This shiur was generously sponsored by an anonymous donor for the merit of the speedy, safe and healthy return of the Hostages.
The source sheet for this shiur is available here.
Highlights
0:30 Overview of chapters 3-4 of Shemona Perakim
9:00 Contradictions in Maimonides' view regarding extremism
15:00 The view of R' Avraham son of Maimonides on the virtue of ascetism and extremism
17:30 Why law is necessary; man is a political animal
24:30 Extreme cruelty is not inherently wrong for an individual; it only hinders him from living in society
27:15 Are character traits natural or are they learned behaviors?
30:00 Ethics as politics
37:15 The need for political thinking and why it fell out of style
40:15 The Torah is for the whole nation, not for special individuals
43:00 Why the prophets didn't practice celibacy
46:30 Torah law engenders uniformity, and therefore any destabilizing, extreme behavior must be kept hidden
52:15 Moderation as the key to the redemption
This series is a project of the Jacob Lights Foundation.