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.)
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This course will satisfy the continuing education (CLE) requirements of lawyers and other legal professionals.
Lesson Details
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.
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Cases: BARCELONA, 1300; ALGIERS, 1450; MODENA, 1530; ALGIERS, 1732;
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 unexpected rulings that reveal the hidden fallback mechanisms built into Jewish law. These cases show how the law itself protects deeper values like human dignity and family harmony.
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Cases: PAVIA, 1450; SALONIKA, 1550; KRAKOW, 1570; LIOZNA, 1790
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Lesson 5
Answering the Whole Person
Rules don’t always translate easily into reality. 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
