The Dating of the Texts of the Torah: Are There Certain Verses That Could Not Have Been Written by Moshe?
August 30, 2010 The Talmud argued that anyone who does not believe that the entire Torah was written by Moshe is considered as ridiculing God. Yet, there are several verses in the Torah that appear to have been written at a period later than Moshe's time. This lecture will explore the commentary of the ibn Ezra on a number of these verses and will examine two super commentaries on the ibn Ezra that attempt to reconcile the ibn Ezra's commentary with the traditional view of Moshe's authorship of the Torah. Finally, we will analyze the Song of the Sea as another potential chapter that was written after Moshe's time.

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Establishing the Correct Text of the Torah: Is Our Torah Text the Same Text that was Given to Moshe?
August 21, 2010 Orthodox theology today teaches that the text of the Torah that we have today is exactly the same text of the Torah that was given by God to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. Is this really true? This ecture will examine the evolution of the history of the Torah text beginning with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, continuing through the talmudic period and culminating in the creation of the first Rabbinic Bible in 1525 in Venice. The story of the text of the Torah contains many twists and turns and may have some surprising conclusions.

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The Written and Oral Torah: Did the Rabbis Base Their Tradition on the Literal Meaning of the Written Torah?
July 29, 2010 While Jewish tradition has always emphasized the sanctity of the Biblical text, the rabbinic tradition, that often contradicts the literal meaning of the Torah, has defined religious practice and observance throughout the ages. This lecture will explore four explanations for the relationship between the rabbinic interpolation of the Biblical texts and their literal meaning. Each explanation reflects the tension between the religious obligation to observe the law while at the same time the need to respect the sanctity of the Biblical text.

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The History of the Bible II: The Book of Devarim
November 12, 2008 The Book of Devarim poses serious questions for both traditional commentators and Bible Scholars. Devarim begins with the statement that "these are the words of Moshe". Did God dictate these words to Moshe or did Moshe write these words on his own? This lecture will explore the ways in which the traditional commentators address this issue. It will also present the view of the Bible Scholars who claim that the Book of Devarim was composed at a later date.

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The History of the Bible I: What Really Happened at Sinai?
November 5, 2008 The Bible has been studied through the eyes of traditional rabbinic commentaries throughout the centuries. In the last two hundred years, Biblical scholars have claimed that the Bible was authored by multiple authors long after he events that are described. This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. We will also explore how contemporary Orthodox scholars have addressed the Documentary Hypothesis.

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Hasidism Comes to America
May 5, 2010 At the beginning of the twentieth-century, scholars believed that Hasidism had no future. Yet, in spite of the pogroms and the destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust, Hasidism has flourished in the last decades. This lecture will explore the Hasidic dynasties of Boyan and Bobov and analyze the reasons for their success in America. In addition, we will explore the culture of American Hasidism and how they have incorporated American values to allow their isolated brand of Hasidism to flourish.

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Hasidic Prayer
April 28, 2010 In 1772, the members of the Vilna community issued a ban against the Hasidism. They criticized the nature of Hasidic prayer including their use of the Siddur of the Ari and their choice to pray in small minyanim. This lecture will explore the debate between the leaders of the Hasidim and the Misnagdim concerning the practices of Hasidic prayer, Finally, we will explore the responsum of the Rabbi Ezekiel Landau concerning the recitation of le-shem yichud prior to the performance of mitzvot. What were the social and political issues that drove this debate concerning Hasidic prayer?

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Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin and the Beginning of Modern Hasidism
April 21, 2010 The lecture begins with an analysis of the origins of the opposition of the Vilna community to Hasidism in 1772. What role did this play in the growth of the Hasidic movement? The lecture continues with a biographical survey of the life of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhiner dynasty. What was his power of leadership? Why was he so successful? The lecture will explore the political, personal and communal influence of this Hasidic leader who was the most influential Hasid of the first half of the nineteenth century.

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The Origins of Hasidism: Was It a Religious Revolution
April 14, 2010 Hasidism began in southern Poland in the middle of the eighteenth century. The founding of Hasdism is attributed to the Baal Shem Tov who lived in Podolia from 1700?-1760. This lecture will explore the origins of the Hasidic movement and the role of the Baal Shem Tov. Was he a charismatic anti-establishment leader or was this image of the Baal Shem Tov shaped later on as a reaction of the growth of the movement and its search for a founding figure?

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Rabbi Jacob Emden and Moses Mendelssohn: The Burial Controversy of 1772
February 21, 2010 The Jewish tradition of burial on the day of death was opposed by the German Enlightenment which feared that people were being buried alive. This lecture will explore the edict passed by the Duke of Mecklenburg in 1772 requiring the Jews to delay burial for three days. The Jews petitioned Rabbi Emden and Mendelssohn to offer opinions on this edict. Their debate highlighted the challenge of integrating the scientific and medical advances of the Enlightenment into Jewish practice and law.

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The Jews of Brooklyn
May 18, 2009 Jews arrived in Brooklyn at the end of the of the nineteenth century with the completion of the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges. The community quickly grew and developed and eventually spread to other neighborhoods in Brooklyn. This lecture will explore the development of both the Eastern European and Syrian communities in Brooklyn with an emphasis on the unique nature of each of these communities and their attitudes towards assimilating into American society and culture.

