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In Season two of The Evolution of Torah, Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz takes usto four regions of the Medieval world to understand the specific Torah cultures that emerged from each place...
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In Season two of The Evolution of Torah, Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz takes usto four regions of the Medieval world to understand the specific Torah cultures that emerged from each place and their approach to Torah learning. The season covers Muslim Spain and North Africa, France, Germany, and Christian Spain over the course of 500 years, from the closing of the Talmud around the year 800 to the Spanish Inquisition. There is also one episode about Maimonides.
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Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
19 NOV 2019 · What led to the emergence of the group of scholars and teachers we call the Rabbis? What motivated them and what did they value? The Rabbis looked to their forebear, Hillel, as an exemplar of religious leadership, and in this episode, we’ll look at three stories they told about Hillel to see what we can learn about the Rabbis’ self-conception.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
19 NOV 2019 · The Mishnah is the foundational rabbinic text. How did it come to be? Who authored it? And what’s in it? In this episode, we look at an example of a mishnah and Rabbi Schwartz also gives an overview of the role of women in and around the Mishnah.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
19 NOV 2019 · Interpreting the Mishnah evolved into a creative process where pairs of Rabbis would argue with each other. In this episode, we discuss how these debates about interpretation developed into a primary component of the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
19 NOV 2019 · The Rabbis were not only interested in compiling and interpreting the Mishnah. In this episode, we look at some examples of Midrash, rabbinic interpretation of the Bible to derive both legal and narrative insights. We also hear how study of Midrash experienced a renaissance in the hands of modern scholars and ask if genuine Midrash can be found after the rabbinic period.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
19 NOV 2019 · How did the Babylonian Talmud become a fixed, closed book, the most influential one in the Jewish world? In this episode, we discuss the final layers of interpretation and editing that made it into the Talmud. We’ll also see how the influence of the Geonim, the heads of the Babylonian academies, together with immigration, spread the authority of the Babylonian Talmud to even far-flung Jewish communities. Lastly, we reflect on how the process of interpreting the Talmud continues through the medieval period and into our own day.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
31 MAY 2023 · Get ready for Season 2 of the Evolution of Torah: Establishing Rabbinic Culture
6 JUN 2023 · How did geographic diversity and separation impact rabbinic culture? In the season opener, we begin with the story of the four captives, the story that ended season one. This narrative offers an example of how rabbinic learning spread. We introduce the challenges and opportunities that faced Jewish communities which connect our four regions: Muslim Spain and North Africa, France, Germany, and Christian Spain. The season also includes a stand-alone episode about the monumental figure of Maimonides.
Hosted by: Rabbi Mordecai Marcus Schwartz
Produced by Ellie Gettinger
Edited by Sarah Brown
Cover art: Lee Willet
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
13 JUN 2023 · The legal culture of Muslim Spain and North Africa from the ninth to the thirteenth century focused on making the Talmud accessible through practical applications of Gaonic interpretations. This episode follows two scholars: Rabenu Hananel ben Hushiel whose approach is one of the earliest known attempt to provide a systematic commentary on the Talmud and that of Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (the RIF) whose work superseded Hananel’s within two generations. This period in general and the Rif’s work specifically kicked off the period of the Rishonim.
Hosted by: Rabbi Mordecai Marcus Schwartz
Produced by Ellie Gettinger
Edited by Sarah Brown
Cover art: Lee Willet
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
20 JUN 2023 · This episode focuses on Rashi (1040 - 1105, Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac) and his intellectual (and genetic) heirs. We start by exploring the significant differences between French rabbinic culture and that of North Africa and Muslim Spain. As opposed to summarizing the law as presented in the Talmud which was the central aim of scholars like the RIF, Rashi embarked on a broader interpretative process which led his predecessors to the mammoth task of harmonizing conflicting and contradictory Talmudic discussion.
Hosted by: Rabbi Mordecai Marcus Schwartz
Produced by Ellie Gettinger
Edited by Sarah Brown
Cover art: Lee Willet
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
27 JUN 2023 · For this episode, we focus solely on Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204, Maimonides/Rambam), whose work in diverse disciplines from medicine to philosophy worked to elevate rabbinic legal culture. We examine the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides’s companion to the written Torah, which is the oldest in existence and delve into his rigorous work life. Through his letters, we get a sense of Maimonides personal challenges and extensive reach during his lifetime underscoring our desire to dedicate an episode to this transformational figure.
Hosted by: Rabbi Mordecai Marcus Schwartz
Produced by Ellie Gettinger
Edited by Sarah Brown
Cover art: Lee Willet
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5
In Season two of The Evolution of Torah, Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz takes usto four regions of the Medieval world to understand the specific Torah cultures that emerged from each place...
show more
In Season two of The Evolution of Torah, Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz takes usto four regions of the Medieval world to understand the specific Torah cultures that emerged from each place and their approach to Torah learning. The season covers Muslim Spain and North Africa, France, Germany, and Christian Spain over the course of 500 years, from the closing of the Talmud around the year 800 to the Spanish Inquisition. There is also one episode about Maimonides.
show less
Information
| Author | JTS |
| Organization | JTS |
| Categories | Religion & Spirituality , Judaism , Books |
| Website | www.spreaker.com |
| onlinelearning@jtsa.edu |
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