Lesson 1 | Tues, Jan 20 (Evening) | Wed, Jan 21 (Afternoon):
Dispaches of Devotion
Can a father ransom his son, knowing another will be taken in his place?
Should Henry VII's marrige to Catherine be annulled?
Can Crypto Jews eat foods on Passover that are customarily avoided?
Beneath the technical surface of Jewish law lies a dramatic hidden history. In this opening lesson, we unlock the world of Responsa literature - not just as a legal system, but as a survival kit for the Jewish soul. Through case studies, you’ll see how rabbis navigated impossible dilemmas, revealing an unintended historical record: a story of a people whose commitment to their values remained unshakable, even when the world around them was falling apart.
Lesson 2 | Tues, Jan 27 (Evening) | Wed, Jan 28 (Afternoon):
Torah in the Trenches: Fact-Finding in Legal Decision-Making
Can canals formed by the Nile's rise be used for immersion?
Is a chicken without a heart kosher?
Should burials be delayed due to the widespread fear of premature burial?
What happens when a 2,000-year-old principle meets a new discovery? This lesson reveals the rigorous process of 'Halachic Fact-Finding.' Much like a modern judge, a rabbi must bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. We’ll look at how scholars go to extraordinary lengths to master new realities - from medieval medicine to modern engineering - and how they navigate the high-stakes tension between timeless tradition and an ever-evolving world.
Lesson 3 | Tues, Feb 3 (Evening) | Wed, Feb 4 (Afternoon)
Precedent in Practice: Past Rulings Applied to New Realities
Can all German Jews be taxed to help ransom the Regensburg Jews accused of a blood libel?
Can a synagogue seat "investor" control the addition of new seats?
Does a hot air balloon hovering over a Sukkah invalidate it?
What do a medieval ransom, a real estate dispute, and a hot air balloon have in common? They are all snapshots of a Jewish world in motion. In this lesson, we reveal how the Responsa acted as the ultimate 'social diary,' capturing the high-stakes drama of the Jewish street. We’ll see how scholars used 'legal DNA' to decode brand-new realities - whether it was a 13th-century crisis or a 19th-century invention.
Lesson 4 | Tues, Feb 10 (Evening) | Wed, Feb 11 (Afternoon)
Counterweights Considered: Competing Values and Exemptions
A wedding was delayed due to a dowry dispute - may it take place after sunset on Friday?
Do parents have the right to stop their children from switching their version of prayer?
How much input do parents have over whom their children will marry?
What happens when the 'letter of the law' threatens to break a human heart? This session moves beyond technicalities to explore the moral compass of Jewish law. We’ll examine the extraordinary 'safety valves' within the legal system - values like human dignity and family harmony - that allow rabbis to seek leniencies in high-stakes moments.
Lesson 5 | Tues, Feb 17 (Evening) | Wed, Feb 18 (Afternoon)
The Fifth Factor: Emotional and Situational Wisdom in Rabbinic Responsa
Should the community invoke its autonomy to save a Jewish murderer?
Are new breeds of chicken imported to Europe Kosher?
Should one believe in the Yemenite Jew claiming to be the Messiah?
Beyond the four written volumes of the Shulchan Aruch lies an unwritten 'Fifth Section': the art of human discernment. This lesson explores the profound moments where a rabbi must be more than a judge; they must be a psychologist, a protector, and a source of compassion. We’ll journey from 12th-century Yemen to 20th-century Russia to see how great decisors looked past the cold facts to the 'human dimension' - crafting rulings that protected the law while healing the soul.
Lesson 6 | Tues, Feb 24 (Evening) | Wed, Feb 25 (Afternoon)
Forging Forward: Exploring Futuristic Responsa
How does one track Shabbat in space?
Who is the mother in cases of ectogenesis?
What's the kosher status of lab-grown beef?
Can AI be used in halachic decisions?
From the vastness of orbit to the microscopic level of cellular agriculture, Jewish law is entering uncharted territory. This lesson explores how the ancient 'Operating System' of the Torah handles the radical updates of the 21st century. We’ll analyze how rabbis define the essence of life and motherhood in a world of lab-grown meat and artificial wombs. It’s a journey to the very edge of human innovation, guided by a timeless legal compass.