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The Jews of Boston
May 12, 2009 The Jews arrived in Boston in the middle of the nineteenth century. This community consisted of mainly Polish Jews and grew significantly in the last decades of the century. The Jews experienced both the anti-Semitism of Boston as well as the intellectual openness of the city. This lecture will highlight the roles of Louis Brandies and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik in the creation of an American Judaism that reflected the unique place of Boston in the American Jewish experience.

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The Jews of Cincinnati
May 5, 2009 Cincinnati was one of the most important American cities in the second half of the nineteenth century. Its Jewish community evolved around the opportunities that the city provided. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise founded Hebrew Union College which began as the first rabbinical school in America and soon developed as the center of American Reform. The Eastern European Jews also created a vibrant Orthodox community in Cincinnati

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The Jews of Charleston, South Carolina
April 27, 2009 While the first Jews to arrive in America came to New Amsterdam in 1654, in the early decades of the United States, the largest Jewish community was in Charleston, SC. This lecture will study the history and the culture of this early American Jewish community. Charleston was also the home of the first Reform congregation in America. We will explore how that congregation came to be and why American Reform began in Charleston.

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Aleppo 1900
June 3, 2008 The Jews have lived in Syria since the Biblical period. There is a legend that associates the Arabic name for Aleppo, Halab, with Abraham milking his cows and giving the milk to the poor of Aleppo. The history of the Jews of Aleppo in the first half of the twentieth century is a rich and fascinating one. This lecture will explore this history with a focus on the rabbinic tradition that developed in Aleppo during this period.

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London 1935
May 26, 2008 Jews have lived in England for over one thousand years. However, they were expelled in 1290 and not readmitted until 1655. This lecture will explore the Jewish community in London at the beginning of the twentieth century. We will focus on the career of Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz and his attempt to unite the British and immigrant Jewish communities and his attempt to improve the reputation of the Jews amongthe non-Jews in England.

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Metz 1895
May 19, 2008 The Jews have lived in Alsace since the early medieval period. However, the relationship of the Jews to Alsace underwent many changes as the region oscillated between French and German rule. In 1871, Alsace was conquered by the German and the Alsatian Jews were faced with the difficult decision of whether to switch their allegiance to the Germans. Initially, the Jews remained patriotic to the French. However, following the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890's where Alfred Dreyfus was criticized as a both a Jew and an Alsatian, the Jews began to express allegiance to the German cause. This lecture will explore the issue of these conflicting allegiances and their implication for the history of the Jews in Modern Europe.

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World of Our Grandparents: Part II – Berlin 1920
May 12, 2008 The Jewish community of Berlin following World War I consisted of both German Jews and Eastern European Jews. Each of these communities played an important role in the development of the Jewish community during the short lived democratic Weimar Republic. This lecture will explore the importance of each of these communities and the both the friction and cooperation that existed among the Jews of Berlin during this period.

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The History of the Jews of Hungary
May 15, 2007 The Jews have lived in Hungary for over a thousand years. This lecture will focus on the Jewish experience in Hungary on the eve of the emancipation from the Habsburg Empire in the 1860s. It was during this period that the Ultra-Orthodox disciples of the Hatam Sofer made several decisions that served to distinguish them not only fro the Reform but also fro the Neo-Orthodox, lead in Hungary at this time by Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer. This lecture will explore this decisions and their impact in determining the future of Hungarian Jewry.

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The History of the Jews of Latvia
May 8, 2007 Jews have lived in Latvia since the early sixteenth century. The community developed and grew in the nineteenth century as Easter Latvia became part of the Pale of Settlement and Western Latvia remained outside the Pale. This lecture will compare the history of the Jews of Riga and its German influence with the history of the Jews of Dvinsk which was included in the Pale.

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The History of the Jews of Lithuania
May 1, 2007 This lecture focuses on the role of the Vilna Gaon in the shaping of the religious personality of Lithuanian Jewry in the second half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. The influence of the Gaon impacted on the development of the early haskalah in Lithuania and led to the condemnation of the Hasidim by the Vilna community. The Gaon's influence extended past his death in 1797 and created the environment that led to the founding of the Volozhin yeshiva in 1802.

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The History of the Jews of Galicia
April 24, 2007 Galicia was an important center of Jewish culture and religion throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century. It was the home to Hasidim and Maskilim, to traditional learning and financial and political success among the Jews. But, it was also the home of much Jewish poverty and suffering. This lecture will explore the history of the Jews of Galicia and how the historical study of these communities has changed in recent years.

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Rabbi Tobias Geffen and the Coca Cola Teshuvah
February 13, 2007 In the early 1930's Rabbi Tobias Geffen, the Orthodox rabbi in Atlanta, received some inquiries from colleagues whether Coca Cola was kosher. The "secret formula" complicated the process, yet Rabbi Geffen was to gain the trust of the Coca Cola executives and they shared the ingredients with him.Rabbi Geffen discovered that one ingredient contained non-kosher animal fat and another ingredient contained traces of chametz. Surprisingly, Rabbi Geffen was able to convince Coca Cola to change these two ingredients and Coke has been kosher for Pesach and year-round ever since. The manner in which Rabbi Geffen gained access to Coke is traced through his personal letters of correspondence found in the archives of the American Jewish Historical Society.

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Are the Conversos Jewish: The Ashkenazic and Sephardic Approaches
November 8, 2006 The Crusades in Germany in 1096 and the Spanish riots of 1391 created tragic situations for the Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity. How did the rabbis in each country address the problem of these Conversos? Were they to be considered Jews even after they had converted? This lecture will explore two responsa; one written by Rashi and the other by the Rivash, the leading halakhic authority in Algiers in the fifteenth century who had escaped from Spain in 1391 after being forced to convert to Christianity.

