Livestream Lunch and Learn – Jewish Theological Seminary

In Solomon’s Temple: The Wisdom and Vitality of Solomon Schechter

Stacy Firestone — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 23:03:06 +0000

A special opportunity to study with Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen as he delves into the enduring wisdom and vitality of the legendary Dr. Solomon Schechter, rabbinic scholar and president of 91�첥 from 1902 to 1915. Learn the core works of Dr. Schechter’s ideology in their 19th-century context, and explore their continuing importance to 21st-century Judaism.

Beyond the Four Questions: Creating Fun and Meaningful Seders for Children

Stacy Firestone — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 22:34:42 +0000

Ever wonder how to make the seder fun and meaningful for youth and children? Join Dr. Deborah Miller as she explores the rich educational structure of the seder while giving practical tips and advice on how to keep children ages 0 to 15 engaged in this powerful ritual. Take part in the conversation by adding your ideas and traditions in the comment box below.

Recommended Resources

Passover Placemates, Images and Visual Resources:

(Designed for special needs children, but fantastic for all!)

Recommended Board Books:

Recommended Book for Children Ages 4-8:

Additional Resources for Children in Elementary School

Recommended Haggadot

Preparing for Passover:

Music for Passover

(Debbie Friedman)

Parodies in English:

Other Resources:

“Truthiness” in the Bible

Stacy Firestone — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 03:07:04 +0000

What the Bible Means, What it Meant, and Why the Difference Matters: A recorded live stream lunch and learn

In an age when biblical texts are cited to justify political, religious, and moral beliefs, the question of how to interpret the Bible’s meaning is increasingly important. In this 91�첥 Live Stream Lunch and Learn, Rabbi Robert Harris will discuss several classical Jewish texts in order to guide participants toward an understanding of the distinction between derash and peshat—that is, how we define the difference between the questions “What does the Bible mean?” and “What did the Bible mean?”—and why understanding the difference matters.

Download the sources, or follow along below.

R. Yosef Kara on 1 Samuel 1:17

אך דע לך, כשנכתבה הנבואה, שלימה נכתבה עם פתרונה וכל הצורך, שלא יכשלו בה דורות הבאים, וממקומו אין חסר כלום. ואין צריך להביא ראיה ממקום אחר, ולא מדרש, כי תורה — תמימה נתנה, תמימה נכתבה, ולא תתחס כל בה. ומדרש חכמינו — כדי להגדיל תורה ויאדיר. אבל כל מי שאינו יודע פשוטו של מקרא, ונוטה לו אחר מדרשו של דבר, דומה לזה ששטפתהו שבולת הנהר ומעמקי מים מציפין, ואוחז כל אשר יעלה בידו להינצל. ואילו שם לבו אל דבר ה‘, היה חוקר אחר פשר דבר ופשוטו, ומוצא לקיים מה שנאמר: אם תבקשנה ככסף וכמטמונים תחפשנה אז תביןיראת ה‘ ודעת אלהים תמצא (משלי ב:ד-ה)…

Know well, that when Scripture was written, it was written completely, with every explanation and need taken care of, so that future generations would not stumble in it, and in its place, it lacks nothing. Moreover, one does not need to bring proofs from another place, and certainly not midrash, for the Torah was “given completely and written completely” (see Psalm 19:8: תורת ה‘ תמימה ), and lacks nothing. Whereas the midrash of the Sages is for the purpose of glorifying Torah and enhancing it (Isaiah 42:21). But anyone who doesn’t know the context of Scripture (the methodology of peshat), and prefers to incline towards a midrashic explanation, is similar to one who is drowning in a river, and the depths of the waters are sweeping him away, and who grabs hold of any old thing that comes into his hand to save himself. Whereas had he paid attention to the word of the Lord, he would have investigated the true explanation of the matter and its context, and would have fulfilled that which is written: If you seek it as you do silver, and search for it as for treasures, then you will understand reverence for the LORD and attain knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:4–5)…

Rashi on Genesis 3:8:

יש מדרשי אגדה רבים, וכבר סדרום רבותינו על מכונם בבראשית רבה ובשאר מדרשים. ואני לא באתי אלא לפשוטו של מקרא, ולאגדה המיישבת דבר המקרא ושמעו, דבר דבור על אפניו

There are many homiletical midrashim (on these verses), and the Rabbis have long ago arranged them in their proper place in Genesis Rabba and the other midrashim. Whereas I have only come to explain Scripture according to its plain meaning [peshuto], and according to the aggadah that “settles” a matter of Scripture and its sense, a matter understood according to its character [lit. “a word fitly spoken”; see Proverbs 25:11).

Rashbam: Introduction to Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1):

ידעו ויבינו יודעי שכל כי לא באתי לפרש הלכות, אף על פי שהם עיקר, כמו שפירשתי בבראשית. כי מיתור המקראות נשמעין ההגדות וההלכות. ומקצתן ימצאו בפירושי רבינו שלמה אבי אמי זצ”ל. ואני לפרש פשוטן של מקראות באתי. ואפרש הדינין וההלכות לפי דרך ארץ. ואף על פי כן ההלכות עיקר, כמו שאמרו רבותינו: הלכה עוקרת מקרא

Let knowers of wisdom know and understand that I have not come to explain halakhot, even though these are the essence of Torah, as I have explained in my Genesis commentary (e.g., at Genesis 1:1; 37:2). For it is from the apparent superfluousness of Scriptural language that aggadot and halakhot are derived. Some of these can be found in the commentary of our Rabbi Solomon, my mother’s father, may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing. But I have come to explain the contextual meaning of Scripture. And I will explain the laws and halakhot according to realia (lit. “the way of the world”). And (I will do this) even though (the rabbinic understanding of) the halakhot is the essence, as the Rabbis taught: “halakha uproots Scripture” (BT Sota 16a, with emendation).

