“For the Talmudic rabbis, Gedaliah was a prototype for how to deal with the most extreme political complexities”
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, was the Jewish governor of biblical Judah. He was set...
Category Archives: Talmud
“…it is a fruitless quest to continue to try to find elusive rabbinic sources for everything which Paul wrote”
In the case of Paul and the rabbis, let us assume that, at no...
“The laying-up of something in the Temple had the effect of dedicating it to God, and so gave it an additional sanctity”
In view of the divine origin which was attributed to the Scriptures, it is...
“This interpretation has absolutely no basis in the simple reading of text, and Rabbi Akiva’s exegetical excess infuriates Rabbi Yishmael”
We do not know much about Nahum Ish Gamzu’s exegetical style except for the...
“Of primary concern is the question of what type of relationship is meant by the words ‘who will have me for a day?'”
…within the Bavli itself, the statements of Rav and Rav Nahman—”who will have me...
“…Rabbinic tales; in addition to all their other aspects, they were often attempts to understand the past”
When analyzed in these terms, those same stories which seem so inappropriate for writing...
“They can teach us something about the world outlook of the various story-tellers all along the chain of transmission…”
To venture one more clarification of my approach, I agree wholeheartedly with the comment...
“When we make an inventory of the topics addressed in Rabbinic stories, we see that the Rabbis discussed a large number of events connected with the Jewish past during the ancient period”
When we make an inventory of the topics addressed in Rabbinic stories, we see...
“…very specific material conditions can act in concert with more universal norms to create distinct family structures”
It is interesting to note that very specific material conditions can act in concert...
“Talmud…means ‘study’…, but also ‘instruction, teaching’…”
Talmud (from lamad, ‘to learn’, or limmad, ‘to teach’) means ‘study’ (a theoretical activity,...