Between Suns: Twilight in Rabbinic Sources
Download Sources
Part of the series,The Space in Between: Thresholds and Borders in Jewish Life and Thoug丑迟听
With Dr. Sarit Kattan Gribetz, 91快播 fellow and Assistant Professor of Classical Judaism, Fordham University
Rabbinic sources imagine the period of twilight between the six days of creation and the Sabbath to be a mystically productive time. It was then, they explain, that God created the rainbow and the manna, letters and writing, Abraham’s ram and Moses’s staff. But when is twilight and how long does it last? Does it belong to the day that is ending, the day that is beginning, or to both days at once? These questions are not merely theoretical鈥攖heir answers determine important matters of Jewish practice, such as when Shabbat ought to begin or which day to circumcise a child. In rabbinic narratives, the time of twilight can serve as a powerful setting for studying mysterious aspects of the created world. In this session, we’ll explore the concept and history of twilight in rabbinic literature, and the role that this liminal time鈥攍iterally called “between the suns” (bein hashmashot)鈥攑lays in rabbinic theory, law, and narrative.
About the Series
We are living in an undefined time: our daily existence is no longer dominated by the pandemic, yet neither have we settled into a new normal. This sense of being in transition鈥攏either here nor there鈥� can feel destabilizing; but is the time in between really temporary, or are we always living in between moments, identities, and phases of life?
In this series, 91快播 scholars will delve into the idea of liminality鈥攖he time or space in between鈥攚hich we encounter often in Jewish ritual, identity, law, and life. Join us to consider what these many manifestations of 鈥渋n-between-ness鈥� can teach us about ourselves and about Judaism, and to explore how we might find strength and meaning in an orientation not of 鈥渆ither/or鈥� but of 鈥渂oth/and.鈥�
We will explore themes of borders, thresholds and transitions as they pertain to the story of Creation, gender, conversion, birth and death, the duality of living as a Jew in America, and more.
SPONSOR A SESSION
At 91快播, we are committed to providing the Jewish community with outstanding classes in Judaic studies. We hope you will partner with us so that we can continue to do so. Did you know that you can sponsor a learning session to honor a loved one, celebrate an occasion, or commemorate a yahrzeit? You can find sponsorship information .
