The Zohar, the quintessential text of the Kabbalah, is a rich and deeply poetic work which attempts to find meaning in every detail of the universe and of Jewish practice. Exploring Zoharic texts which discuss mythology, spirituality, and mitzvot, we will develop a basic understanding of the Zohar's style and ideas, and an ability to decode passages from this esoteric work, to discern the underlying spiritual teachings. We will compare the Zohar's worldview with our own, and explore what its approach has to offer for contemporary Judaism.
Does Jewish prayer affect God? Does it affect us? Why all those words? We will study a range of approaches to prayer, including some of the early Hassidic masters, Maimonides, and modern thinkers such as SR Hirsch and Heschel, in order to discuss the problematics of Jewish prayer and some of the solutions which have been posed.
To Bean or Not To Bean: a Jewish approach to Vegetarianism
Judaism and Spiritual Ecology
How Can This be Torah? Approaching the difficult texts of our tradition.
Marriage and Sexuality as a Spiritual Practice