Live Programs
e-TiM: Noda BiYehuda: Posek in an Age of Revolution
Noda BiYehuda: Posek in an Age of Revolution
Rabbi Yechezkel Landau (1713–1793), author of Noda BiYehuda, was one of the greatest halakhic authorities in Jewish history—but he was also a leader who stood at the crossroads of eras. Born into the autonomous Jewish world of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and serving as rabbi of Prague during a period of major intellectual, religious, and political upheaval, R. Landau confronted challenges ranging from Sabbateanism and the Enlightenment to imperial reform and the erosion of traditional rabbinic authority. This four-part series will explore his life, leadership, and most influential rulings, placing them within the broader context of eighteenth-century Central Europe. Along the way, we will examine how a rabbi deeply rooted in tradition responded to the forces of modernity and how the publication of Noda BiYehuda helped create new forms of rabbinic influence that would shape Jewish life long after the age of communal autonomy had passed.
July 6:
The Last of the Old, the First of the New
Was Rabbi Ezekiel Landau the last great rabbi of the old world, or the first major posek of the modern age? This opening lecture explores the life and times of R. Yehezkel Landau, the Noda BiYehuda, tracing his journey from...more
July 13:
Heresy, Enlightenment, and Empire
Within the Jewish community, the lingering specter of Sabbateanism and the rise of the Frankist movement threatened the foundations of traditional belief, while the spread of kabbalistic ideas blurred the boundaries between accepted mysticism and dangerous innovation. At the same time, the early Enlightenment introduced new intellectual currents—from rationalism and deism to the emerging Haskalah—that questioned...more
July 20:
Ethics, Empiricism, and Umbrellas: Landmark Rulings of the Noda BiYehuda and their Legacy
The Noda BiYehuda was one of the most influential halakhic decisors in Jewish history. This lecture examines four of his most consequential rulings and the world from which they emerged. We begin with his famous discussion of ritual measurements (shiurim), where a striking tension emerges between...more
July 27:
1776: Founding an Empire of Words
In 1776, as political revolutions were transforming Europe and North America, Rabbi Ezekiel Landau published the first volume of Noda BiYehuda, his magnum opus and one of the greatest halakhic works of all time. This lecture explores the circumstances surrounding the publication of the book, the significance of its evocative title, and the features that...more
