RAB 5300 Halacha as Jewish Thought
Halakhah is rightly thought of as a legal discourse that developed over centuries in all Jewish communities about how to understand and perform mitzvot and, more broadly, unpack what it means to act as a Jew vis-a-vis God and other human beings. In this course we will shift the focus a bit and consider halakhah as a legal discourse that also has what to say about some key issues we typically group under the “Jewish Thought” heading, such as: God, Jewish peoplehood, responses to catastrophe, the balancing of universalism and particularism. We will read primary sources (selections from lawbooks and responsa) and think about them in light of selected secondary readings. Prerequisites: the JTI core or permission of the instructor. Grading will be Pass/Fail only.
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