Enter the intricate world of the Talmud: the monumental classic that has defined Jewish learning for centuries. Join this six-week course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute to discover the Talmud, its history, authors, and significance—and experience it for yourself.
You'll learn the key terms, logical principles, and historical context required to decode every part of the Talmudic page. Plus, see how it became central to Jewish life and why it inspires fascination, debate, and study today.
Why Jewish life orbits a book of law.
Jewish law’s ultimate record is the Talmud, but what is Jewish law? Explore its nature, scope, and roots in the written Torah and Oral Law—and see learning’s central role in Jewish practice and culture.
The origins, authors, and contents of Judaism’s first legal code.
See how Jewish law shifted from oral tradition to written code and encounter the Mishnah’s precise style, tight structure, and tolerance for debate—and its spiritual significance in Jewish life.
How the sages studied, debated, and understood the Mishnah.
Discover the tools, methods, and principles the sages employed in the centuries-long effort to unpack the Mishnah’s full practical implications.
How the sages shaped its structure and substance.
Meet the pivotal sages in the Talmud’s story—from Rav and Shmuel’s first academies to Rav Ashi and Ravina’s final text—and see how they wove in stories as well as ethical and philosophical teachings.
A unique method of logic—and why it matters.
Understand the Babylonian Talmud’s rigorous mode of legal reasoning, how it balances dueling principles to arrive at clear legal boundaries, and how its elegant logic fuels deeper learning.
Talmudic literature and fifteen centuries of constant study.
See how and why the Talmud became the core of Jewish law and discover the vast literature of responsa, legal codes, and commentaries that continue the conversation until today.
Join this four-week journey to encounter twelve stories of Jewish history’s most fascinating men and women. Discover the incredible Jewish lives of converts, captives, royal advisors, philosophers, philanthropists, and more. You’ll be fascinated by their sacrifices, adventures, and achievements, and get a vivid look at our people’s rich heritage and history.
For thousands of years, the prophecies of a “messianic age” stretched the imaginations of even the most fervent believers.
Not anymore.
Instant media, certain mass social movements and a global pandemic have shown us how suddenly and radically the world can be rewired by the actions of a few.
Why not for the good?
Join us to demystify the Jewish idea of a perfect world and discover a practical path for reaching it in our lifetime.
English
Hebrew
French
Spanish