e-TiM: Online Program
e-TiM: Narrating Pirkei Avot: Avot de-Rabbi Natan Up Close
Exploring the Stories, Values, and Voices Behind the Maxims
Avot de-Rabbi Natan (ADR”N) – What It Is and Why Learn It
Wednesdays, 1:00 PM Eastern | 8:00 PM Israel Time
What is it?
Avot de-Rabbi Natan is a Talmudic-era expansion of Pirkei Avot. While Pirkei Avot records terse ethical maxims, ADR”Nturns many of those aphorisms into vivid stories, historical sketches, and practical guidance. Composed in the Land of Israel (prob. 3rd – 4th centuries CE), it preserves early Midrashic material that did not enter the Babylonian Talmud.
Why is it worth studying?
ADR”N takes Pirkei Avot’s one-line ideals—“you should teach many students”—and fleshes them out with concrete anecdotes: how Hillel and Shamai argued about the purpose of teaching those student or about how to choose them. Should students learn by different rabbis or just with one?
Many names, settings, and social details appear only here. ADR”N preserves alternate traditions about Hillel’s immigration, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s escape from Jerusalem, and debates over converts—treasure for anyone interested in the social texture of the tannaim.
Topics such as leadership integrity, wealth ethics, communal responsibility, and interpersonal kindness speak directly to modern challenges. ADR”N’s blend of idealism and realism invites lively classroom discussion.
Bottom line: Avot de-Rabbi Natan turns the DNA of Jewish ethics into a living, breathing narrative. Learning it deepens one’s grasp of Pirkei Avot, enriches historical awareness, and offers timeless guidance for building character and community.
Together we’ll explore the varied styles and teachings of this remarkable work, and we hope it will find a lasting place in your learning and your heart.
