Meeting Register Page

The Great Books of the People of the Book

We Jews call ourselves the "people of the book." One can say without much hesitation that Torah and its study has been the central religious preoccupation throughout the history of Judaism, at least until modern times, and for many even now. The fact is that Torah is more than a single book. " Torah" is the entire activity of Jewish study throughout the generations. Out of the study of Torah arose a wide variety of texts, the names of which sound very familiar: Mishnah, Midrash, Talmud, Bible commentaries, etc.

The goal of this course is to look at the great books of the Jewish tradition: what they are and how to read them. We will discuss together passages from the Bible itself, as well as Talmud, Midrash, Medieval Bible Commentaries, the prayerbook and others. No prior knowledge is needed. All texts will be in English. All that is needed is a desire to learn and, hopefully, understand these timeless books.