right a sign we you need to have two men need to have two okay we have and then you have during every day of the year okay but on Shabbat it says okay so that's why so we have an it's same thing like Shabbat so what about so itself obviously has an issue it's mundane but it's also a mo it's also a holiday so what do you do okay so that marai is talking about What maybe you should put fit in because you don't have a sign during the intermediate days because you know you can do some work which is called the uh things that you lose you can obviously do work but you try to avoid going to work on okay so that's what the so in a way there is a split in the should you or you shouldn't okay most of the ashkaz says that you put on you put on fine ragil nothing until the 14th century what's happened in the 14th century I'll tell you in a second but before that let's go to the look at and says okay there is an opinion that you shouldn't put on because it's more of a moed than but then they found the zar and the zar go so harsh on people who put put on during they basically said it's sacrilegious Because there is a sign on the moed and you are basically doing an a by putting on filling took the zor and the opinion combined it together and saysim what's happened why did I say 14th century because then you see for example we'll take a scholar German scholar left Germany left ran away from Germany flee fle fled Germany. Okay. Went to where? Spain. What do you think he saw in Spain? All the faradim. What does this faradim do? They put on fill in. They they don't put fill in. So what do they do? So what can that somehow found themselves in farad will do? So some of them just their own shoes or whatever they did. But then if you d with the others, what do you do? So s then what's have being developed is go and don't put fill in but put fill in at home. Some people say okay when you put in don't really say the braha just think about the bra okay just think about the because there is a doubt you should put you shouldn't so you don't want to say because the braha will be my if on the side that you don't need to put on filling so that's basically what's happened now 16th century comes along in Israel what do we have obviously he immediately says what we don't put is and the surrounding areas. Okay. Now, more and more what's happened here is that when you look I'll take the United States. Okay. So at the beginning obviously even if you are Shabbat and everything you can barely take you know for the two days of YTO and especially if it's three day just imagine you go to your boss and say you know what >> I'll see you you know I see you in two weeks he will say you to you see you in two weeks right I know it's like what Ham says in the mid shi you know he always complained that the Jews never walk you know every time they have an excuse. So you definitely can do it. So people do did go to work. So the was not such a okay in Israel and we have pictures. I gave a class once about this fing and someone brought me a picture from his family from maybe 90 or 100 years ago. They had a shop little store like a little mollet and during colo the mollet will be open but from the side from like the back door and only half open like the door will be half open in order to show that even though I need to walk but it's like as they say here clutch okay and they will close earlier than any other day to show that what even though I need to go to work but I'm really not interested Because there is a which means there is definitely a correlation. I'm not saying that it dictated it but there is a correlation between what between do I go to work do I wear a white shirt do I go with my family for a trip or I go to work like every other day and that influence also the idea of how do I view now come here to Israel who goes to work don't ask me who goes to walk even when it's not okay we do work hard but most Israelis do not go to work most of the places are closed home. That's what we do. So there's no school and there's no war and there's nothing. So basically what's happened here is that it's more filmed of now what's happened in America many of the kids who came here for a year or two var they saw and it's pretty good it's pretty good not to work during so even when they come to the state and they need to go to work the idea of the mad is much more now I don't know who is the rabbi I don't want to know the name but I will tell you that in Israel if someone here will put on fill we will ask him to please remove them. it will be they do all to sit behind somewhere the okay so because this is we don't do that when I'm being asked can we have a second I said no you want to do it in your private home this is this is we don't have here we have one day and maximize your day now what is the implications for the the second day of that's a different question but here I can't have a y So yeah, not everyone is happy but that's okay. This is a a not a sh in. Yes. >> Talks about two or um what what happens in the case of somebody has a brick during shakar during the week and people everybody's wearing to fill in. Isn't the brick mil also an you haven't got two top there? >> No. That's that's the o that we're now doing for the baby. I mean we already have it. Yeah. Yeah. No one wants to do it again. So yes, >> in there's also tradition and not to wearing during there's also by the way another of the is to have a kaf um of like yeah >> of is the next day. So there is a minidi to have a kaf on the first night of yeah of yes on um >> the night or the day >> and do you say you don't say abrad and have a lot of these customs interesting don't >> it depends what where they came from don't forget that many of the olim in the 18th century I think so 18th century uh were the fudgrad and they came here and obviously what was the community here there was barely akinazi