“That was the rabbinic genius, to say that that which is wholly new also is given from God at Mount Sinai. That’s a genius sleight of hand that allows you to feel a sense of continuity and connection and history and sacredness in what is absolutely new.” - Benay Lappe

Welcome to The Oral Talmud, our weekly deep dive chevruta study partnership, discovering how voices of the Talmud from 1500 years ago can help us rethink Judaism today. 

This week we reach the end of the Rabban Gamliel story we’ve been learning for the past two episodes. After being deposed as leader of the study hall, and watching in awe the flood of new students to the academy, Rabban Gamliel visits Rabbi Yehoshua, the man he had embarrassed so much that the rest of the scholars impeached him. Does Rabban Gamliel really drop by to make peace, or are there other motivations at play? How does Rabbi Yehoshua’s response echo through the eons to call out/in leaders of today? 

The episode does have a broad re-cap from the two of us, but of course we recommend listening to the previous episodes as well. 

And then! For a special Shavuot text (we recorded this at the end of May 2020), we visit Mount Sinai, and follow Moses’s mystical time-traveling journey through the twists and turns of Torah interpretation to the back of Rabbi Akiva’s classroom. What are the metaphors of this story illustrating? What model is it building for teaching us how to connect our innovation to our history?

This week’s text: 

• The Removal of Rabban Gamliel, Conclusion (Berakhot 28a)
• Moses in Rabbi Akiva’s Classroom (Menachot 29b)

Access the full Sefaria Source Sheet with additional show notes via this link. Find an edited transcript and full shownotes of references and further reading on The Oral Talmud webpage for this episode! The Oral Talmud is a co-production of Judaism Unbound and SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please help us keep both fabulous Jewish organizations going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation at oraltalmud.com. You can find a donate button on the top right corner of the website.