The inclusion of Shirat HaYam (Ex. 15:1-19) in daily shaharit is a relatively recent phenomenon, although it has been used as a prayer elsewhere for a long time. What can we learn from the history of its liturgical use?
This week, we'll look at an understudied, untranslated commentary on Bereishit 49, and in the process learn about why Karaites aren't what you imagined them to be.
What counts as "Torah commentary?" What is the line between commentary and scholarship? A half-destroyed page from the Cairo Genizah can help answer this question.
The Binding of Isaac is a tough story for anybody to deal with, but Saadia Gaon's concerns are not the most intuitive. This week, we'll explore Saadia's commentary through the Islamic context in which it was written.
Was the flood a Jewish event? This week's haftorah raises important questions as to the centrality of Judaism in the Torah's worldview and how it influences our reading of Biblical events.
A Biblical Story of Crimes, Misdemeanors, and Other Additions
In a shocking biblical narrative, a king of Israel embarks on a spiral of crimes culminating in murder. We will examine the appetites and processes that lead from misdemeanor to crime; we will then address the larger issue of how the trajectory of sin resembles that of addiction.
Monday, June 27 at 7:15pm Mechon Hadar, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (at 69th Street)
A senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Judy Klitsner has been teaching the Jewish bible and Jewish biblical exegesis for more than two decades. A disciple of the great Torah teacher Nechama Leibowitz, Klitsner has had a profound impact on thousands of students, many of whom now serve as teachers and heads of Jewish studies programs. Klitsner lectures widely in Israel, the U.S., and Europe. In her teaching and in her writing, Klitsner weaves together traditional exegesis, modern scholarship, and her own original interpretations that are informed by close readings of the text. Judy Klitsner is the author of the new book, Subversive Sequels in the Bible (Jewish Publication Society, 2009; and Maggid Books, a division of Koren Publications Jerusalem, 2010); more information can be found at www.JudyKlitsner.com.
Sefer Shemot traces our journey from slavery to freedom, from laboring for Pharaoh to being servants of God. This lecture series will focus on three themes that are central to that journey: the quest for knowledge, the pursuit of worthy work, and the battle against the obstacles that stand in the way of our crossing over into a life of freedom and service.
When: 3 Tuesday nights, January 11-25 (come for any or all classes) Time: 7:30 - 9:00 pm Cost: $5 per class Where: Mechon Hadar, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (at 69th Street)
Note:Please bring a humash (Bible) to each session if possible. We will have some extras.
Can't make it in person? Watch live on Ustream. Recorded audio and video of these lectures will also be made available with in a few days of each session.
Dr. Devora Steinmetz is a senior faculty member at Yeshivat Hadar where teaches Talmud and Tanakh. She is the author of From Father to Son: Kinship, Conflict, and Continuity in Genesis and Punishment and Freedom: The Rabbinic Construction of Criminal Law. She has taught rabbinic literature at Drisha and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She was a visiting scholar at Hebrew University's Hevruta Program and at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Steinmetz is the founder of Beit Rabban, an innovative day school that is profiled in Daniel Pekarsky's Vision at Work: The Theory and Practice of Beit Rabban. She serves as an educational leadership consultant to the Mandel Foundation.
Taught by Dr. Devora Steinmetz
