The Power of Words: A Talmudic Exploration for Elul
Learning With Your Own Havruta
Course Details
Have you ever considered how powerful words can be—especially their power to harm? The rabbis of the Talmud were keenly aware of this and even attempted to outline laws for speech. This topic, known in the Talmud as Ona’at Devarim (verbal deceit or harm), is especially relevant in the period leading up to the high holidays, when we are paying especial attention to the health of our souls and relationships. How have I hurt others with my words this year—through what I’ve said, or what I failed to say? How can I be more careful and intentional with my speech? These questions are at the core of this 4-session course, which explores both the laws of Ona’at Devarim and a powerful narrative (known familiarly as Tanur Shel Akhnai) where these laws are put to the test.
If you are looking for a way to structure your spiritual preparation for the high holidays during the Hebrew month of Elul, this is an excellent course for you. Also, if you have been curious about studying Talmud but never have before, this is a wonderful entry into the world of rabbinic thought and narrative. And if you’re a relatively seasoned learner of Jewish texts, including Talmud, this course offers new ways of thinking about these texts that you might not have considered before.
Dr. Rabbi Avital Hochstein is President of Hadar in Israel. Avital has done research and taught at many institutions, including the Shalom Hartman Institute, where she was a research fellow, and the Pardes Institute, where she was the Rosh Kollel. She is one of the founders of Shira Hadasha in Jerusalem. Along with Prof. Chana Safrai, she is the co-author of Women Out, Women In: The Place of Women in Midrash (Yediot Aharonot, 2018). Her PhD focuses on the 8th chapter of Tractate Sanhedrin and utilizes a literary read of halakhic material combining tools from gender studies. She received ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes and from the Beit Midrash Le'Rabbanut Yisraelit.