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The Messiah of Baghdad
May 14, 2005 The messianic movement that developed around Bar Kokhba in the second century CE reflects a critical moment in the early history of Jewish messianism. The ability of rabbis to promote this messianism and how they dealt with his defeat has established an important model throughout Jewish history.

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The Shulhan Arukh and the End of an Era in Jewish Law
December 5, 2011 Rabbi Joseph Caro and Rabbi Moshe Isserles brought an end to the ear of codification in Jewish history. This lecture will explore the journey of each of these great rabbinic scholars through their lengthy commentaries on the Tur to their concise codes in the Shulhan Arukh. Why did both Rabbis Caro and Isserles choose to later their styles from the lengthy code to the more simplified one? What is the major difference between their approaches to halakhah? Why was the Shulhan Arukh with the notes of the Rama accepted as the authoritative code of Jewish law? Why didn't Jewish history and the Jewish people choose the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam or the Tur of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher?

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The Tur and the Merging of the Franco-German and Spanish Traditions
November 29, 2011 When Rabbenu Asher, the leading rabbinic authority left Germany for Toledo in 1302, it brought an end to the creative rabbinic tradition in Germany. Rabbenu Asher was accepted in Spain. Yet, his outlook and much of his rabbinic work reflects his German heriatge. His son, Rabbi Jacob, integrated the Franco-German and Spanish traditions in his Code entitled Arba Turim. Although he chose a codification approach of compilation of various opinions rather than the rejection and ignoring of other opinions practiced by Rambam, Rabbi Jacob introduced a practical aspect to his Code. This was reflected in the exclusion of certain non-practical material and the organization philosophy of the work. The Tur was widely accepted within the Jewish community and was the second Jewish book printed.

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The Rambam’s Mishneh Torah
November 20, 2011 The Rambam writes in the Introduction to his Mishneh Torah that his work will replace all rabbinic literature so that each Jewish library needs only a Tanach and a Mishneh Torah. When confronted regarding the arrogance of this statement by his colleagues, he retreats and explains that this was not really his intention. Yet, the Rambam took a bold and creative approach to Jewish law and rabbinic literature in his Mishneh Torah. This lecture will explore the history of the Mishneh Torah and the rabbinic reaction to it. Finally, we will study a section of the work and attempt to identify its unique characteristics.

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The Traditions of Ramban and Christian Spain
November 12, 2011 This lecture will explore the transition from the Gaonic tradition of the Moslem period to the rabbinic tradition of the Ramban in Christian Spain. In what ways did the Ramban integrate the traditions of the Gaonim and his predecessors in Moslem Spain with the approach of Tosafot and the Franco/German school of rabbinic teaching? Why is the position of the Ramban as a transitional figure from the traditions of the Moslem world to the approach of the Christian world a significant moment in the development of Jewish law in the medieval period?

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The Contributions of Rashi and Tosafot
November 6, 2011 This lecture will explore the transmission of Jewish learning and halakhah in Franco-Germany in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. Rashi's commentary on the entire Talmud served to make the Talmud the authoritative text in Ashkenaz and to make the gemara "user-friendly." Tosafot introduced the study and reconciliation of the entire Talmud. This method, known as dialectic, became the norm in the study of Talmud and halakhah. Yet, it was not without its opponents. We will explore the reasons for Tosafot's innovation and the basis of the opposition in developing the halakhic tradition in Franco-Germany.

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Are American Modern Orthodox Jews Obligated to Follow the Psak of Rav Eliyashiv?
October 18, 2009 Recently, Rav Eliyashiv, the posek of the Lithuanian Yeshiva community in Israel has issue several piskei halakha prohibiting going onto the Temple Mount, wearing Crocs on Yom Kippur and using Shabbat Elevators. Is the America Modern Orthodox community bound by these decisions? This lecture will explore this topic through the lens of the tradition sources ans the analysis of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein.

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Extra-Legal Material
September 15, 2009 This lecture will explore the role of extra-legal material in the decision-making of a posek. While this issue is very broad and includes changes in nature and economic considerations, this lecture will focus on whether the posek has to consider changes in behavior or societal change. We will analyze sources from the gemara and the commentaries on a wide variety of issues.

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The Limits of a Posek’s Authority
September 7, 2009 This lecture will explore the limits of the decision-making process. Does the judge or posek have complete freedom to determine the halakhah or are there certain limits to his freedom of pesak? We will explore the relevant gemara and commentaries followed by an analysis of the reaction to the process of codification of the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch.

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The Role of Precedent in Halakhic Decision-Making
August 15, 2009 What is the role of precedent in halakhic decision-making? Should the rabbis consider the previous decisions on a topic? Is he bound by these earlier decisions? This shiur will explore the sources on this topic which present a surprisingly expansive view of the rights of the posek in determining halakhis decisions

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Can You Shop Around for Leniencies?
August 1, 2009 This shiur will explore the source material that discusses the issue of asking multiple rabbis the same question in order to receive a "satisfactory" response. The sources will span the gemara, rishonim, aharonim and contemporary poskim and will address both the conceptual and practical aspects of this issue. Finally, the shiur will analyze whether the categories that were expressed by the earlier sources are still relevant today.

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Following Your Posek
July 25, 2009 This lecture will explore the authority of an individual's posek and the posek of the community. Can a person or a community follow a posek even if he is a minority opinion? Does the authority of the posek apply even in today's society? The source material traces this issue through the rishonim to modern day poskim.

