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ON GOING CLASSES:
Talmud - Tractate Sanhedrin
Instructor: Richard Friedman
Date: Tuesday nights at 8:30 PM
This class focuses on the text of the Talmud -- what it says and how it says it. Discussions are lively, and have included blasphemy and idolatry, the theology of reward and punishment, and appropriateness of compromise in litigation, as those subjects have been raised by the text. We are studying the tractate Sanhedrin, and are currently in chapter 11, which focuses on the world to come and who has (or doesn't have) a place in it, but includes the Talmud's typical digressions.
Jews for Exegesis: Rashi's Commentary on the Torah Portion
Instructor: Richard Friedman
Date: Saturdays, shabbat during kiddush
Each week we study a few verses of the weekly parashah as understood by Rashi, the father of Torah commentary. We focus not so much on what we think the Torah says, but rather mainly on what Rashi says it says. We try to develop an understanding of how to read Rashi, and an appreciation for his approach to analyzing the Torah. Previous experience with Rashi's commentary is not required; nor is Hebrew fluency, since the texts that we use include a translation. Discussion is simultaneously irreverent and serious. We meet in the far corner of the social hall -- please join us.
Talmud - Tractate B’rakhot
Instructor: Rabbi Lyle Fishman
Date: Sunday at 8:00 AM
Each Sunday from 8:00-8:45 am we meet in my study to investigate the thinking of the Rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud (200 BCE-500 CE). In our continuing study of tractate B’rakhot,we have reached chapter 9 (page 58B), where we discover their insights into the natural phenomena of comets, thunder and lightning. We use the Hebrew text of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz and discuss the material in English. New students are welcome.
Topical Tuesdays
Instructor: Rabbi Lyle Fishman
Date: Tuesday at 8:30 PM
A series of month-long classes with alternating topics taught by Rabbi Fishman on Tuesday evenings, 8:30-9:30 pm. Join one, two, or more!
- April - What Does the State of Israel Mean to Me?
Is the State of Israel/M'dinat Yisrael a nation like every other nation? Does it realize the vision of its Zionist forebears? Is it a homeland for all Jews? A "light to the nations”? We will read and discuss contemporary and classic texts that address these questions.
- May - Avot of Rabbi Nathan/Avot d'Rabbi Natan
How did the Rabbis interpret the most familiar tractate of the Mishnah, Avot? What values did they emphasize in reconstructing Judaism and the Jewish people after the Destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE)? Which "truths" of Judaism does this text present?
- June - Maimonides on Return to God
According to Maimonides, how does a person transform herself/himself? What are the necessary stages for personality change? Are we ready to follow his prescription?
Talmudic Narratives
Instructor: Rabbi Lyle Fishman
Date: Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
Each Wednesday at 10 am, we examine the thinking of the Rabbis of the first centuries as it is reflected in the text The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan. This text is a commentary to and elaboration on the Mishnaic tractate Avot/Fathers which offers crucial and foundational insights into interpersonal relationships and how to approach God. Within The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan, we discover how the Rabbis sought to reconstruct Jewish society after the devastation that resulted from the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
The English translation of the text is provided. I welcome the questions and interpretations of our 5-10 students. New students are welcome.
Biblical Hebrew - Click the title to listen to the audio recordings
Instructor: Rabbi Lyle Fishman
Date: Wednesdays at 2:30 PM
Take part in the Ohr Kodesh Book Club. Since 1999, a changing group of members has come together monthly to read and discuss a book with a Jewish theme or connection. Alternating between fiction and non-fiction, we try to select books that are readily available in paperback or in the public library. Notable authors have included Michael Chabon, I. B. Singer, Amos Oz, and Philip Roth. Our nonfiction titles have included histories, biographies and memoirs from a range of perspectives and eras. Meetings are normally held on the third Thursday of each month. Volunteers from among the group host the meetings in their homes and provide light refreshments.
For upcoming titles click the monthly calendar
Location details provided in the OKC Bulletin. For additional information, contact Barry Cantor, 301-933-3776.
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