All Else Is Commentary is a new podcast of Jewish ideas from a curious, progressive and critical perspective, hosted by Rabbi Elliott Karstadt.

In this episode, Elliott is joined by Rabbi Kath Vardi, in the first in a series of episodes looking at rabbinic legends in the Babylonian Talmud - legends that cause us to reflect on the power of the rabbis and the boundaries they put in place around learning. This week, Elliott and Kath read the story of Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel. It’s a story about what happens when individual leaders can become too powerful; it’s about the way in which we can get stuck when we put narrow limits on who can learn and who can be involved in decision-making; and it’s a profound commentary on how communities should operate and thrive (or not). 

Click here to read the legend on Sefaria.org.

If you are heading back to this episode for an explanation of what the Talmud is, there's a time stamp for that!

1:48: What is the Talmud?

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any talmudic stories you would love Elliott and Kath to talk about, please be in touch with us at [email protected] – we would love to hear from you.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

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