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The Role of the Minority Opinion
July 18, 2009 In this shiur we will analyze the role of the minority opinion. Can a rabbi rely on this opinion? If so, what are the limitations of this ability to rely on a minority opinion? Is the minority opinion ever considered "right"? We will trace this question from the Mishna through the rishonim and the poskim.

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History: Halakhic Decision Making in the Rabbinic Period
July 4, 2009 The lecture will introduce the basic outline of decision making during the rabbinic period. How were decisions reached in the time of the Sanhedrin? Was the mishnah written as a book of law? How did the gemara transform the mishnah into a book of practical law? This lecture will explore the development of the earliest rules of decision making and the extra-halakhic considerations that help to determine the halakhah.

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Forbidden Foods: Bishul Akum and Stam Yavnam
November 14, 2007 The Talmud records that that certain foods prepared by non-Jews are not allowed to be eaten, even though the ingredients are kosher, due the risk of assimilation and intermarriage. Do these laws apply today/ This lecture will explore the evolution of these laws and their application in modern times where assimilation and intermarriage remain a serious concern.

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Business Ethics: Can a Jew cheat a Non-Jew?
November 7, 2007 The distinction that halacha places between the manner in which a Jew is obligated to interact with other Jews and how he is obligated to interact with non-Jews in business dealings has been a point of contention throughout the centuries. Jew have been called upon to explain these distinctions and to resolve the ethical difficulties raised by these issues. In this lecture, we will explore two instances of this distinction; the rules of the lost object of a non-Jew and the law of a non-Jew's mistake in business. We will analyze the basic parameters of these laws and see how these ethical problems were addressed by traditional Jewish scholars throughout the ages.

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Medical Ethics: Can a Jew save a Non-Jew on Shabbat?
October 31, 2007 The attempt to reconcile Western morality and halakhah has become an important issue within the Jewish community. Is it possible that halakhah collides with general moral principles? This issue lays at the foundation of the question whether a Jew is allowed to violate Shabbat in order to save a Non-Jew. This lecture will explore both the halakhic and moral background of this issue and attempt to explain the relationship between halakhah and morality in this instance.

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How should Jews Deal with Intermarried Jews?
October 24, 2007 The question of how the Jewish community deals with intermarried Jews is the most difficult problem facing the Jewish community today. This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. This will be discussed by comparing this question with the similar question whether a Shabbat violator can be counted toward a minyan.

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The History Of Jewish-Christian Dialogue
October 17, 2007 The History of Jewish-Christian Dialogue Description: Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. In the medieval period this debate was initiated by the Christians and the Jews were left to defend their religious and their interpretations of the Torah. In 1965 the Catholic Church passed the document of Nostra Aetate which called for a reconsideration of the Church's relationship with the Jews. There were various opinions within the Jewish community how to respond to this new initiative.

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Rabbi Yuval Cherlow and Internet Responsa
February 27, 2007 The age of technology has introduced new and innovative ways to spread all types of information including halakhah. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, the rosh yeshiva of the hesder yeshiva in Petach Tikva, has been one of the pioneers in the area of answering halakhic questions on the internet. In this class we will study some of the teshuvot exploring the various unique aspects of interent teshuvot including the question of anonymity and the ability to spread the answers instantaneously to a wide audience. We will focus on both personal questions as well as questions relating to the recent disengagement from Gaza.

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Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin: The Forgotten American Posek
February 20, 2007 Rabbi Henkin lived on the Lower East Side for over 50 years during which time he gained the reputation as "the rabbi's rabbi". His rabbinic responsa address many of the pressing issues confronting the Orthodox community during this period. In this class we will study three teshuvot by Rabbi Henkin; the first dealing with the permissibility of davenig in a non-mechitzah shul, the second concerning the validity of the Manhattan eruv and finally the issue of whether civil marriages and Reform marriages are recognized by the halakhah as marriages that would require a get if terminated.

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Resurrection of the Dead: Will It Really Take Place?
March 3, 2009 Resurrection of the Dead is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism. It has been included in the daily amidah and is considered by the Mishna as a pre-requisite for entry into the World to Come. This lecture will explore the various views of Jewish scholars concerning the exact nature of this phenomenon. Will the body and soul be reunited? Is this resurrection only for the soul? The main text will be the writings of the Rambam and the debate that these writings created on this issue.

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The Messiah: Who is He and What Will He Accomplish?
February 24, 2009 The messiah is one of the foundations of Jewish belief. The twelfth article of faith delineates the belief in the messiah and this has become both a religious and popular principle of Jewish belief. What was the Rambam's definition of the messiah and the messianic age? In this lecture, we will explore the three places in which the Rambam discusses the messiah; in his Commentary on the Mishna, the Mishneh Torah and the Epistle to Yemen. We will attempt to reconcile the conflicts between these descriptions and to develop the Rambam's view of messiah.

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Reward and Punishment: What Does This Concept Really Mean?
February 17, 2009 Reward and Punishment is the most basic principle of Judaism. How has it been explained in the Talmud? How do the rabbis address the question of theodicy (why bad things happen to good people)? This lecture will focus on analyzing the Rambam's novel and potentially problematic interpretation of this principle of faith through the study of selections from his Commentary on the Mishnah, Moreh Nebuchim and Mishneh Torah.

