When a shipwreck in the 1500s left families wondering about the fate of their loved ones, rabbinic authorities debated whether the wives of the missing passengers could remarry. This centuries-old question resurfaced in 1912 with the famous sinking of the Titanic, reigniting the discussion of applying Halachah in tragic circumstances.

The Titanic Question: The Halachic Dilemma of Men Lost at Sea

We kick things off with seven fascinating stories from the teshuvos of medieval Spain, where we discover shul seats being treated like real estate: bought, sold, inherited, mortgaged—and sometimes the center of heated disputes. Then, we shift our focus to Ashkenaz, where this phenomenon is noticeably absent, suggesting a very different set of attitudes and conventions about shul seats. Finally, we dive into how the poskim tackled some of these disputes, applying Halachah to their contemporary realities.

Benches, Bargains, and Bickering: Shul Seating in the Middle Ages

In the 1630s, pioneering Jewish immigrants in Brazil asked when they should daven for rain, given that their seasons were reversed from those in Europe. Their question sparked a fascinating rabbinic debate that takes us back to a dramatic showdown in 14th-century Toledo, which continues to resonate today. Join us as we explore how Halachah navigates the balance between tradition and reality.

In 1848, a man in Jerusalem on a journey to Judaism was devastated when told he must desecrate Shabbos because, despite undergoing a bris, he wasn’t yet considered Jewish until completing the final step of immersion. His heartbreak ignited a halachic controversy, which we’ll explore in this class. We’ll uncover the identities of the key figures involved and delve into the moving story of a man willing to sacrifice everything for his newfound faith.

The Warder Cresson Story

As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s sichos on Rashi, we will dive into how the Rebbe engaged with some of the earliest print editions and medieval manuscripts of Rashi’s commentary. These unique editions often reveal variant readings of Rashi’s words, each with its own story to tell. Through this journey, we’ll gain a deeper appreciation for Rashi’s foundational commentary—and the Rebbe’s unique approach to understanding it.

Links to the relevant manuscripts and prints:

Vatican Library, Urb. Ebr. 8

https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Urb.ebr.8

Vatican Library, Vat. Ebr. 47

https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.ebr.47

Reggio de Calabria 1475

https://www.internetculturale.it/it/16/search/detail?id=oai%3Awww.internetculturale.sbn.it%2FTeca%3A20%3ANT0000%3APARE078580

Guadalajara 1476

https://www.hebrewbooks.org/21188

Rome, circa 1470

https://www.internetculturale.it/it/16/search/detail?instance=&case=&id=oai%3Awww.internetculturale.sbn.it%2FTeca%3A20%3ANT0000%3APARE078579_2&qt=

Berliner edition

https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990020823920205171/NLI

The Rebbe’s Rashi: Insights from Manuscripts and Incunabula Editions

Why has the Chabad community favored esrogim from Calabria? In this class, we’ll explore the backstory, diving into the halachic debates about grafted esrogim and why they matter. We’ll also take a closer look at the big discovery in 1955—when it turned out that even Calabria esrogim weren’t completely immune to grafting—and what that meant moving forward. We’ll unpack the history and the questions that still linger today.

Rooted in Tradition: The Calabria Esrog Story

From the Cairo Geniza, we uncover an ancient Judeo-Arabic rabbinic essay offering unique insights into the history and development of the Jewish calendar, particularly the observance of the second day of yom tov outside the Land of Israel. As we delve deeper, this document emerges as part of a broader debate, addressing the Karaites’ opposition to the two-day yom tov tradition. By comparing this text with Rambam’s perspective, we’ll gain a deeper understanding of this critical issue and a window into a pivotal moment in Jewish history.

Lost in the Geniza: An Anonymous Teshuvah on the Two-Day Yom Tov Debate

In this class, we will analyze four beautiful piyutim that we chant on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, uncovering some structural oddities along the way. As we raise questions and examine older prints and medieval manuscripts, we’ll uncover a story of mysterious censorship. While we’ll piece together what happened, understanding why it happened will prove to be more challenging.

Links:

Machzor, Lublin 1551

⁠https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990011638640205171/NLI⁠

Bodleian Library, MS. Michael 619

⁠https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/9e481d9a-06e6-41e8-ae36-a58d445a1ffa/surfaces/2e65041c-333b-4c90-9b54-c3566fbf73d8/#⁠

Bodleian Library, MS. Heb. e. 39 (Geniza)

⁠https://hebrew.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/fragments/full/MS_HEB_e_39_4b.jpg⁠

Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Hébreu 631

⁠https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b105392732/f25.item⁠

Bodleian Library MS. Laud Or. 321

⁠https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/268d1688-4523-4aed-962a-75f24c8cbfd0/surfaces/0b534075-2679-4a1e-88ca-998acfad9899/#⁠

Bodleian Library, MS. Michael 627

⁠https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/b3f2d1d5-ff07-4a6e-87ea-281c41957925/surfaces/ed999873-315d-46dc-a134-c50ca6f24362/#⁠

Bavarian State Library, Cod. Hebr. 69

⁠https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001265200205171-1,FL50147206]]⁠

Basel University Library, MS. R II 2

⁠https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001730950205171-1,FL61239499]]⁠

Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Hébreu 621

⁠https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b105420719/f70.planchecontact⁠

State Library Berlin, MS. OR 4200

⁠https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990000819800205171-1,FL55910250]]⁠

In this episode, we’re diving into fascinating early 16th-century woodcut images and priceless medieval machzor manuscripts to see how they portray the mitzvah of blowing the shofar. We’ll explore the unique details in these images that reveal interesting minhagim of the time, though some might leave us with more questions than answers. Let’s uncover the stories these images tell about our tradition.

Links:

Book on Jewish Confession (Nuremberg 1508)

https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/freimann/content/thumbview/6515799

Der Juden Spiegel (Cologne 1508)

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1911061m/f39.double

Luzzato Machzor

https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-luzzatto-high-holiday-mahzor-1

Machzor – Bavarian State Library

https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb00034975?page=82

Kaufmann Machzor - Hungarian Academy of Sciences

http://kaufmann.mtak.hu/en/ms388/ms388-012v.htm

Machzor – Cambridge University Library

https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00662/127

Machzor – Austrian National Library

https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001692630205171-1,FL21854414]]

Art of the Blast: Shofar Blowing Customs in Medieval Manuscripts

In the 1860s, European Jewish communities faced a unique halachic challenge: the arrival of new chicken breeds from distant lands. As these exotic fowl entered the marketplace, rabbis debated their kosher status, igniting an adjacent discussion on how and why the turkey became accepted as kosher.

Fowl Play: The Great Turkey-Chicken Debate of the 19th Century