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Revelation Revealed – Part 1
Posted: 05/18/2020
Posted: 05/18/2020
Revelation Revealed – Part 1
A key tenet of Jewish faith, and the main theme of Shavuot (the festival of weeks), is the belief that there was a Divine revelation at Sinai. This 2-part course explores various interpretations of that event, and various theories of Jewish revelation in general. In part 1, we'll explore a much neglected puzzle regarding the revelation of the Torah.
Our texts will span the ages from Philo through the Talmud and Midrash, all the way to contemporary Jewish thinkers. Our discussions will shed new light on modern critiques of traditional belief from Biblical scholarship to archaeology.
Boaz: Personal Virtue and the Art of Politics
Posted: 05/17/2020
Posted: 05/17/2020
Boaz: Personal Virtue and the Art of Politics
Megillat Ruth: A Tale of three heroes. Part 3 of this 3 part series will focus on Boaz, one the main characters of the book and involve a close reading of the megilla and several of its intertexts.
A Substantial Caveat To The Torah?”: Aggadot of the giving of the Torah on Shabbat 88a
Posted: 05/17/2020
Posted: 05/17/2020
A Substantial Caveat To The Torah?”: Aggadot of the giving of the Torah on Shabbat 88a
This section of Masekhet Shabbat contains a series of aggadot (non-legal passages) about the giving of the Torah, including a very famous passage about what really happened when the Israelites stood "at the bottom of the mountain." We will examine these aggadot, in conversation with each other and with later interpreters, to gain insight into the role of accepting Torah in our own lives.
This is Torah and this is it’s reward? Rabbi Akiva’s end
Posted: 05/13/2020
Posted: 05/13/2020
This is Torah and this is it’s reward? Rabbi Akiva’s end
The period of Sefirat ha-omer between Pesach and Shavuot is associated in rabbinic lore with Rabbi Akiva, and specifically the death of his students in a plague. We will study aggadot about the the master teacher Rabbi Akiva himself - his humble beginnings, his family, his intellectual and emotional power, and his tragic end.
Naomi: With Age Comes Wisdom
Posted: 05/10/2020
Posted: 05/10/2020
Naomi: With Age Comes Wisdom
Megillat Ruth: A Tale of three heroes. Part 2 of this 3 part series will focus on Naomi, one the main characters of the book and involve a close reading of the megilla and several of its intertexts.
Rabbi Akiva the Comforter
Posted: 05/06/2020
Posted: 05/06/2020
Rabbi Akiva the Comforter
The period of Sefirat ha-omer between Pesach and Shavuot is associated in rabbinic lore with Rabbi Akiva, and specifically the death of his students in a plague. We will study aggadot about the the master teacher Rabbi Akiva himself - his humble beginnings, his family, his intellectual and emotional power, and his tragic end.
Ruth: Lessons learned from the outsider
Posted: 05/03/2020
Posted: 05/03/2020
Ruth: Lessons learned from the outsider
Megillat Ruth: A Tale of three heroes. Part 1 of this 3 part series will focus on Ruth, one the main characters of the book and involve a close reading of the megilla and several of its intertexts.
The Rock-Headed Rabbi: Rabbi Akiva’s beginnings
Posted: 04/29/2020
Posted: 04/29/2020
The Rock-Headed Rabbi: Rabbi Akiva’s beginnings
Interpretation and Enactment: Elisha ben Avuya and the Book of Ruth
Posted: 05/19/2019
Posted: 05/19/2019
Interpretation and Enactment: Elisha ben Avuya and the Book of Ruth
Rabbi Silber on the Omer Part 2
Posted: 05/07/2019
Posted: 05/07/2019
Rabbi Silber on the Omer Part 2
Rabbi Silber on the Omer Part 1
Posted: 05/07/2019
Posted: 05/07/2019
Rabbi Silber on the Omer Part 1
Kingship and the Book of Ruth
Posted: 05/19/2019
Posted: 05/19/2019
Kingship and the Book of Ruth
The book of Ruth begins with the "days of the Judges" and concludes with the birth of David. This session explores the connections between the heroic behavior of the characters in Ruth and the ideal kingship as represented by David.
The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture
Posted: 11/04/2019
Posted: 11/04/2019
The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture
Thoughts on Shavuot
Posted: 06/09/2016
Posted: 06/09/2016
Thoughts on Shavuot
“I am a stranger”: Becoming Ruth
Posted: 05/04/2014
Posted: 05/04/2014
“I am a stranger”: Becoming Ruth
Ruth is a stranger in more senses than one. Who is this unknown woman who is destined to become mother of royalty? What is the process by which she finds her way into a foreign religious tradition?
The Omer Festival: Recovering a Lost Holiday and its Surprising Roots
Posted: 03/27/2014
Posted: 03/27/2014
The Omer Festival: Recovering a Lost Holiday and its Surprising Roots
We usually think of the Omer as a commandment to count up to fifty days as a bridge between Passover and Shavuot. What is much less familiar is that in certain post-Biblical works the Omer is considered its own festival. This podcast examines the surprising roots of the Omer. It analyzes passages in rabbinic literature alongside writings from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo and the early Church Fathers. Listen and learn about the surprising roots of the Omer Festival!
Thoughts on Shavuot
Posted: 05/13/2013
Posted: 05/13/2013
Thoughts on Shavuot
Thoughts on Megillat Ruth
Posted: 06/29/2012
Posted: 06/29/2012
Thoughts on Megillat Ruth
How does Megillat Ruth show that female friendship can be a vehicle for redemption?
Sponsored in Loving Memory of our Father, Gabriel Sharon, z"l
Major Prayers of the Jewish Festivals (part 1 of 3 sessions)
Posted: 07/09/2009
Posted: 07/09/2009
Major Prayers of the Jewish Festivals (part 1 of 3 sessions)
Click here to listen to the other class sessions.
The class will focus on the festival amidah and hallel and the prayers for rain and dew.
Hallel: Song and Expression
Posted: 06/09/2009
Posted: 06/09/2009
Hallel: Song and Expression
The Judah and Tamar Episode
Posted: 01/29/2008
Posted: 01/29/2008
The Judah and Tamar Episode
The Book of Ruth, Part 1: Rabbi David Silber explores the intricate relationship of two of Genesis’ most fascinating players, Judah and Tamar.
The Emergence of Kingship
Posted: 01/28/2008
Posted: 01/28/2008
The Emergence of Kingship
The Book of Ruth, Part 2: Judah's Choice and The Levirate Marriage
The Kindness of Ruth
Posted: 01/27/2008
Posted: 01/27/2008
The Kindness of Ruth
The Book of Ruth, part 3: Restoring the Family and The Compassionate Nation
Book of Ruth (part 1 of 3 sessions)
Posted: 04/19/2007
Posted: 04/19/2007
Book of Ruth (part 1 of 3 sessions)
We will conduct an in-depth reading of the Book of Ruth.
