The Origins of the Oral Torah
Yosef Lindell
Mondays 12:00 pm
May 1 - 22
It is a fundamental tenet of Orthodox Jewish belief that we received two Torot at Sinai - one written and one oral - but what do we mean when we say that the Oral Torah is from Sinai?
Halacha is not static, so in what way are new developments in halacha Sinaitic? And if the Oral Torah is from Sinai, why is there so much machloket, or debate, in halacha? Finally, how can we relate to historical challenges to the antiquity of the oral tradition? This four-part class will grapple with these issues.
- May 1: Introduction and What Chazal Thought about the Oral Torah
- May 8: What Are the Origins of Machloket? The Geonim vs. the Rambam and Others
- May 15: The 13 Principles of Interpretation and the Challenge of the Reform Movement
- May 22: Why is Halacha Missing from Tanach? Rav Kook, Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin, and the Oral Torah as a Divine-Human Partnership
