Courses
Dedicated to those held hostage
Why do we drink four cups of wine at the Passover Seder? Why do we eat while reclining? Is dipping twice really such a big deal?
The Passover Seder commemorates one of the pivotal moments in Jewish history, the redemption from Slavery. Although the Bible provides the origins for it, the talmudic rabbis filled in the details, creating step by step guidelines for this timeless ritual. The result is the Seder, a unique blend of study, remembrance and re-enactment.
In this course we will examine these guidelines which comprise the tenth chapter of tractate Pesachim. Beginning with the Mishnah and continuing with the analysis in the Babylonian Talmud and its medieval and early modern commentators, we will examine how various rituals comprising the Seder developed and the theological and conceptual issues surrounding them. At the same time, students will gain skills in reading, deciphering, and analyzing this often enigmatic text.
May our learning be a merit for those being held hostage to experience another redemption.
Nobody is turned away for inability to pay; contact inquiry@drisha.org to inquire about financial aid.
One of our most beloved offerings! Join veteran educator and Drisha alumna Morah Deborah Klapper, in a Talmud class just for middle school girls. This Fall Zman, we’ll be focusing on Perek HaMafkid – Selections from Bava Metzia 33b-44a.
Crying gets our attention. When adults cry, our hearts break for them. When children cry, we run to them. When humans cry, even in exile and diaspora, Hashem hears it. What is crying about? Why is it so powerful? Is it ever right to tell someone to stop crying?
Why are shrews always so vicious? How did the ancient world view the male/female body? And what possessed Yalta to smash 400 bottles of her husband’s wine? The comic tale of Yalta, read through the Bible and Talmud, Aeschylus and Aristotle, Arabian Nights and Canterbury Tales, William Shakespeare and William Congreve, Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë.