Philosophy
The arc of history runs from primordial creation to ultimate redemption—and the Torah’s goal is to guide us through the time in between. What is the purpose of creation? What does God require of us in order to create the final perfected world? What wisdom is there in the Jewish tradition that might direct our steps to get there? Join one of the most influential and sophisticated Jewish thinkers of the 20th century and beyond, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, on a journey with your havruta to think about these questions.
Through passages from traditional Jewish texts and excerpts from Rabbi Greenberg’s upcoming book, The Triumph of Life, we will explore the purpose of creation, the purpose of Torah, and the purpose of our own selves—as individuals and as a people—in bringing God’s vision to life.
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Teshuvah, often translated as "repentance," is one of the most startling and central concepts in Jewish life—throughout the year but especially during preparation for the High Holidays. The idea that we can sin, work on ourselves, return to the correct path, and then be forgiven is just as essential as it is revolutionary. If it weren’t for this process, we could be stuck in our ways, never changing, never forgiven, always the sinner.
But what does teshuvah actually entail? What are its goals? What is "acceptable" versus "ideal" teshuvah? How can you demonstrate that you have changed? How much does teshuvah rely on God's grace to be effective? And are there any metaphors that can help us focus on this important internal (and external) work?
This course explores four different perspectives on teshuvah, ranging from classical sources to modern Jewish thought. While it may not provide real answers to these unanswerable questions, the discussions help frame and conceptualise the core issues. Each session is a window into this fundamental question: what does it take for a person to change?
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Wrestle with every day moral dilemmas, the sorts of which we each encounter all of the time in our lives, through the lens of traditional Jewish texts.
In this course, we’ll consider questions like: "If and when is it okay to shame someone else for the sake of protecting another," and "Are there instances in which it is not only permissible to lie but in fact necessary?"
We'll pose these every day moral dilemmas to classic Jewish sources and see what, if any wisdom, they have to offer us when confronted with these questions. In doing so, we'll attempt to not only answer the dilemmas before us but suggest a model for what it might look like to turn to Jewish texts for guidance on pressing questions of our times.
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Shabbat has been a defining feature of Jewish culture for thousands of years, a central part of Jewish identity, a constant rhythm for Jewish life. In this course, we explore the philosophical underpinnings of Shabbat, the various themes and messages that make it so meaningful, and its place in the modern world using ancient sources against 19th and 20th century thinkers, extending their frameworks into the 21st century.
However, for many Jews—in Israel and beyond—Shabbat a very specific valence of extensive ritual laws and restrictions: synagogue ritual, Shabbat candles, prohibition on writing, and so on. In contrast, this course builds the picture from the ground up, assuming that Shabbat is the inheritance of every Jew, leaving aside the practical questions and instead asking the philosophical: What is Shabbat about? What is its place in today's society? How does it correct or supplement modern ideological systems? How can this idea of Shabbat fit into a modern secular and/or Israeli, Jewish culture?
This course will investigate pluralism as a value in Jewish life. We will study various dimensions of pluralism and its limits through both text and case studies, empowering participants to live in communities of diverse multiple Jewish identities.
Together, we’ll ask the questions: How do I live a life of conviction while remaining tolerant of others? How can I emphasize what's right for one may not be right for another without falling into relativism? How do I cultivate a sense that you don't have to be wrong for me to be right? How do I satisfy diverging contingents within my community? What are the limits of pluralism?
What kind of power do we have as human beings, and who grants us this power? To whom, or what, are we responsible and are there limits to this responsibility? In this ten-session course we will explore a range of ancient and contemporary sources, Jewish and secular, to address these questions and examine the obligations and limits of our responsibility as Jews—and as humans—to the rest of the world.
The videos for this course are a little different than other Zug classes: They model a real chavruta between two Limmud all-stars, Maureen Kendler, Maureen Kendler z’’l who inspired a generation with her gifted teaching, and Clive Lawton, one of the founders of Limmud.
For 20 years, one of the central features of the yearly Limmud Conference in the UK has been the Limmud Chavruta Project. Every year, the project produces a beautiful book of learning material, both traditional and non-traditional sources, designed to be learned in pairs. This is the second Project Zug course adapted from a Chavruta Project curriculum.
This course was made in partnership between Project Zug and Limmud Chavruta Project. You can find out more about Limmud and the Chavruta Project at www.limmud.org
“One cannot understand Judaism as a culture without understanding secular Jewish culture, much as it cannot be understood without understanding its religious culture” (Yaakov Malkin). Judaism is and has always been a “pluralistic culture”, with Jewish cultures evolving to form sects and groups in Israel and the Diaspora.
In “Secular Jewish Culture”, we will examine the evolution of the modern Jewish identity and the cultural characteristics of the Jewish people in the modern era - central issues in secular Jewish philosophical works. We will delve into the link between humanism, Judaism and secularism, the evolution of the concept of God in Jewish culture and the meaning of pluralism in Judaism, as can be observed in a variety of writings and cultural artwork.
Facilitated by Rabbi Sivan Mass, Prof. Yaakov Malkin, and Rabbi Adam Chalom
The Jewish people have long been called the People of the Book, a fitting name given our deep love for the Jewish textual tradition. For hundreds of years, we've pored over the same sacred texts in an attempt to unlock their wisdom, understand their relevance, and take part in a dialogue and debate that spans generations. Yet, it can be difficult to enter into this conversation without having a good sense of what these foundational books are, how they work, and how to best bring them into our own libraries and lives.
In this course, we'll take a close look at the essential core texts that make up the Jewish Bookshelf beginning with the Torah. In the course of our study, we will learn not only what these texts are and how they work but we'll use them as an entryway into conversations about creation in the Torah, self-defense in rabbinic texts, and revelation through the eyes of modern thinkers.
Why do you give? How does your Judaism affect your giving habits? This course will explore what Judaism has to say about the need to give charity: Who needs to give? How much should we give, and to whom? We will explore these issues together through traditional sources and modern answers.
This is a short (5 week) course. Please note that the 5th week includes a closing video without an accompanying source sheet.
How do we define prosperity? What material and non-material goods are needed for a meaningful, fulfilling life? This course will explore a variety of traditional and non-traditional sources that engage the question of our relationship to money, happiness, and the good life.
This course was created in collaboration with Limmud, based on material collected by Limmud Galil for Limmud's Chavruta Project.