(Sigh.) An amazing and heavenly photograph. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Robert! I can't tell you how many times I've hit "refresh" on your page for the past week, hoping the link was up. It'll be on my iPod as soon as the download is done.

And as sad as I'm sure you are when Ariel's yahrzeit comes around, I can't tell you what a relief it is to check in on your blog and see, at the top, some wholesome, Jewish faces - faces that to me speak of life, sweet and bitterweet, lived as G-d wants it to be.

Hi Robert, I just watched about half the lecture. It's most interesting, and he's a talented speaker. I wonder, will Rabbi Pruzansky address כאיש אחד בלב אחד, which would seem to be an argument for conformity among Jews.

I too love the picture of you throwing Ariel high. It was either a lucky shot or an excellent photographer.

(I haven't been around much lately, as my wife & I have just returned from a stay in EY, where we traveled for a family simcha.)

What an absolutely breathtaking picture. I am so sorry for your loss.

I am sorry for your loss too, and thanks for the link.

Where did you take that picture?

Ruti:

The photo is one of my all time favorites. Karen snapped it. Thanks so much.

Alter:

Stupid question: How do you download to an i-Pod?

Kishke:

Hope you enjoyed the lecture. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Rachel, Snoopy:

Thanks so much for the nechama.

Ari:

A place called Ledgeland, in New Hampshire. We were on vacation.

Robert,

That is one of the most beautiful pictures I have seen. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Short answer: I didn't really download it directly to the iPod. (Even with internet access, my new iPod touch can't save audio files for listening to later. Not as far as I can tell.) I downloaded the file, then added it to an iTunes playlist. Then I synced it to the iPod.

Long answer (1): For some reason, when I right-clicked on the audio link, Safari offered to open it in a new tab, but not to download it. So opened the link in a new tab, opened Safari's "Downloads" window, and dragged the new tab's favicon onto the "Downloads" window. Safari then began downloading the audio, and I closed the new tab.

Long answer (2): After I added the shiur to iTunes, I dragged the photo of you and Ariel, a"h, into iTunes and made it the "cover art" for the audio. When I let the missus use the iPod later, she was able to se the photo, too.

As I said, I'm only halfway through, but I liked his characterization of Sodom as unified; I thought it was an original take on the matter. Another example in Tanach of unity for an evil purpose is in Isaiah 41, where the prophet describes the marvelous unity of those who construct idols for worship. That supports R' Pruzansky's argument. I'm still wondering though how he'll explain כאיש אחד בלב אחד. Maybe he gets into it further in.

I also liked his opening, the way he tied the topic to Ariel's personality. It was nicely done.

That's a wonderful photograph. You really can't pose that kind of thing.

I wish I had the right words...
May his neshama have an aliyah and may you and your family have some level of nechamah.