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Only God is be Worshiped: The Role of Angels in Jewish Thought
February 10, 2009 The Fifth Principle of the Rambam includes the prohibition to pray to God through intermediaries such as angels. This lecture will explore the history of the Jewish attitude towards praying to angels. While this issue has been a matter of dispute among philosophers and rabbis, the prevalent view has accepted the fact that we use angels as an intermediary to God. How can this view be reconciled with the Rambam's opinion? Is it OK to disagree with the Rambam on matters of theology?

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The History of Jewish Theology: Must a Jew Believe Anything?
February 3, 2009 The Bible has been studied through the eyes of traditional rabbinic commentaries throughout the centuries. In the last two hundred years, Biblical scholars have claimed that the Bible was authored by multiple authors long after he events that are described. This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. We will also explore how contemporary Orthodox scholars have addressed the Documentary Hypothesis.

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Why Do We Steal the Prayers of the Angels on Yom Kippur?
September 11, 2010 The tradition to recite the line of "boruch shem kevod" aloud on Yom Kippur is one of the dramatic highlights of the Yom Kippur service. This shiur will explore two sources, one from the Midrash and one from the Talmud, for the recitation of this line as an integral part of the daily Shema. The differences between these two sources point to two approaches regarding the reason for saying "boruch shem kevod" out loud. Are we given permission to recite the prayer of the angels on Yom Kippur or is this prayer a human prayer that has a special significance on Yom Kippur? Join me as we untangle this well-known yet curious custom.

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Kabbalat Shabbat
February 24, 2010 The Kabbalat Shabbat service incorporates several different elements. While in its essence it represents the acceptance of Shabbat with the recitation of the special Shabbat Psalm, the Kabbalists of Safed in the sixteenth century introduced the recitation of Lecha Dodi and the six introductory chapters of Tehillim. This lecture will examine the history of the Kabbalists in Safed and it will study the structure and themes of Lecha Dodi. Finally, it will trace the debate concerning the acceptance of Lecha Dodi in different communities.

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The Evening Service
February 17, 2010 The gemara relates a dispute between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding whether the obligation to daven maariv each night is compulsory of voluntary. This lecture will study the ramifications of this dispute through an analysis of the texts of the maariv service and a historical survey whether Jews actually davened maariv. In what ways did this uncertainty about maariv reflect itself in the liturgy and traditions of the evening service?

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The Structure of the Shemoneh Esreh
February 10, 2010 The Talmud explains that the structure of the shemoneh esreh is divided into three parts, praise, petition and thanksgiving. This lecture will explore this division and study the structure of the shemoneh esreh as a unit and as the main part of the daily service. Was the shemoneh esreh a reaction to the destruction of the Temple? Does its theme revolve around a broader topic? Is it merely a random combination of ideas and themes? In this lecture, we will try to make sense of the shemoneh esreh.

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The Shema and Its Blessings
February 3, 2010 The Shema is recited in the morning and evening services and is surrounded by various blessings. This lecture will explore the relationship between the Shema and its accompanying blessings. What is the central theme of the Shema and how do the blessing highlight this theme? The sources will include rabbinic material that traces the recitation of the Shema from the Temple period through the rabbinic period.

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The Morning Blessings
January 28, 2010 The daily synagogue service begins with the public recitation of a group of blessings describing regular morning practices. They also include† three blessings distinguishing Jewish men from Gentiles, slaves and women. This lecture will analyze the evolution of these blessings from their private recitation in the home to their prime role as the beginning of the daily service. The opinions of the Rambam, Rashi and the Provencal rabbis will be considered

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Twentieth-Century Philosophies of Prayer
November 17, 2009 The Enlightenment created many changes in the Reform Prayerbook. Yet, it also played a role in redefining the approaches and philosophies of prayer. This lecture will study four nineteenth and twentieth century commentators and philosophers and examine how they address the meaning of prayer in an age of rationalism that is often centered on the individual rather than God.

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The Siddurim of the Different Denominations
November 10, 2009 Beginning with the creation of the Reform movement at the beginning of the nineteenth century in Germany, the Siddur has been used to identify many of the ideological beliefs of each of the movements. This lecture will study the history of the Reform innovations in the Siddur and compare the modern day Conservative and Reform siddurim with a brief reference to the new Modern Orthodox Koren Siddur.

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History of Rabbinic Prayer
November 3, 2009 Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the rabbis in Yavneh sought to address the lack of a Temple and the service that was performed in it. This lecture will address the role of the synagogue following the destruction and the introduction of the Amidah during this period. Did the rabbis attempt to replace the Temple or did they recognize that the Temple could not be replaced and the synagogue and communal prayer were introduced as different modes of service?

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The History of the Synagogue
October 27, 2009 The synagogue became a place of Jewish prayer following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. What was the role of the synagogue prior to the destruction? What does this role teach us about communal Jewish prayer prior to the desrtuction of the Temple? This lecture will examine several sources that describe synagogues in Israel and in the diaspora and analyze the role of these synagogues in the Jewish world of the time.

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The Origins of Jewish Prayer
October 20, 2009 The Talmud writes that the Amidah was instituted in Yavneh at the end of the first century CE. Did the Jews participate in communal prayer during the Temple period? Was communal prayer always a part of Jewish tradition or was it merely a consolation prize following the destruction of the Temple? This lecture will analyze several mishnaic sources and a source from the apocrypha that address this issue.

