RELS 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Mishnah, Talmud
18 Sep 2019
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Audio File with Rabbi Osadchey
What is a Rabbi & what is the process of becoming qualified?
• Religious & spiritual leader of Jewish community- a teacher. Teach
community what the proper forms of observance and practice are and
interpret text so people understand the values & principles of Judaism.
Function in other capacities: organize community/congregation in
educational & cultural programs, provide counselling for members of
congregation, and sometimes as a social worker (financially). In orthodox,
you don’t require undergrad education & can just study to be a Rabbi. In
non-orthodox, special seminaries to train Rabbis & Jewish educators. For
Rabbis, 5 years in high level grad program, and become fluent in Hebrew
(language of the Torah & other texts).
What is the Torah & the undertext Talmud? How might they be used
in the living faith of Jews today?
• Torah is the 5 books of Moses, and first 5 books of Bible. Also a broader
term for whole Hebrew bible (however Hebrew bible made up of Torah
(in Hebrew Tanah), Prophets (Nevi’im in Hebrew): 3 major prophets &
12 minor, & Writings (psalms, proverbs, 5 scrolls: Ruth, Esther,
Lamentations, Ecclesiastes & Songs of Solomon). That’s the whole
Hebrew bible, the core document of Judaism. The Torah itself,
traditionally understood to be the word of God, is like the constitution, the
core document- charter of values. Everything has to be compatible with
the teachings there, if something is said in the Torah, then everything that
flows from it has to be consistent- can’t oppose. Bible was canonized-
closed as a document. Then there are concentric circles of Rabbinic
interpretation, so Rabbis would ask what does this mean in the bible &
how does that apply today? Those writings & discourse about that then
formed the Mishnah, put into writing around 200AD. That document was
Document Summary
What is a rabbi & what is the process of becoming quali ed: religious & spiritual leader of jewish community- a teacher. Teach community what the proper forms of observance and practice are and interpret text so people understand the values & principles of judaism. Function in other capacities: organize community/congregation in educational & cultural programs, provide counselling for members of congregation, and sometimes as a social worker ( nancially). In orthodox, you don"t require undergrad education & can just study to be a rabbi. In non-orthodox, special seminaries to train rabbis & jewish educators. Rabbis, 5 years in high level grad program, and become uent in hebrew (language of the torah & other texts). How might they be used in the living faith of jews today: torah is the 5 books of moses, and rst 5 books of bible.
