 WHEN 6 Wednesdays, 7:00-8:45 P.M. Instructor: Rabbi Eli Landes This course is being offered for both online and in-person attendees LOCATION In person at Chabad of Fremont Jewish Center, 4251 Peralta Blvd & Via Zoom MORE INFO
510-300-4090 | [email protected] No charge to join the first class. A delicious buffet will be served at each class. Course Overview Book Smart:
Ever wished you could enter the study halls of ancient Babylon and experience the Talmud in its making? Perhaps journey to the Sinai desert and witness Moses teaching the Torah, or walk among the mystics as they deciphered the meaning of Kabbalah? Introducing Book Smart: a six-week course covering the unique history, style, and methodology of six different areas of Torah literature. Explore Jewish history from a novel viewpoint as we meet the authors of each of these areas and learn about the circumstances that prompted their compositions—and experience a taste for their different learning styles. Participate in a Talmudic debate, analyze a Midrashic parable, solve a Halachic dilemma, unravel a philosophical conundrum, apply an ethical principle, and decipher an esoteric Kabbalistic text. |
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Lesson Outline
— 01
The Torah
What is the Torah? What does it contain? How do all the various parts of the Torah combine to form a cohesive whole?
In this first course, we introduce a bird's-eye view of the Torah, as well as examine the Written Torah (the "5 Books of Moses", the "Prophets", and the "Writings") in more depth—exploring their stories, significance, and impact on Jewish life.
— 02
The Midrash
Step back approximately 2,500 years in time as we introduce the body of works known as the “Midrash.” Part parables, part ethics, part law, part history, and part mystical lore, the Midrash is a fascinating and essential work. We'll acquaint ourselves with the history of some of the major Midrashic works and their authors, as well as study some class examples of these writing—including a number of intricate legal expositions, as well as an esoteric parable relating to a celestial battle over the creation of the human being and the paradox of goodness and truth.
— 03
The Talmud
More than any other work, the Talmud defines “Jewish learning.” In this lesson, we review the history of the Talmud and explore the structure of this intricate and fascinating work, with its 63 volumes of teachings and deliberations by hundreds of sages over a period of six centuries on virtually every subject under the sun. We also engage in the in-depth study of a Talmudic sugya (“subject discussion”) and experience the unique twists and turns of the Talmudic dialectic.
— 04
Halachah
Halachah is the “bottom line” of Torah, where the biblical commandments, rabbinical ordinances, and Talmudic deliberations translate into the dos and don’ts of daily life. Halachah addresses every part of a Jew’s life, from waking to bedtime, from birth to burial, from everyday activities to the most extraordinary situations.
In this lesson, we explore the history of Halachah, from its sources in the Written Torah, through the Halachic Midrashim, the Talmud and its commentaries, the various “codes” compiled through the centuries, and the many thousands of Halachic responsa authored through the centuries. We survey the great variety of issues and dilemmas that Halachah addresses. We then bring it all to life via a case study that traces a Halachic issue from its biblical origins through more than a dozen citations across the entire spectrum of Halachic literature.
— 05
Musar and Jewish Philosophy
Musar is the body of Torah teachings that deals with ethics, character development, and spiritual self-improvement. The field of Jewish philosophy, also known as “Chakirah,” includes works devoted to discussing the philosophy and ideology of Judaism. While these constitute two distinct areas of Torah literature, there is also a certain degree of overlap between them; indeed, some of the fundamental works of Jewish philosophy are also works of Musar, and vice versa.
In this lesson, we review the history and the primary authors and works in these two fields. We then study a number of texts covering three related topics in both these fields: the doctrine of creation ex nihilo (“something from nothing”), bitachon (trust in G‑d), and the emotion of anger.
— 06
Kabbalah and Chasidism
Kabbalah is the Torah’s mystical dimension, containing its most powerful and empowering ideas. But for many centuries, the teachings of Kabbalah were carefully guarded secrets, transcribed only in the guise of esoteric terminology and metaphors, and taught only to a small, exclusive circle of mystics in each generation. Chasidism is both an extension of Kabbalah as well as a field of Torah in its own right, revealing the inner “soul” that unites the Torah’s various components and applying its most abstract spiritual teachings in personally meaningful ways.
In this lesson, we survey the history of Kabbalah and Chasidism. We address the question of why these teachings were kept secret, and why and how they were eventually revealed. We then explore one of the core subjects of Kabbalah—the doctrine of the “Ten Sefirot”—beginning with a mysterious passage in the Zohar, followed by a series of Kabbalistic and Chasidic texts that examine the great paradox of G‑d’s relationship with us, and the body-soul dichotomy that defines our own lives.