Captivating 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. (If you don't know what a "rabbinic responsa" is, you'll fit right in.)
6 Wednesday Evenings, 7:30 - 9:00 P.M. Starting January 21
Address upon Registration
6 Monday Evenings, 7:30 - 9:00 P.M. Starting January 26
CHABAD HOUSE 2352 Albany Avenue West Hartford CT 06117
Instructor: Rabbi Shaya Gopin [email protected] | 860.232.8556 Fee: $135 | 10% Discount for double bookings
Chabad’s policy is no one is turned away due to lack of funds.
This course will satisfy the continuing education (CLE) requirements of lawyers and legal professionals for up to 9 credits!
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
