Gender, Talmud “Sorcery as practiced by women constituted insurrection against the social structure no less than sorcery practiced by men” Author Drew Kaplan Date 31 October 2014 Whereas the biblical period had prophetesses, charismatic women in positions of influence and power,...
Talmud, Wine Why Did the Rabbis of the Talmud Speak of Diluting Wine? Author Drew Kaplan Date 7 October 2014 While the Mishnah and Gemara are clear that wine should be drunk diluted, the...
Talmud “The attempt to locate menstruation in the mythical beginnings of humankind is…a peculiarly Babylonian development” Author Drew Kaplan Date 26 August 2014 In contemporary English slang, menstruation is sometimes referred to as “The Curse.” Interestingly, the...
Talmud It is “clear that the BT’s agonism and rhetorical style owes much of its character and form to Greco-Roman rhetorical oratory” Author Drew Kaplan Date 7 May 2014 In sum, the strikingly agonistic nature of the BT derives not only from its...
Marriage, Talmud “While the Torah itself spoke of marriage in only a legalistic way, the talmudic literature reinvented marriage as a deeply committed, truly covenanted relationship” Author Drew Kaplan Date 7 May 2014 While the Torah itself spoke of marriage in only a legalistic way, the talmudic...
Talmud There were “two different interpretive approaches were available to amoraim and stammaim who needed to disagree with the anonymous view of the Mishnah” Author Drew Kaplan Date 6 May 2014 …we find that two different interpretive approaches were available to amoraim and stammaim who...
Talmud Considering Some Similarities Between Eastern Christian Schools and Babylonian Yeshivot Author Drew Kaplan Date 5 May 2014 Already three decades ago, Isaiah Gafni noted the similarities between these Eastern Christian schools...
Talmud “What is it about Rabbi Akiva that caused him to be venerated in a manner that no one else was?” Author Drew Kaplan Date 30 April 2014 What is it about Rabbi Akiva that caused him to be venerated in a...
Intermarriage, Jewish, Judaism, Talmud “The rabbis of the Talmud knew the historical truth: post-biblical Judaism, not scripture, is the source for the general prohibition of intermarriage” Author Drew Kaplan Date 28 April 2014 The Talmudim are aware that the prohibition of intermarriage is a product of second...
Intermarriage, Talmud “Rabbinic society was not much affected by intermarriage…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 27 April 2014 Rabbinic society was not much affected by intermarriage. The Palestinian Talmud has a rabbi...