community here so I guess they were influenced by minim and definitely I learned very quickly when I became the rabbi here in whatever You have no idea where it came from. You just say and that covers it all. Whatever it is, it will be. By the way, there are interesting minimush. I'll just give you one. You know in a >> there's no anywhere in it's a contradictional when there is somehow protects the house. >> No clue nothing he can stay. There is of and that somehow put I mean this there are some some things that are like how can you have we don't say but we do say it's something that only okay now again >> when my son was here for the year in Israel they said to have outside on uh the last day of uh >> ah like their last day like to do the Yeah. But >> observing two days they were not allowed to be in the street on the second. >> Yeah. Because there is what they call like you know look the idea it's a little bit metaphysical but we need to understand it you know why do we cover the kalot when we make hush no permit. So not to embarrass the now did you talk to a kala lately to ask her if she's embarrassed like obviously that makes no sense but that what's the idea the idea is there is we understand that there is kushot and we always we eat the bread but here the wine sanctifies the day and because of the wine we're going to have and we're going to have so that's what it means not to embarrass but when it comes to also there is such an idea the idea is what is that is is and therefore you want to dance outside and to keep your doesn't work >> no >> does not work >> now >> and now just the opposite it's just the reverse >> but I will tell you I will tell you that lately lately in the last 15 years the questions that we get from seminars inhivot is what should the students do on the second day of yto and why because most families in Israel now don't keep two days. >> So they can't send the kids anywhere. The kids have no place to stay for the second day of filmto meaning no one keeps it. So the question is should they keep them in seminars in or should the student when he comes here even if he come only for one year >> he should be like says that they need to keep only one day and says the question that they need to ask is not how many days do I need to keep but can I go back to the states [laughter] that's was the question that you need to ask that's of okay not that I didn't agree with everything he said but this one was very interesting and by the way many say that when they come here they should what keep one day >> yes >> and I'm not talking about if they bought an apartment they they can't buy an apartment I'm talking about just being here in yeshiva yes remember So you keep one day. Yeah. Yeah. >> But they go back there. >> Yeah. If they go back, they go back. Yeah. So they >> keep >> Oh. When Israelis go there, >> it depends. >> No. >> No, they shouldn't. Only after 3 years, according to Ra Israeli, if they walk there, if they go, they need to keep it in Paresia, but not in private. Now, what does that mean? what can they do and what they can't do and what they do in reality. I know. Okay. >> If you're um just saying when my grandson was here, his rash yes told him one day, but he told other students in the yeshiva two days and I think one of the reasons is because he was having yont with his grandparents here >> who hold one day. So he say here with your grandparents who hold one. So he gave different >> sure you know stocking with makes sense. >> Okay, you know what? You know what? Oh, wow. I I want to conclude today. So, take a look at at the bottom of page eight. This is like not a magazine. It's like a series of books that talks a lot about Medina law I mean and the state. So he says the the following he says the he says like that to my humble opinion. Now we have a the entire thing of Lord to go to do obviously it touches the question of what unity versus unity unity >> unity meaning in the name of unity does not mean that you need to lose your identity but sometimes it happens when we talk about unity we talks about the fact that someone needs to what to give up some of his identity so there is definitely a a a movement a force that says you know what let's just do everything and everyone will do the same. Isn't that beautiful? Yes. But not exactly. You know, not only not only if it's practical or not. Let's say it was practical. It's boring to some extent. Can you imagine all Jews do the same thing like uh met and also I will be unemployed because I will have nothing to talk about, right? Everyone is doing the same. But the idea is is really is that there is this tension between you know tried to create a sidu that has the all the he failed and not only because he didn't get the support from some of the scholars and the sages but it's because people don't want to give up on you know on what they heard their parents and the grandparents and it just doesn't work for them. They have a tradition and there is I know it sounds like a filler on the roof but there is something to tradition that you want to carry. You know I don't know how many of you sometimes are being hosted for leed I take letter because I think in leed we have most of the minhagim that we have from our uh parents and grandparents and whatever it is and when you go and you are being hosted by someone and you don't have exactly the seder that you have it's like that was a weird seder you know they didn't sing since when was given at Sinai no since I I observe pesa was given at Sinai. You know, some people don't don't sing. Okay, it's still kosher in their homes. I do think don't don't look at me. But uh but the idea is is that you know we are so used to something and when you don't have it, it's weird. I mean you go we are I guess mostly Ashkenazim here. Okay. You go to a realiz and you go in the morning for Shabbat