Mahloket Matters: The Beit Midrash Way
With Rabbi Weiss

This is a 6 week class, Session 1 meets from Oct 7 through November 11 on Monday in the evenings. Session 2 meets from Feb 6 through Mar 12, on Thursday in the morning.

Can text study of Biblical stories and their diverse interpretations empower us to engage more constructively in disagreements today?

One fact people across political divides today may still agree upon is that civil discourse between the political divides is turning less and less civil. Indeed, the sheer lack of desire to try to understand those with opposing political opinions (or political identities) and disagree constructively over critical questions is posing an existential threat to democracies around the world.

“Civil discourse” today is, too often, far from civil.  We are often unable to understand those who disagree with us, and it’s easier to dismiss them as wrong than to try to engage.  But the erosion of our ability to disagree constructively over critical questions poses a serious threat to our democratic society.

This class explores the principles of traditional rabbinic debate.  Every page of Talmud contains mahloket (“dispute”), and the value of respectful disagreement permeates the Jewish textual tradition.  The methodology of mahloket can increase our desire and ability to understand and engage more constructively with conflicting political opinions today.  Through this course, we seek to deepen our engagement with these vital Jewish sources while committing to the project of improving civil discourse.