Finding Meaning in the Festival of Lights

onlinelearning@jtsa.edu — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 03:00:37 +0000

A Hasidic Lesson for Hanukkah from the Sefat Emet.

A Livestream Lunch and Learn withRabbi Daniel Nevins,Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School and dean of the Division of Religious Leadership, 91�첥

The Sefat Emet, Rabbi Judah Aryeh Leib, The First Night of Hanukkah, 1870

א”ז מו”ר זצלה”ה אמר מה שמברכין שעשה נסים על ראיית נר חנוכה. כי הארת הנסים הם בהנרות. ובאמת כ’ הנרות הללו קודש הם. ונראה כי מאחר שהיה הדלקת המנורה בימים אלו עפ”י נס אף שלא הי’ שמן לבנ”י להדליק. א”כ גם עתה אף שאין לנו מנורה ושמן טהור. ג”כ שייך ההדלקה עפ”י הנס. מאחר שנס זה נשאר לדורות. רק הכלי להדלקה הזו הוא מצות הדלקת נר חנוכה דכתיב נר מצוה ותורה אור. הפי’ נר הוא כלי לקבל שמן ופתילה ואור

My grandfather, my teacher, may his righteous memory be for a blessing, said, “Why do we make the blessing, ‘…who made miracles for us in those days at this time’ when we see the Hanukkah candles? It is because the miracles of Hanukkah are apparent within the candles.” And it is truly written that, “these candles are holy.” Apparently, the lighting of the Menorah in those days [of the Maccabees] was miraculous for there was insufficient oil for the Israelites to light it. So too in our time we lack the lamp and the pure oil, and it is therefore the case even now that we light the Menorah via a miracle. For this miracle remains active for all generations. The container for this (continuous) miracle is the commandment to light the Hanukkah candles, as it is written, “for the commandment is the lamp, and Torah is the light” (Proverbs 6:23). That is to say that the lamp is a vessel that receives the oil and the wick and the light.

כן המצות נגד רמ”ח איברים ויראה ואהבה גי’ נר כ”כ בתיקונים. והוא שהמצות הם במעשה. ואור התורה נתלה בהם. שהרי המצות כתובים בתורה ועי”ז יתוקן המעשה ג”כ. והוא תיקון גוף איברי האדם. והתורה להביא דעת וחכמה לאדם. וגם לשון נר חנוכה שתיקנו חז”ל בברכת המצוה ג”כ כנ”ל דלא כ’ להדליק נר בחנוכה. רק שיש נר חנוכה. ועל ידי קיום המצוה מדליקין זה הנר הידוע. ובאמת הלא המשכן נגנז וכן המנורה וא”כ בימים האלו שהי’ ההדלקה אז עפ”י נס גם עתה היא דולקת

Thus, the commandments align with the gematria (numerology) of the 248 limbs of the body plus the words fear and love, to equal the gematria of the word candle. The commandments themselves are embodied in action, and “the light of Torah” is suspended within them. The commandments are written in the Torah, and it is through these commandments that our actions are repaired. This is the repair of the body and limbs of humanity. The Torah brings wisdom and insight to humanity. And the blessing […to light] “the lamp of Hanukkah” that the rabbis established [is precise]; it is not written, to light a lamp on Hanukkah; for there already is a Hanukkah lamp. By fulfilling the mitzvah, we are lighting that very lamp [i.e. the original one]! In truth, was not the Tabernacle hidden away and the Menorah as well [in ancient times]? Thus just as the Menorah was lit in those days via a miracle, so too now it is only through a miracle that the Menorah is lit.

וכעין זה אמר אא”ז מו”ר זצלה”ה על נר מערבי כיון שדולק בנס. דולק גם עתה במקום שנגנז כנ”ל. ורק לעורר ולהדליק זה ע”י מצות נר חנוכה שתקנו חז”ל. שע”י המצוה נזכר הארת הנס. [וכן הלשון בטור להזכיר הנס ולא לזכור ע”ש סי’ תרע”ט] וכל אלו הענינים משכן ומנורה הם נמצאים ברמז בכל איש מישראל שזה מה שיש לכל אחד מישראל חלק בתורה [והארת המנורה שגנוזים כמו כן באדם ובימים הללו יכולין לעורר ההארות הנ”ל שהם בחי’ המדות]

And on this my grandfather, my teacher, may his righteous memory be for a blessing, taught, “Just as the western lamp was lit through a miracle, it is still lit now in the place that it is hidden.” And this is awakened and lit through the lighting of the Hanukkah candles that the rabbis established. It is through the commandment of lighting the candles that the miracle is recalled. All of these items, [such as] the Tabernacle and the Menorah–they are hinted at in every Jew, that every Jew has a part of the Torah. [During these days, the hidden Menorah that is within a person can be awakened as mentioned above, as it is an essential part of one’s attributes.]

Guiding Questions

1. When you “perform” a mitzvah, what do you suppose is its effect? Is it just a symbolic action, or is there some sort of consequence?

2. How do you understand the claim that our performance of candle lighting is actually directly linked to the Temple ornaments?

3. What does it mean to “repair” one’s actions and body? What is “out of order” in them, and how does the practice of mitzvot repair them?