morning. You are stand sitting there and says how much time it takes them to get tot like I finished the entire sh until they got to like move on. What are they saying? You want to you go to min to you come after 25 minutes you go to if you finish after 11 minutes you are out of there. So it's very why because they say the and they count the sim and it it's totally different experiences and it's okay. and it's okay. So, Rael talks really about what this the tension between unity and not to want to blur the differences. So, he says So his question was really can I have different in the sh and everything he says look I am not in favor of destroying someone's tradition not at all even not in the name of unity in your home you can do whatever you want in your private places you can do whatever you want but when it comes to the public arena when it comes to a community You need to create some kind of a common denominator. You can't have everyone does whatever they want. Okay? And therefore says Rael when it comes to when it comes to the question of how to determine the you need to have you know whatever the but just imagine that we will allow everything here. the marai I don't know Jerby I don't know whatever they are whatever the the the groups are I think there are two there is a I forgot what what are the two >> and vam okay and everyone think that he's right you can't really does it so I understand the difference between what the private arena and the public He brings the magn says that you know by the way now you start you're going to start to count but when you build the shul you need to have at least 12 windows you know why 12 windows for the 12vatim each chevet each tribe has a window okay to pray towards that not towards that window but through that window his goes up. That's what the man of brings in the name of the soar says that that's so it seems to be that what that you can have in what 12. So he says that's not that no they created what only one now we don't know the what's the exact because we lost it to some extent So basically brings I think the tension to almost like a boiling point. On one hand we obviously have a desire that people will come together. You know we don't like the shift you the tribal mentality. Okay this is my tribe. I do only things for my tribe. You know at the time of Mosher Rabenu, a man from one tribe with a woman from another tribe, they could not get married with each other. You you only get married only with your own tribe. However, later on tribes could what? Could get married with each other and was it was one of the reasons for not only but it was only also another reason. So the idea is what the idea is that obviously there is a desire that people will get together and that is will be at the same time we understand that when you are talking about and you basically tell people to lose their identity it's not good. Give me an example from Tanak that if you try to create this uh unonymity it's not a good thing. Go to Yeah. They start with one language, one people. And that what you know basically was the starting point for all of that. But then what did they do? They basically ask people to lose totally their identity and to just to basically to to submit themselves to this project. What was their punishment? >> To spread them all over the place and to have 70 languages. So you always have this tension between trying to bring everyone together but at the same time to maintain the differences. That's that's very difficult. So what Ravar suggested is to make this difference between public arena and private arena. Now one public arena which is very difficult to do that's the army. Okay. in a private tour when I build a sho and I want to call it that's or that's I have the right to do it in the army what do you do when you have so many different people from different adot what do you do so ragoran tried to do which quote unquote makes sense but will never work and why because when I was educated with my family with my grandparents in that shoe and this is the way you say it. I can't I can't say something else. And don't forget part of fil is what is not only the nusar. The nusar is just the expression. What is the most important thing in fil? It's kavana. If if the words don't talk to me because I don't know them it's very hard. So therefore you know for us for example I think we spoke about it once um about okay during for us if you don't have you go to most of them they never heard about this okay and they are incredibly excited by a different pis that you never heard about it okay now the only thing that I think does work really is that that they have and we do it here obviously and in many other shoes also but the idea there is to take little bit from the little take from the Ashkanazi and to create something together um again it works for many many people I think part of it also because it's little shorter especially shana let's be very honest but at the same time for many people it does not work. Now why does it work for many Ashkenazim? Because this is my opinion. This is not a is that many of the you cannot understand what does it mean. If you do understand it's incredible but the language is very difficult and therefore I think this is why many Ashkanazim just adapted to the towan because it's a little bit more meaningful. So in conclusion There is no conclusion here. uh because we saw different opinions of how to define lotoo which can be very mir to a very quote unquote m which was almost almost none in existence and really we see and this is one of the topics that uh really we can see it clearly is the idea of what of the tension between the desire to bring everyone together and at the same time to appreciate to embrace uh and really to to understand the importance of everyone's identity and mas and uh and that's what we did. Next week, we'll see surprise