Transcript What The AP Reading Taught Me About Traditional Judaism

What The AP Reading Taught Me
About Traditional Judaism
by Ruth Wunderlich
Exodus 18 - Parsha Yitro
13. It came about on the next day that Moses sat down to judge the people, and the
people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.
…
17. Moses' father in law said to him, "The thing you are doing is not good.
18. You will surely wear yourself out both you and these people who are with you for
the matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
…
21. … you shall choose out of the entire nation men of substance, God fearers, men
of truth, who hate monetary gain, and you shall appoint over them [Israel]
leaders over thousands, leaders over hundreds, leaders over fifties, and leaders
over tens.
22. And they shall judge the people at all times, and it shall be that any major matter
they shall bring to you, and they themselves shall judge every minor matter,
thereby making it easier for you, and they shall bear [the burden] with you.
Hevruta - a pair of people
studying Jewish texts together
 Lithuanian Yeshuvot, Rabbi Chaim ben
Isaac in the 1800’s
 Widespread use began during the beginning
of the twentieth century after WWI.
Possible Advantages
 Eliminates the need of a Rav (Rabbi) in
order to fully understand the Talmudic text.
 Aids in memory or learning.
 Inclusion of the masses
 Cooperative Learning!
But why sustained pairs? not found.
Possibly efficiency and focus ??
From the Babylonian Talmud
“Two scholars sharpen each other in [matters
of] halakhah”
Ta’anit 7a; Shabbat 63a
Halakhah = Jewish Law
A Page of
Talmud
Mishnah + Gamara = Talmud
Mishnah = Oral Torah - Jewish Law
200 C.E.
Gamara = Commentary on the Mishnah
500 C.E.
Rashi’s Commentary on the Talmud
1040-1105 C.E. Inside Column
Tosafot (Additions) Commentary on Rashi
1100’s and 1200’s Outside Column
Numbers 27 - Parsha Pinchas
1. The daughters of Zelophehad … came forward, and his daughters' names were
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2. They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the kohen and before the
chieftains and the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
saying,
3. "Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the assembly that banded
together against the Lord in Korah's assembly, but he died for his own sin, and
he had no sons.
4. Why should our father's name be eliminated from his family because he had no
son? Give us a portion along with our father's brothers. ”
5. So Moses brought their case before the Lord.
6. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
7. Zelophehad's daughters speak justly. You shall certainly give them a portion of
inheritance along with their father's brothers, and you shall transfer their
father's inheritance to them.
8. Speak to the children of Israel saying: If a man dies and has no son, you shall
transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
A Board Note?
Other Talmud Analogies
 Simpsons Episode: “Like Father Like Clown”
http://www.e-ark.net/simpsons.html
 Comparison of the Talmud with the Internet
http://www.technorhetoric.net/3.1/coverweb/porush/contra4.html
 MLK’s “I have a dream” speech
http://www.hillel.org/NR/rdonlyres/D794B132-1593-486B-BEA2-9EEDB532E955/0/MLK3.pdf
My Sources
 Rabbi Stephen Folberg
 Norma Fowler
 The Internet, including:
 “Havruta Study: History, Benefits, and Enhancements”
by Aliza Segal 2003
 “Interactive Text Study: A Case of Hevruta Learning”
by Orit Kent 2006
 Jewish Virtual Library
 Chabad.org