The Memorial Lectures at Drisha

The Jews of medieval Ashkenaz are known to posterity for their erudite biblical commentaries, abstract talmudic dialectics, and intricate poetic compositions. They also wrote extensively about demons, monsters, magical beasts, and occult practices. How did these bizarre, "superstitious" preoccupations exist alongside--or as part and parcel of--the sophisticated learned culture of Ashkenazic rabbinic luminaries? What are we to make of Ashkenazic theological, halakhic, and exegetical writings that focus their attention on werewolves, Golems, amulets, and magical spells? And how might our own understandings of the boundaries between the natural and divine worlds be enriched by delving into the approaches of our medieval predecessors?

The Haggadah states that in every generation, one must see oneself as personally participating in the Exodus. How can we possibly fulfill this mandate? What does this entail? is it sufficient just to sit at the Seder table or is it more required of us? Rabbi David Silber will teach us how the Seder ritual actually assists each of us in fulfilling this challenging assignment.

This lecture uncovers the historical and theological context of the well-known “kol yisrael arevim ze ba-ze” statement. Rather than simply a pithy maxim on the importance of solidarity, we will show that this statement is part of a group of texts which employ financial metaphors to think about the repercussions of sin. Not only Jews but also Christians in late antiquity took very seriously the idea that each and every human action bears great weight and can tilt the heavenly scales toward redemption or oblivion. As a result, these texts demonstrate profound anxiety about the implications of every person’s sin, which is often described in financial terms. The solution to this problem is presented through the metaphor of guarantorship, by which one person’s merits, accumulated through good deeds, can balance the sins of another. The collective community, bound together through the performance of mitzvot, is thus a solution to the challenges of facing divine demands as an individual person.

The Gideon story in the Book of Judges, which unfolds over the nights of Pesach, provides a unique lens through which to consider some important themes in the upcoming Pesach holiday. We will explore how an adolescent Israel, finding its way in the post-Joshua years, is transformed by the very special night “set aside from the six days of Creation” (Talmud RH 11b), and we will reflect on how the lessons from that biblical Pesach might inspire this year’s personal and national redemption.

This Stanley Rudoff Memorial High Holidays Lecture, taught by Dr. James Kugel, is sponsored by the extended Rudoff family in memory of Stanley Rudoff z'''l. It was originally recorded on 09/09/2007.

This Stanley Rudoff Memorial High Holidays Lecture, taught by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom, is sponsored by the extended Rudoff family in memory of Stanley Rudoff z'''l. It was originally recorded on 10/09/2016.

This Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture, taught by Rabbi menachem Leibtag, is sponsored by Elissa Shay Ordan and Daniel J. Ordan in honor of their grandparents, Renee and Alexander Bohm z"l. It was originally recorded on 12/15/2014.

This Stanley Rudoff Memorial High Holidays Lecture, taught by Dr. Shmuel Wygoda, is sponsored by the extended Rudoff family in memory of Stanley Rudoff z'''l. It was originally recorded on 10/01/2014.

This Rapoport Memorial Lecture, taught by Dr. Chanan Gafni, is sponsored by Dr. Samuel and Sanda E. Rapoport. It was originally recorded on 03/27/2022.

This Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture, taught by Dr. Tzvi Novick, is sponsored by Elissa Shay Ordan and Daniel J. Ordan in honor of their grandparents, Renee and Alexander Bohm z"l. It was originally recorded on 11/21/2021.