7A/7B Homework

For Thursday's class, please be sure to have read and prepared paragrpahs B & C/Bet & Gimmel in the Talmud text. You will again be working in Hevruta to complete the questions on the study guides for Bet/B for certian and moving on to Gimmel/C if you complete that work.

7A & 7B Homework DUE Thursday 11/120

For Thursday, all of the hevruta pairs must have both sides of page 1 of the Talmud Study Guide complete. If you were not able to complete it class during our study time, then you will need to find time on your own. We will be discussing the material from paragraph Alef/A during Thursday's class.

As promised, the Hebrew for the 5 books of the Humash is posted in the "Reminders" box on this site. Please study it for the next POP QUIZ! Partial credit will not be given for incorrect spelling in Hebrew. English spelling will also count for the next quiz.

7B - 11/14

Please review the notes on the history of the Rabbinic periods and the structure and content of the Talmud before tomorrow's class. Also, everyone should come in tomorrow having set-up a hevruta/study partnership. When you come to class in room 301 tomorrow, you will need to sit next to your hevruta partner and we will begin studying the Talmud text.

For 7A - 11/10

Please review your class notes on the history and structure of the Talmud and the Maccabees in advance of next class, when I anticipate that we will begin our Talmud studies.

Make sure that you have selected a hevruta/text study partner and be prepared to sit next to them for Talmud study class sessions.

11/4 - UPDATE

After you read the two texts, I am hoping that you will find that there is a tension between God's authority (God creates the natural world; God calls down from the heavens) and human authority. I want you to explain:
how the two texts resolve the tension,
what conclusion the texts make,
what proof do the texts use, and
do you agree or disagree with how the situations were handled?

I expect EVERYONE to come to class with something done. I know that this is different kind of work than what you are used to in Judaics, but as I have said before, becoming a thinking Jew about Jewish tradition is as important as anything I can teach you.

Good luck. See you tomorrow!

Authority over Jewish Law Homework UPDATE - 11/3

After discussing the phases of the moon and the system the Rabbis used for declaring the new moon, think about the following questions as you think about the texts and answer the questions (I am hoping they will help you to answer the big question about the authority over the law)
1) Who "makes" the moon phases happen/causes the new moon cycle to begin?
2) Who is in charge of declaring Rosh Chodesh?

3) Who has the authority over Jewish law?
4) What happens when there is a conflict between 1 & 2 and do you agree that that SHOULD be what happens?

I hope these questions/thoughts help you as you read and write about the Rosh HaShana and Bava Metzia stories.