Ta Shma

Avi Killip. Why Does Kol Nidrei Begin Yom Kippur? Annulling our vows is a strange way to start a communal day of atonement. And yet, we come together in the moments before Yom Kippur to recite Kol Nidrei. Promising not to keep our word seems like a particularly lousy way to enter into a day of judgement. Wouldn’t we prefer to be a people who honors our vows? Using sources from the Talmud and Mishnah, we will investigate why we still begin Yom Kippur with Kol Nidrei.

Elie Kaunfer. A Theological Exploration of Unetaneh Tokef. Much of the power of the High Holidays lies in our coming face to face with the reality of human frailty. People are judged, God is the judge. People are the sheep, God is the shepherd. And perhaps most forcefully: People are dust and will return to dust, while God is the living and eternal king. But the picture of Unetaneh Tokef, from which those images derive, is actually much more complex. By looking at the source texts for this poem, we will open up new layers of meaning.

Shai Held. Or: In (Ambivalent) Praise of Hesitancy. The Torah reiterates the commissioning of Joshua as Moses’ successor again and again. All of this raises a simple question: Why Joshua? What is it about this man in particular that earns him the honor (and the burden) of leading Israel?

Rabbis Joseph Telushkin and Shai Held in Conversation. Forgiveness is extremely important but also enormously difficult. It raises questions that elude easy answers: When should we forgive? Why should we forgive? Are there situations in which we should not (may not) forgive? If forgiveness is so important, why is it often so hard? Join us for this timely exploration of what it means to forgive (and not to).

Shai Held. What It Takes to Really Change. Deuteronomy imagines a day when, after harrowing exile, Israel will repent and be reconciled with God. Commenting on what he takes to be the text’s insistence that teshuvah (repentance) is accessible and close at hand, one Jewish philosopher lauds repentance for its “ease.” Yet for many of us, the very opposite seems to be the case: We experience real repentance as difficult and demanding, and sometimes even grueling. As Rosh Ha-Shanah approaches, it behooves us to ask just why this might be the case.

Elie Kaunfer. Kavanah as Counter-Culture. We live in an age of constant distraction, often preventing us from focusing on the most important elements of our lives. How much of this struggle is unique to our age? The need for intention or focus—kavanah—was always a critical component of Jewish prayer—and always hard to achieve. What lessons can we draw from the rabbis' struggle to achieve kavanah—and later attempts to increase kavanah—as a way to help us focus in our prayer lives, and in our lives in general. Recorded live at the Summer Yom Iyyun, 2015.

Ever wanted to know the answer to some deep and challenging questions in halakhah (Jewish law)? Join R. Avi Killip interviewing R. Ethan Tucker with questions sent in by Yeshivat Hadar alumni and others on all sorts of details of Jewish law. This is a joint project between the Center for Jewish Law and Values and Jewish Public Media.

Shai Held. Forgetting the Self. Reading the curses in Deuteronomy can be a distressing experience. After a relatively brief evocation of the good fortune that awaits Israel should it obey God’s laws, parashat Ki Tavo goes to great lengths to describe the disasters that will befall the people should they disobey. Can it really be desirable for the Jewish people to worship God out of abject fear? On one level, it would seem, the answer is yes. After all, Jewish theology places great emphasis on our obligation to fear God… or does it?

Shai Held. Deuteronomy's Dream for the Jewish People. How does Deuteronomy think about mitzvot and the responsibilities between Jews and each other, and Jews and God? Recorded live at the Executive Seminar, 2015.

Ever wanted to know the answer to some deep and challenging questions in halakhah (Jewish law)? Join R. Avi Killip interviewing R. Ethan Tucker with questions sent in by Yeshivat Hadar alumni and others on all sorts of details of Jewish law. This is a joint project between the Center for Jewish Law and Values and Jewish Public Media.