Summary and Setup
An introduction to the structure and history of the Talmud, its basic assumptions and influence on modern Jewish practice.
- Describe the structure and history of the Talmud.
- Demonstrate how the Talmudic debate processes uses questioning to examine the implications of a general statement.
- Describe examples of the diversity of halachic opinions in antiquity.
- Identify examples of Talmudic conclusions showing up in modern practice.
- Adopt different viewpoints and examine how pieces of evidence do or do not support those viewpoints.
- Identify resources for continuing partnered or independent study.
Prerequisite
- No previous experience with Talmud and no knowledge of Hebrew required!
- Discussions will assume some familiarity with Jewish practices (e.g. mezuzah), liturgy (e.g. Shema), and Torah stories (e.g. ??).
Setup
Please bring paper and a pen or pencil. Handouts will be provided.