The retired rabbis of the RA invite you, your family and friends of any age to join them on their 2nd Annual Kinnus vacation cruise on the premium Celebrity Cruises. Professor Judith Hauptman, will serve as the scholar in residence for the cruise.
Reservations must be made early because it is first come first served, and pay your deposit to enjoy the benefits of top accommodations.
Click here for sign up instructions.
Topics for Cruise Lectures
Professor Judith Hauptman
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The Moral Obligation to Speak Out in the Face of Wrongdoing
A wonderful sugya in Bavli Shabbat (54b-55a) takes up the question of what to do when one sees people misbehaving, whether they are government officials or neighbors, whether they are breaking religious or civil law. Via anecdotes and midrashim, a very demanding moral principle emerges. (FYI: I taught this sugya at the Knesset library in March 2014, at the invitation of MK Ruth Kalderon.) -
How the Talmud's Very Short Legal Anecdotes Influenced the Development of Halakhah
Many people are familiar with the legal and aggadic strands of the Talmud. Very few notice that there is a third strand that is composed of legal anecdotes. The anecdotes appear right after the articulation of a halakhah and shows how rabbis put it into practice. Surprisingly, the anecdotes often tweak the halakhah. -
Women and Men in Marriage
The Mishnah says that women are obligated to perform seven domestic tasks for their husbands, among them grinding the grain, baking the bread, and working with wool. If a woman has servants, the Mishnah goes on to say, she becomes a lady of leisure. Not so, say the the amoraim. Four very short anecdotes about rabbis’ wives then challenge the amora. These particular anecdotes have often been misunderstood. We will arrive at a new interpretation of these anecdotes that fits the words better. -
Women and Judaism, From the Torah to the Talmud to Today
Does the Talmud treat women better or worse than the Torah? Did women’s legal status improve or deteriorate over time, from the biblical to the Talmudic period? A number of scholars debate this matter. We will look at key biblical and Talmudic texts in an attempt to formulate a position.