Weekday Learning
Our lives are full of activity. We have daily responsibilities and challenges, sorrows and semahot (joys). We often find ourselves so caught up in the “cycle of doing” that we don’t know where the time has gone. For many of us, good intentions about reading, physical activity and diet are swept away in a tsunami of busy-ness.
What about your intentions to become more involved with Judaism? As life unfolds, many of us find that the Judaism we were exposed to as children is not robust enough for complex adult challenges. James Fowler of Emory University argues that as we mature, we constantly re-frame our understanding of life. Harold Kushner’s book, When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters, is directed to adults who realize that they want and need to reinvigorate their spiritual lives. Many want to explore Jewish insights, but don’t know where to begin. Others want to demonstrate to their children, rather than just tell them, that Jewish education is important.
The Rabbis of the Talmud gave sage advice when they counseled “devote regular time for Torah”. Beth Tzedec offers one of the most extensive and intensive programs for adult Jewish learning available in Toronto. Our weekly classes, our partnership with the Centre for Jewish Studies of the University of Toronto, our frequent guest lectures, films and seminars provide expanded educational opportunities for adults in our Congregation.
If you have considered having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as an adult, we offer an integrated curriculum that will help you work toward your goal. It is never too late.
Through study we encourage members and guests to develop a relationship with God, with each other and with the Jewish tradition. We educate for content and personal meaning. Explore the many ways.
Learn Talmud at Your Own Pace with Rabbi Steven Wernick
Monday Night Learning
One of Judaism’s greatest strengths is its affinity for diverse opinions and the debate, for the “sake of Heaven” to implement God’s will in our lives. The Talmud is the source from which this affinity for debate and the code of Jewish halakhah (law) is derived. It is made up of the Mishnah (250 c.e. Israel) and the Gemara (500 c.e. Babylonia). The Mishnah is the original written version of the oral law and the Gemara is the record of the rabbinic discussions following this writing down.
For many, the study of Talmud can seem overwhelming. In this weekly Talmud learning with Rabbi Wernick, we will learn at a slow and deliberate pace, sequentially studying a single page of Talmud throughout the week, with Shabbat designated as a day for personal review.
Our learning will be supported by scholars from the Conservative Yeshiva (CY) at the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center of USCJ. Participants will receive an email from Dr. Joshua Kulp, which neatly has the daily daf (folio page) section in both Hebrew and English, along with his own explanations of each sugya (section). The last email of the week contains, in addition to the final section, a short video of Dr. Kulp reviewing the main points of the daf and what we have learned this week. The following Monday, learners will gather for hevruta (partner) study and a shiur reviewing the main points live with Rabbi Wernick.
No previous experience is necessary and students are invited to participate with the CY weekly and drop in to our shiur as they are available. Participants will be encouraged to purchase the Koren or Steinsaltz version of the tractate we are learning. These can be purchased at Amazon.ca Use of the materials provided by the CY are available on Sefaria.org at no additional cost.
Please register in advance so we may sign you up for the weekly materials from the CY and communicate as our start date approaches which tractate of the Talmud we will learn together. Please contact Rabbi Wernick for more information or register through this link: https://bethtzedectoronto.shulcloud.com/event/learn-talmud-at-your-own-pace-with-rabbi-wernick.html
Event Details
- For Information:
- Synagogue Office
- Phone:
- 416-781-3511
- Cost:
- Free for members, $25 for non-members
Categories
- Learn Talmud with Rabbi Steve Wernick
- Seniors
- Adults
- Young Professionals
- Weekday Learning