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Prayer and the Sinner: Le-Hitpallel im Ha-Avaryanim
February 18, 2008 The Kol Nidrei service begins with a declaration permitting the "sinners" to participate in the Yom Kippur service. What is the origin of this declaration? How was it utilized throughout history? What is the definition of a "sinner" as it relates to Jewish prayer? What is the relevance of this declaration today? Do we attempt to include everyone in the service or are there certain types of people who areexcluded from the service?

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Prayer and the Sick: Mi Sheberach Le-Cholim
February 11, 2008 The tradition to recite a special prayer to honor specific members of the community dates to the Geonic period over a thousand years ago. This custom was expanded during the medieval period to pray for members of the community who were ill or found themselves in specific danger. The rabbis addressed this special prayer and its appropriateness to be recited during the service and on Shabbat. This lecture will explore the history of this Mi Sheberach le-Cholim.

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Prayer and the Dead: Kaddish
February 5, 2008 Mourner's Kaddish has become the most emotionally charged prayer in the Jewish Liturgy. What is the history of Kaddish and how did it achieve this central place in the prayer service? We will explore the evolution of the Kaddish and the different customs that were practiced in specific communities. We will also see how Kaddish has been utilized in the State of Israel and during the Holocaust.

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Prayer and the Enemy: VeLamalshinim
January 30, 2008 In the period following the destruction of the Second Temple, Jewish prayer began to take shape. The Daily Amidah was instituted and an additional bracha was added rejected the heretics. There is scholarly debate about whom this bracha refers which most suggestions centering around the early Christians who had broken away from Judaism. This lecture will explore this material and analyze how this bracha has been interpreted throughout the centuries.

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Prayer and the “Other”
January 21, 2008 Prayer and Women: Shelo Asani Ishah. The Talmud requires that men recite recite a daily blessing each day thanking God that they "were not created a woman". How has this brachah been understood throughout the centuries? How did women respond to this brachah and how did the rabbis react to the women's innovation?

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Economic Changes
July 28, 2010

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Modern Orthodoxy

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Jewish Christian Polemics

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New Settlements in the Hapsburg Empire

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Bar Kochba Revolt

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Period of Prophets

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Christian Persecution Part 1

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Jewish Christian Medieval

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Judaism & Rome Emergence of Christianity

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Messianism

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Persian Period Second Temple

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The Importance of Yavneh
November 23, 2010 With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the rabbinic period begins. What happened to the earlier halakhic traditions of the Sadducees and the Dead Sea sects? Traditional scholarship claims that these traditions were lost or rejected. However, recent studies have shown that some of these earlier opinions were incorporated into the pluralistic halakhic community that was created at Yavneh. This lecture will explore this tradition and evaluate why not all views were accepted into the rabbinic discourse.

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The Sadducees
November 15, 2010 Following the Hasmonean victory in 164 BCE, the members of the Hasmonean family assumed the kingship and high priesthood in Jerusalem. They allied themselves with the Pharisees and the reigning priests, the Sadducees, were forced to battle for their position of leadership. This lecture will explore three halakhic disputes between the Sadducees and the Pharisees and analyze these disputes from a socio-religious context and in terms of their importance in the development of Jewish law. What role did the Sadducees and their halakhic interpretations have on the later rabbinic interpretation of the law?

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Halakhah at Qumran
October 29, 2010 The legal scrolls of Qumran, written in the first century BCE, have been the subject of much scholarly interest over the past thirty years. This lecture will explore the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document and analyze their content. Did these scrolls contain interpretive material similar to rabbinic exegesis? Did these scrolls contain laws that were similar to later rabbinic law? If so, what does this material teach us about the innovations of the rabbis. Did the rabbis institute a new system or was their system of exegesis already found among the Jews of Qumran?

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Halacha and the Book of Jubilees
October 25, 2010 The Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish author in the second century BCE. It contains a retelling of the first portion of the Torah complete with an elaborate description of the observance of the laws of the Torah by the people in the story. This lecture will study the use of halacha in the Book of Jubilees and explore the importance of this work in the history of halacha. Did the rabbis actually reflect an unbroken chain of the tradition of does the Book of Jubilees express an alternative halachic tradition?

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The End of Prophecy
October 19, 2010 The Talmud records that prophecy ended during the Persian period around the year 500 BCE. Josephus also claims that prophecy ceased at this time. This lecture will explore the meaning of this tradition. Were there any prophets after this period? What is the significance of the end of prophecy for the history of Jewish law? How did the end of prophecy alter the role of Jewish leadership?

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From Kletzk to Lakewood: The Yeshiva Moves to America
May 27, 2011 This lecture will focus on the biography of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the rosh yeshiva in Kletzk, Lithuania who escaped to the United States in 1941 and established the yeshiva in Lakewood, NJ. We will explore the story of each of these yeshiva and the reasons for the success of each one. Finally, we will examine the manner in which Rabbi Kotler was able to establish a yeshiva in America that rejected all the elements that he believed were dangerous in American and American Jewish culture.

