I am so
pleased that you have all decided to participate in this experiential learning
course. Hopefully, you will find the next seven weeks enriching and filled with
thought-provoking exchanges with one another.
An
introduction to our text: Pirke Avot (literally, Ethics
of our Ancestors) is one of the most well-known Jewish texts and is frequently
cited both within the Jewish community and beyond. It was written between the
First and Third centuries of the Common Era and is part of the earliest section
of Judaism’s oral law called the Mishnah.
Scholars point out that whereas the majority of the Mishnah is actually “case
law,” Pirkei Avot is
rather a series of ethical principles articulated by the same Rabbis of
the Common Era whose legal rulings and decisions appear in other parts of the
Mishnah. As opposed to the formal
legalise that is found in the rest of the Mishnah, Pirke Avot is
actually quite human and down-to-earth in tone and content, emphasizing the
importance of living a life of morality, ethics and joy.
The schedule for the class is as follows:
- Monday: I will post an excerpt from Pirke Avot. Included will be a few questions to think about in order to inspire personal reflection and group discussion.
- By Wednesday: We will need 3-4 people each week to post an initial response to the discussion of each post just to make sure that a discussion gets started.
- The remainder of the week: Everyone else will have until the following Saturday night of that week to check out the blog and see what others have posted, respond to one another, add new thoughts, etc.
- Saturday/Sunday: I will post a sort of summary or synthesis of that week’s postings.
The only rule to this class is to be
respectful to one another, have a good time, and learn something!
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