Tag: Jewish law
-
There’s No One Right Way To Practice Judaism
-
Does the Great Rabbi Akiva Have Feet of Clay? The Oven of Akhnai, Part II
The first half of the Talmud’s Oven of Akhnai narrative ends with the death of R. Gamliel, implicitly as punishment for his humiliation of his colleague, R. Eliezer. The deliberate humiliation of another Jew is a grave crime under Jewish law, and when Gamliel ignored God’s warning he was appropriately punished. The conclusion of this Read more
-
Judaism is Open-Minded and Pluralistic
There is a famous Talmudic story that I believe does not get enough attention, as it exemplifies Judaism’s liberal (old, classic sense) character. It recounts (b. Eruv. 13b) that there was a three-year halakhic (legal) dispute between the academies of Hillel and Shammai, two great sages who emerged in the immediate aftermath of the Second Read more
-
A Shocking Talmudic Story: the Sages Overrule God!
One of the most famous and frequently discussed stories in the Talmud is known as the “Oven of Akhnai.” This narrative is set in the first or second century of the common era at the great yeshiva in Yavneh (now northern Israel), established to preserve Judaism following the fall of the Second Temple. While the Read more
-
Come Now, Let Us Reason Together: the Movie
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, you should really dig this video, which I believe provides a compelling one-minute summary of my book. Check it out! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rtxV9D7AlB8qNKSKH8tY8-OlQUH-UK8F/view Read more