Happenings at the Yeshiva

This week was relatively uneventful at the yeshiva, as the first- and second-year students continued learning korban pesach topics, as well as the regular Baba Kama learning. Third- and fourth-year students have now begun their second week of learning hilkhot Aveilut, and have been studying the topics of hesped, burial, and nichum aveilim, as well as doing special topics in kevurah - cremation, exhumation, and the like. They will be beginning to study the halakhot of the practices of aveilut after Pesach.

We began our Medical Ethics curriculum this last Monday, with a shiur that I gave on the topic of Abortion. Next week, students will be hearing a shiur from Rabbi Helfgot on the topic of Infertility. After Pesach, we will focus on end-of-life issues, with shiurim and visiting experts and rabbonim.

In our Lifecycles class, we are wrapping up topics related to marriage, and on Thursday we covered the topic of birth control. Dr. Valerie Altmann visited the yeshiva and gave a wonderful presentation on the modes of birth control, and this was followed later in the day by a shiur that I gave on the halakhic allowances for the use of birth control.

We will be ending our zman this coming Tuesday with a late-night pre-Pesach mishmar on Tuesday night, with many available shiurim on Pesach and the seder. It promises to be a strong night of learning for the whole yeshiva, and a great way to enter into the chag.