"Haham Adif mi-Navi" Rav Kook on the Meaning of Prophecy and Halakhah
Shiur Klali (Integrated Communal Learning)
Rabbi Shai Held Through a close reading of a beautiful essay by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, we'll discuss the relationship between broad vision (that is, Prophecy) on the one hand, and attention to detail (that is, Halakhah), on the other--in life in general, and in Jewish life in particular. Download Audio Recording1 hour, 51 minutes; 31.8 MB
Wonder, Prophecy, and Creativity: The Religious Worldviews of Rabbis Heschel and Soloveitchik
by Rabbi Shai Held
In this class, we will explore the theological worldviews of Rabbis Abraham Joshua Heschel and Joseph Soloveitchik. We'll begin with Heschel, and discuss: a) the meaning of wonder and radical amazement, and their connection to a sense of commandedness; b) Heschel's belief in a personal God and his idea that God is "in search of man"; c) the meaning of prophecy, and how prophets can serve as role models for our own religious lives; d) the problem of evil and how it affected Heschel's relationship with God; and e) the life of prayer, and our attempt to overcome self-centeredness. Then we'll turn to Soloveitchik and focus especially on the idea of the human being as creator, and on how that plays out in a variety of Soloveitchik's writings. The class aims both to introduce Heschel and Soloveitchik on their own terms, and to provide students with a vocabulary for thinking about their own religious commitments and obligations.
This three part series will explore central themes in Jewish theology and their relevance to our lives. Lecture topics include:
I. How (Not) To Talk About God April 28, 2010 In this first session, we'll begin by exploring the very different ways two seminal Jewish thinkers-- Maimonides and Abraham Joshua Heschel-- thought about God, and see what's at stake for us in their disagreement. We'll continue by discussing why the idea of God's transcendence is so important for Jewish theology-- why, in other words, everything is not God. Listen to Session 1 (April 28)
II. On Faith, Doubt, and the Possibility of Believing in Our Time May 5, 2010 In this session, we'll explore some of the ways Jewish thinkers have thought about faith and doubt, and about the relationship between them. How might we think about faith-- what does it mean? What does it look like in real life? What risks are entailed by a life of faith? We'll also ask how the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard can help us think about faith, passion, and uncertainty in our own lives.
III. On Walking in God's Ways and the Path of Lovingkindness (Hesed) May 12, 2010 In this final session, we'll explore what Judaism sees as the culmination of the good life: embodying the ideal of Hesed in the world. Using Maimonides as our springboard, we'll explore the relationship between a life of contemplation and a life of action.
We hope you will join us for these lectures. RSVPS are not required.
Can't attend? All lectures will be broadcast live on u-stream and made available in podcast and video form
4/8/10
A Role Model for Social Action - Moshe's Leadership
Mishael Zion
Taking a close look at Shemot Chapter 2, with the help of Franz Kafka, Rabbi Moshe Chalphon hacohen and Yehuda Amichai, we will try to unravel some of the lessons Moshe Rabeinu teaches us about taking aciton in the face of injustice.
Few texts in the history of Judaism have been as evocative, elusive, and controversial as Genesis 22, the story of the Akedah. Why does God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, and why does Abraham agree? What are the consequences of this fateful event for Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah-- and for us as readers and students of this text? We'll begin with a close literary and theological exploration of the Biblical text itself, consider the interpretations of Hazal, and then create a multi-faceted conversation among an array of modern Jewish (and Christian) thinkers as they-- and we-- struggle to make sense of this text and its role in Jewish theology and spirituality. Our investigation will include such thinkers as Soren Kierkegaard, Abraham Isaac Kook, Joseph Soloveitchik, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Buber, Phyllis Trible, Uriel Simon, Jon Levenson, and others.
Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg is one of the leading Jewish thinkers and activists of our time. He is the President Emeritus of Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation. He served as founder and president of CLAL from 1974-1997. Author of The Jewish Way, Living in the Image of God, and For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity, he has written extensively on the theory and practice of pluralism among other topics.
