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Course OverviewCaptivating Cases in Rabbinic Responsa
Listen in on the surprising, practical questions your ancestors asked rabbis across Jewish history.
Join this six-session course to discover the little-known world of rabbinic responsa, a vast archive of the real-life questions of ethics and practice Jews asked across history - and the scholarly answers rabbis wrote.
Algiers is under siege: May I pray in a bathhouse? The Inquisition is watching: How will I celebrate Passover? Seventeen Jews are held hostage in faraway Regensburg after a blood libel: Must I help pay their ransom?
See what enables Jewish tradition to offer relevant guidance in a rapidly changing world - and come face-to-face with raw Jewish history.
WHEN:
6 Wednesdays,
7:30-9:00 PM
Jan 28 - March 4
Instructor: Rabbi Mordechai Newman
This course is being offered for both online and in-person attendees.
Fee: $74 + Book fee $31
$25 off before 1/14/26
MORE INFO
[email protected]
703-820-2770
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ACCREDITATION
This course will satisfy the continuing education (CLE) requirements of lawyers and other legal professionals.
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*Lesson 1
The people who asked the questions
What do these questions reveal about our ancestors? What did they think, feel, and value? Explore five fascinating stories to find out.
Cases / Barcelona, 1300; Algiers, 1450; Modena, 1530; Spain, 1450; Auschwitz, 1944
*Lesson 2
The quest for facts
Do sages make assumptions about how reality works, or do they investigate the facts? Follow rabbis as they conduct five fascinating investigations worldwide.
Cases / Cairo, 1548; Altona, 1709; Hamburg, 1772; Jerusalem, 1866; Brooklyn, 1958
*Lesson 3
How the Torah stays relevant
See inside the process that enables the Torah's ancient code to guide life in an ever-changing world. Witness the precise process of applying Talmudic precedent.
Cases / Barcelona, 1300; Valencia, 1380; Pavia, 1478; Berezhany, 1908
*Lesson 4
When the exception is the law
Explore four unexpected rulings to uncover the hidden fallback mechanisms within Jewish law: these aren't exceptions to the law. They're the law revealing its quiet values (like human dignity, and peace in the home).
Cases / Pavia, 1450; Salonika, 1550; Krakow, 1570; Liozna, 1790
*Lesson 5
Answering the whole person
Rules don't always translate into reality easily. See how sages account for the practical, social, and emotional realities around a question to ensure their ruling leads to its intended outcome.
Cases / Cairo, 1173; Barcelona, 1300; Lodmir, 1615; Lubavitch, 1871; Brooklyn, 1954; Manchester, 1963
*Lesson 6
Responsa from the future
Could Artificial Intelligence decide Jewish law? Is lab-grown meat kosher? See how Jewish law is addressing the questions posed by tomorrow's cutting-edge technology.
Cases / Jerusalem, 2003; Maaleh Adumim, 2009; New York, 2015; Beit Shemesh, 2022; worldwide, 2026
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington, 1307 N Highland St, Arlington, VA 22201-5017, United States
Tickets
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