Halakhah & Minhag: Unifying or Divisive?

Listen to this morning's class, "Halakhah & Minhag: Unifying it Divisive?" here.

Follow along with the sources here.

For further learning:

Listen to some of the past classes that we cross-referenced in today's class:

1) Listen to "Dictating יברכך: Origins & Development" here.

2) Listen to "Hallel on Rosh Hodesh: With or Without a Berakhah?" here.

3) Listen to "When to Say the Berakhah on Shabbat Candles" here.

4) Listen to "The Land of Israel and What We Do" here.

Halakhah & The Limits of Genius

Listen to this morning's class, "Halakhah & The Limits of Genius," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

The Light of Torah

 

Listen to tonight's class, "The Light of Torah," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

R. Yosef Karo & The Ways of Halakhah

 

Listen to this morning's class, "R. Yosef Karo & The Ways of Halakhah," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

For further research:

Listen to a class from several years ago on R. Yosef Karo here.

Maran R. Yosef Karo

 

Listen to our class on Maran R. Yosef Karo here.

Follow along with the sources here.

For further research:

Listen to our class, "R. Yosef Karo & The Ways of Halakhah, " here.

The Lonely Man of Faith

Listen to our classes on R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik's The Lonely Man of Faith:

Part I          Part II

Follow along with the source sheets:  Part I,    Part II

HaRambam: The Rational Traditionalist

Listen to "HaRambam: The Rational Traditionalist" here.

Follow along with the sources here.

HaRambam: The Traditional Rationalist

Listen to "HaRambam: The Traditional Rationalist" here.

Follow along with the sources here.

R. Moshe Feinstein & "Preserving What We Do"

Listen to tonight's class, "R. Moshe Feinstein & 'Preserving What We Do'," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

Radak and the 'Superiority' of Peshat

Listen to last night's class, "Radak and the 'Superiority' of Peshat," here.

Follow along with the sources here.


For further research:

Listen to our related class, from last summer, "The Role of Peshat - Rashbam and HaRambam" here.

Halakhic Man

Listen to our classes on R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik's Halakhic Man:

Part I        Part II        Part III

Follow along with the source sheets: Part I,  Part II,  Part III.

R. Nissim of Gerona & His Philosophy of Halakhah

Listen to last night's class, "R. Nissim of Gerona & His Philosophy of Halakhah," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

The class was based upon part of Prof. Warren Zev Harvey's "לפילוסופיית ההלכה של הר"ן," in עיונים חדשים בפילוסופיה של ההלכה.

Maharal: Hazal's Spokesman

Listen to last night's class, "Maharal: Hazal's Spokesman," here.

Follow along with the sources here.


For further research:

1) Read R. Shalom Carmy's "Learning From Maharal: A Non-Mystical Approach with Illustrations from Gevurot Hashem and Other Works" here.

2) Read Marvin Fox's "The Moral Philosophy of Maharal" here.

3) Read Avinoam Rosenak's "אחדות ההפכים במשנתו של מהר"ל" here.

The Role of 'Peshat' - Rashbam and HaRambam

Listen to last night's class, "The Role of 'Peshat' - Rashbam and HaRambam," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

For further research:

1) Much of the class was based upon Mordechai Z. Cohen's article, "A New Look at Medieval Jewish Exegetical Constructions of Peshat in Christian and Muslim Lands: Rashbam and Maimonides," in the recently-published Regional Identities and Cultures of Medieval Jews. Read it here.

2) We referenced a past class regarding Rashbam and Ibn Ezra's respective approaches to  peshat when it contradicts Hazal's halakhic derashot. Read R. Amon Bazak's discussion of this issue on the VBM website here. 

See, as well, R. Bazak's discussion of peshat and derash in the thought of HaRambam and his son R. Avraham here.

3) We discussed, at length, HaRambam's famous words at the beginning of Hil. Ishut, regarding kidushei kesef. Read a summary of many of the prominent approaches to this issue on the VBM website here.

R. Ovadia Seforno & Humanism

Listen to Monday night's class, "R. Ovadia Seforno & Humanism," here.

Follow along with the sources here.


For further research:

1) Read R. Hayim Angel's "Text and Historical Motivations Behind the Commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah Sfrono on the Torah" here.

2) Read Avigail Rock's discussion of Seforno's commentary, on the VBM website, here.

3) Read Moshe Rachimi's "פולמוס יהודי-נוצרי סמוי בפירושו של רבי עובדיה ספורנו לתורה" here.

R. Menahem HaMeiri: Philosopher and Talmudist

Listen to last night's class, "R. Menahem HaMeiri: Philosopher and Talmudist," here.

Follow along with the sources here.

For further research:

1) At the beginning of the class we mentioned that it was largely based upon Moshe Halbertal's Bein Torah LeHokhmah. Read the related article that he wrote before publishing the book here. 

2) At the end of the class we mentioned Meiri's unique approach to the halakhic status of Christians. There has been much written on this topic. See, for example the articles of: a) Gerald Blidstein, b) Gedalya Oren and c) Moshe Halbertal.

3) We read an important passage from R. Yaakov Anatoli's intorduction to Malmad HaTalmidim. See David Guttman's recently-published annotated edition of the introduction in Hakirah journal here.