Category Archives: Ethics of the Fathers 2025

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Place of Torah (6.9)

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There are only three rules of real estate: location, location, location. When it comes to choosing a place to live, the same principle applies. But what determines a good location? In this very interesting Mishnah we learn about the absolute imperative of living in a place of Torah.

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Double-Edged Swords (6.8)

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Not everything that we covet in life necessarily redounds to our benefit. There are great many things that are double-edge swords: they can be used for good; they can accelerate our ascent to righteousness, and they can be absolutely destructive and lead us towards a death spiral of decadence. Proceed with caution.

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The Life-Giving Property of Torah (6:7)

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The thing that we crave more than anything else is life. We all want life. We all flee from curtailing of – or danger to – our life. How do we indeed get life? In this wonderful Mishnah we learn how Torah bestows life – both here and in the afterlife – upon those who do it. What does the Mishnah mean when it says life? How exactly does Torah serve as a life-giving tool here and there? In this fascinating Ethics podcast, we learn the answers.

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Proper Attribution (6.6.48)

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When we hear something beautiful, something genius, something powerful, we may be tempted to pass it off as our own. In the final installment of the 48 ways to wisdom we learn about the imperative of proper attribution: saying something in the name of its originator.

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Sharpening Teachers (6.6.46)

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Teachers are usually pretty talented. They’re usually gifted, knowledgeable, intelligent, and well-studied. In way to wisdom # 46 we learn how a student should strive to make their teacher even sharper and wiser. By upgrading our teachers, we ourselves become wiser along the way.

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Studying with Intentionality (6.6.44-45)

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What are our intentions when we study? What are we trying to achieve? If we are studying the Almighty’s Torah simply as an exercise in theoretical, abstract learning, we are missing the essence of Torah. In these two ways to wisdom, we learned about the imperative to study with intentionality and the different types of motivation for Torah study. We can upgrade our wisdom simply by tweaking the goal of our studies.

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Active Listening (6.6.43)

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Listening is a lost art. To truly listen and consider the other person’s position is becoming increasingly rarer. We get consumed with our own ideas and perspectives; someone else’s opposing position will not be granted true consideration. But listening – and listening actively and attentively – is critical if we are desirous of learning and absorbing the Almighty’s Torah.

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Asking and Answering (6.6.42)

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Questions are arguably the most potent tool by which to open up a complex subject. Asking questions on a given matter; asking many, diverse questions, analyzing and probing the issue from all angles, helps open portals of understanding that can deepen your appreciation and your perception of the matter. Our Sages were masters of the art of the question. If we want to deepen our connection with the Almighty’s Torah, it is imperative that we learn to ask sharp questions and to keep them on point.

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Well-Grounded (6.6.41)

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What is our relationship with our studies? For some (many?) studying Torah is very important. It is a great priority. But is it the permanent fixture of a person’s life? That designation is applied to the few. In this way to wisdom, we learn about the transformative nature of rendering Torah study the primary focus of a person’s life, and also learn about the proper approach for plumbing the depths of Torah study.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Truth and Peace (6.6.40)

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Truth and peace are often incompatible. A peaceful solution to a problem is often not truthful; unvarnished truth is rarely diplomatic. In way number 40 to acquire wisdom we learn how we must deploy truth and peace in the right manner, in the right fashion, to the right person, at the right time – and how this leads to deepening the integration and assimilation of Torah within ourselves.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Judging Favorably (6.6.39)

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Not everyone is a saint. In fact, the verse testifies that there is no righteous person in the land who does only good and never sins. So everyone is a sinner, to one degree or another. How ought we relate to sinners? What do we do when we see people behaving in an inappropriate fashion? In way number 39 we learn about the imperative for judging others favorably and how this can yield wonderful benefits in our pursuit of the Almighty’s holy Torah.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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