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Slobodka: The Mussar Yeshiva
May 19, 2011 The Slobodka Yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel in 1882 in a suburb of Kovno. This yeshiva integrated the tradition study of gemara with the emphasis on mussar. Rabbi Finkel was a follower of Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the mussar movement. Yet, Rabbi Finkel emphasized the Gadlut Ha-Adam, the greatness and potential of people. This potential was realized in Slobodka through the traditional study of gemara and the inclusion of mussar. The yeshiva of Slobodka moved to Hebron in 1924 and then to Jerusalem after the Arab massacre in 1929. Many of the great roshei yeshiva of the twentieth century were students of Rabbi Finkel

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The Closing of Volozhyn
May 13, 2011 The Volozhyn yeshiva continued to prosper throughout the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of the Netziv. At the same time, the Jewish Enlightenment began to gain strength in Lithuania and the Netziv was pressured to formally introduce secular studies into the yeshiva. Although he personally had a laissez-faire attitude towards the study of secular studies by the students in Volozhyn, he opposed the introduction of these studies into the yeshiva curriculum. Eventually, the Netziv relented to teach secular studies in the evenings and he often had to force students to leave their learning to attend these classes. Finally, in February, 1892, the Russian authorities closed down the yeshiva, This lecture will also evaluate other factors that impacted the yeshiva in its final years.

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Volozhyn: The Beginning of the Yeshiva Movement
May 9, 2011 Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn founded the yeshiva in his hometown in 1802. What made this yeshiva special? How did it combat the forces of Hasidism and the lack of Torah study at the time? This lecture will utilize primary sources to present a taste of the Volozyn Yeshiva in its early days and to appreciate the unique approach to Torah study and to yeshiva administration that was introduced by Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn.

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The End of Prophecy
October 19, 2010 The Talmud records that prophecy ended during the Persian period around the year 500 BCE. Josephus also claims that prophecy ceased at this time. This lecture will explore the meaning of this tradition. Were there any prophets after this period? What is the significance of the end of prophecy for the history of Jewish law? How did the end of prophecy alter the role of Jewish leadership?

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Halacha and the Book of Jubilees
October 25, 2010 The Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish author in the second century BCE. It contains a retelling of the first portion of the Torah complete with an elaborate description of the observance of the laws of the Torah by the people in the story. This lecture will study the use of halacha in the Book of Jubilees and explore the importance of this work in the history of halacha. Did the rabbis actually reflect an unbroken chain of the tradition of does the Book of Jubilees express an alternative halachic tradition?

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Halakhah at Qumran
October 29, 2010 The legal scrolls of Qumran, written in the first century BCE, have been the subject of much scholarly interest over the past thirty years. This lecture will explore the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document and analyze their content. Did these scrolls contain interpretive material similar to rabbinic exegesis? Did these scrolls contain laws that were similar to later rabbinic law? If so, what does this material teach us about the innovations of the rabbis. Did the rabbis institute a new system or was their system of exegesis already found among the Jews of Qumran?

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The Sadducees
November 15, 2010 Following the Hasmonean victory in 164 BCE, the members of the Hasmonean family assumed the kingship and high priesthood in Jerusalem. They allied themselves with the Pharisees and the reigning priests, the Sadducees, were forced to battle for their position of leadership. This lecture will explore three halakhic disputes between the Sadducees and the Pharisees and analyze these disputes from a socio-religious context and in terms of their importance in the development of Jewish law. What role did the Sadducees and their halakhic interpretations have on the later rabbinic interpretation of the law?

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The Importance of Yavneh
November 23, 2010 With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the rabbinic period begins. What happened to the earlier halakhic traditions of the Sadducees and the Dead Sea sects? Traditional scholarship claims that these traditions were lost or rejected. However, recent studies have shown that some of these earlier opinions were incorporated into the pluralistic halakhic community that was created at Yavneh. This lecture will explore this tradition and evaluate why not all views were accepted into the rabbinic discourse.

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Did Persian Culture Influence the Babylonian Talmud?
January 25, 2011 This lecture will provide the background for the Jewish experience in Persia which began during the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. The Jews flourished under Parthian culture and then under Sassanian rule. The influence of Persian culture on Babylonian rabbinic tradition will be explored through the utilization of two sources; the first addresses the role of lineage in rabbinic and Persian culture; the second, examines whether the rabbis dealt with Jews in cosmopolitan cities in Persia differently than they dealt with Jews from more provincial Babylonian towns.

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Did Zoroastrian Religious Practices Influence Babylonian Rabbinic Practice?
February 4, 2011 The dominant religion in Persian society during the Talmudic period was Zoroastrianism. This lecture will evaluate the Babylonian Jewish attitude to this religious and compare it to the Jewish attitude to Christianity. In addition, we will explore the possible influence of Zoroastrian practice on rabbinic practice through the study of rabbinic and Zoroastrian sources on two legal issues that were addressed by both religious cultures.

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How Did the Jews of Persia in the Talmudic Period Interpret the Book of Esther?
February 14, 2011 The Tractate Megillah's interpretation of the Book of Esther is the only full length midrashic analysis of a Biblical book in the entire Talmud. How was this analysis influenced by the Jew's interaction with Persian society and culture? Did the Persian Jews interpret the Book of Esther in a special manner because it was a book about their ancestry in Persia? This lecture will study specific examples in the Talmud's interpretation of Esther and parallel sources in Persian and Christian literature.

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The Western Diaspora: What Was the Nature of Judaism Outside of Babylonia?
February 23, 2011 Jews entered the western diaspora as far west as Rome following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, sent as slaves to all parts of the Roman Empire. There is almost no communication between the Jews of the western diaspora and the Jews of Babylonia. This lecture will explore whether the rabbinic tradition was practiced in the western diaspora or whether they practiced a non-rabbinic form of Judaism during this period studying relevant Jewish and non-Jewish sources.

