Some of what I learn from the Passaic Torah Institute I keep in outline form, in my notebooks. These are some notes which I have actually taken the time to type up, so they are being placed here, and in the future can be found here.
Here is what some of my notes look like on an average day: (Please note there were no average days while Rabbi Shlomo Singer was leading our discourse, there was a week however where we had to forge forward without our Rabbi’s help the week before the PTI shul dinner-msome notes from then:
The Chanukah Miracle- Menorah Beis Sheini
Geulah
The victory of the righteous over the wicked.
Dedication
of the temple
Chanukat Habiyis
We light the menorah over the miracle of the menorah.
The Mitzvah
of Chanukah
Beis Shamai- 8 candles on 1st night & then diminish until 1
-> Parallels fruits of the Holiday
ChaHag
Beis Hillel
_ The Kedusha rising by going up
(They see something in the candle lighting…Previous
question as to: Why add righteous over wicked?
Here are some of the questions (notes) which I wrote down as they were given by R. Singer:
Just before we really were digging into various texts and discussions about Chanukah:
Why do we have to be part of Hashem?
Answer: Because it is the ratzon (will) of Hashem.
Jews: Hashem’s Children
Other nations are Hashem’s creations, but we are his children.
Relationship
Why is it that G-d made a bond with us?
Why do we have to have oral law?
At Har Sinai
Why is the oral law the bond?
Why use the oral law to make the bond?