The Book of Judges presents us with a vision of biblical Israel’s destiny that seems to run counter to the model for sacred community that is set forth at Sinai. Instead of fulfilling God’s promise of becoming Mam’lechet Kohanim (a kingdom of priests serving God) and Goi Kadosh (a holy nation), Judges presents us with a nation that is flawed, its heroes flawed.
The operative phrase that relentlessly pounds through the text—Ish Kol Ha’yashar Be’ei’nav Ya’ a’she (“Each man did as he pleased”)—reveals the ugly underbelly of a people that seems to have failed to build a sacred community of shared values. Why then, you might ask, is this book included in the biblical canon? What does it come to teach us? Who can become our role models? Can positive national aspiration ultimately outweigh disruptive negative example?
Through a close reading of the biblical text and related rabbinic commentary and midrash, the “painterly” midrash of Rembrandt and other medieval masters, and insights gained from modern Israeli poetry, we will weave a complex and rich tapestry of compelling meanings. Then you pass judgment!
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Wednesday, November 3, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
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