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The Editing of the Babylonian Talmud: How Did This Event Create the Framework for Jewish Law and Study?
February 28, 2011 According to Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Talmud was edited in the fifth century CE by Ravina and Rav Ashi. This lecture will explore this tradition. Are there any Jewish or Persian sources that verify this tradition? Why was the Talmud compiled at this juncture of history? In conclusion, the editing of the Talmud and its subsequent transcription reflected the expansion of the Jewish community from Babylonia to North Africa and Spain. Finally, this lecture will examine the movement of the Babylonian Talmud to Germany and France and the origins of the traditions of Rashi and Tosafot.

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The Contributions of Rashi and Tosafot
November 6, 2011 This lecture will explore the transmission of Jewish learning and halakhah in Franco-Germany in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. Rashi's commentary on the entire Talmud served to make the Talmud the authoritative text in Ashkenaz and to make the gemara "user-friendly." Tosafot introduced the study and reconciliation of the entire Talmud. This method, known as dialectic, became the norm in the study of Talmud and halakhah. Yet, it was not without its opponents. We will explore the reasons for Tosafot's innovation and the basis of the opposition in developing the halakhic tradition in Franco-Germany.

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The Traditions of Ramban and Christian Spain
November 12, 2011 This lecture will explore the transition from the Gaonic tradition of the Moslem period to the rabbinic tradition of the Ramban in Christian Spain. In what ways did the Ramban integrate the traditions of the Gaonim and his predecessors in Moslem Spain with the approach of Tosafot and the Franco/German school of rabbinic teaching? Why is the position of the Ramban as a transitional figure from the traditions of the Moslem world to the approach of the Christian world a significant moment in the development of Jewish law in the medieval period?

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The Rambam’s Mishneh Torah
November 20, 2011 The Rambam writes in the Introduction to his Mishneh Torah that his work will replace all rabbinic literature so that each Jewish library needs only a Tanach and a Mishneh Torah. When confronted regarding the arrogance of this statement by his colleagues, he retreats and explains that this was not really his intention. Yet, the Rambam took a bold and creative approach to Jewish law and rabbinic literature in his Mishneh Torah. This lecture will explore the history of the Mishneh Torah and the rabbinic reaction to it. Finally, we will study a section of the work and attempt to identify its unique characteristics.

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The Tur and the Merging of the Franco-German and Spanish Traditions
November 29, 2011 When Rabbenu Asher, the leading rabbinic authority left Germany for Toledo in 1302, it brought an end to the creative rabbinic tradition in Germany. Rabbenu Asher was accepted in Spain. Yet, his outlook and much of his rabbinic work reflects his German heriatge. His son, Rabbi Jacob, integrated the Franco-German and Spanish traditions in his Code entitled Arba Turim. Although he chose a codification approach of compilation of various opinions rather than the rejection and ignoring of other opinions practiced by Rambam, Rabbi Jacob introduced a practical aspect to his Code. This was reflected in the exclusion of certain non-practical material and the organization philosophy of the work. The Tur was widely accepted within the Jewish community and was the second Jewish book printed.

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The Shulhan Arukh and the End of an Era in Jewish Law
December 5, 2011 Rabbi Joseph Caro and Rabbi Moshe Isserles brought an end to the ear of codification in Jewish history. This lecture will explore the journey of each of these great rabbinic scholars through their lengthy commentaries on the Tur to their concise codes in the Shulhan Arukh. Why did both Rabbis Caro and Isserles choose to later their styles from the lengthy code to the more simplified one? What is the major difference between their approaches to halakhah? Why was the Shulhan Arukh with the notes of the Rama accepted as the authoritative code of Jewish law? Why didn't Jewish history and the Jewish people choose the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam or the Tur of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher?

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The Acceptance of the Shulhan Arukh and the Invention of Printing
January 21, 2012 The Shulhan Arukh was first printed in Venice in 1564. The lecture will explore whether the code of Rabbi Joseph Caro was immediately accepted as authoritative among the Jews of the Spanish diaspora and the role that this code played in the unification of these Jews in the century following the expulsion from Spain. The code of Rabbi Moses Isserles was printed alongside the Shulhan Arukh for the first time in Cracow in 1569-71. We will explore the role of printing in the opposition in Ashkenaz to this code and the innovation of the Rema to the history of codification.

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The Battles of the Polish Rabbis Regarding the Methods of Codification
January 31, 2012 This lecture will explore the process by which the Rema's commentary on the Shulhan Arukh was accepted throughout Poland. We will examine the alternative codes of Rabbi Solomon Luria and Rabbi Mordechai Jaffe and explain why these codes were not considered authoritative. Then, we will analyze the battle between the authors of the Shach and the Taz and evaluate how their battle for supremacy served to solidify the position of the Rema in Poland.

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The Approach of Hasidim to Halakhah
February 8, 2012 The Misnagdim criticized he Hasidim as rejectors of the traditional halakhah. This lecture will explore the Hasidic attitude to halakhah and evaluate whether the Misnagdim were correct. We will explore the Shulhan Arukh of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyady and several halakhic decisions of the nineteenth century Hasidim. How did the Hasidim balance their separatist views with the need to be pragmatic?

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Non-Hasidic Approaches to Halakhah: Arukh Ha-Shulhan and Mishneh Brurah
February 15, 2012 The end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought many modernizations to the Jewish comunities of Eastern Europe. How did the halakhic works address these innovations and cahnges in reality? This lecture will explore the approaches of Arukh Ha-Shulhan and Mishneh Brurah to halakhic codification during this period. The works focused on the changes in society as well as the fact that halakhah was no longer only the property of the rabbinic elite. These two codes set the stage for the contemporary attitude towards halakhah.

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