Ta Shma

Sometimes the line between heroism and cruelty can be difficult to discern. Faced with severe famine, Joseph shows himself to be a skilled and effective administrator; with great foresight and planning, he repeatedly brings the Egyptians back from the brink of starvation. Joseph is obviously an adept manager, but he is also seemingly a ruthless one: He saves the Egyptians but, as we shall see, he also enslaves them. In so doing, he runs afoul of the Torah's vision of how an ideal society should function.

Over the course of three interactive discussions, we will explore questions around how we maintain our integrity around observance even as we build community with those who do not share all of our practices or interpretations of Torah. Can we only trust people who practice just like us? Do we presume that those who do not adhere to a prohibition themselves are also likely to lead others astray? These questions lie at the heart of navigating our world of varied Jewish practice. We will begin to get a window into some of the ways rabbinic sources have tackled these challenges.

Elie Kaunfer explores the literary appraoch to Jewish liturgy using the case study of the first paragraph of the Amidah. Our prayers quote or reference biblical sources all the time. By comparing the text of the prayer to the sources it draws from, you can unlock new meanings for the prayer book. Why do we say "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"? Wouldn't it be more efficient to say "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"? Why do we call God "great, mighty, and awesome"? Why not more adjectives? Why those? What do they mean? These questions and more will be explored in this online shiur.

In ancient societies, it was generally assumed that the first-born son would inherit the mantle of leadership from his father. Yet in one appalling moment Reuben’s hopes of one day assuming leadership over his family come crashing down. In telling this sordid story, the Torah offers a fascinating window into the destructive dynamics of Jacob’s family and the tortured inner life of one of his sons. But it also imparts a powerful lesson about just how much damage impulsiveness can do—and about why it disqualifies even those with good intentions from positions of leadership.

Over the course of three interactive discussions, we will explore questions around how we maintain our integrity around observance even as we build community with those who do not share all of our practices or interpretations of Torah. Through a practical case study we will explore a medieval model for culinary coexistence among Jews who have fierce disputes over what is permitted and what is forbidden according to the Torah. These provocative discussions provide useful guidance for how to build community around food in the contemporary Jewish world.

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 Open Quorum.

Over the course of three interactive discussions, we will explore questions around how we maintain our integrity around observance even as we build community with those who do not share all of our practices or interpretations of Torah. We will begin with an ancient debate between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel around marriage and personal status. Through a close reading of passages in the Mishnah, Tosefta and the two Talmudim, we will lay out a framework for our communal discussion of our topic.

According to Jewish theology, many things are precious to God, but compassion and kindness are precious above all else. A remarkable midrash imagines Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses all pleading with God to no avail. Only Rachel’s words pierce the heavens because she herself has displayed such remarkable mercyת even in the face of legitimate, understandable ambivalence. So great is compassion, Jewish theology tells us, that it has the power to break God’s heart open.

Join Ethan Tucker as he assesses the state of conversion today, the history that brought us here, and steps for the future—specifically regarding the issue of a court of three men being present in the room with a female convert at the moment of immersion. Listen to this online shiur to learn about this issue that has caused so much controversy in the American Jewish community.

To be human is to be accountable. In contrast to (other) animals, the Mishnah teaches, human beings are always held responsible for their actions. The Torah seeks to impart this lesson through the often sordid story of the patriarch Jacob.