Gemora | David Solomon

March 10, 2022May 16, 2023

#111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2)

This Jewish History lecture is the second talk from David Solomon’s six-part overview series. The lecture examines the first five hundred years of the common era (0 to the year 500 or 3760 to 4260 in the traditional Hebraic calendar), known in Jewish History as The Talmudic Period.

This period covers the destruction of the Temple by the Romans; the failure of the Bar Kochba Revolt which destroyed any serious hope of independent Jewish Statehood; the transition to Babylonia as the centre of the Jewish world; and the formation of the Talmud – the most influential Jewish document after the Bible.

The Talmudic Period is divisible into two distinct sub-periods:

The Tannaitic, and
The Amoraic.

In exploring the Tannaitic Period, David discusses the history of the first century, leading up to the destruction of the Second Temple, as well as:

The census revolt
The founding of Tiberias
Helena of Ediebene
Greek-speaking Jewish tensions
Caligula’s idol and the delegation of Philo of Alexandria
The Great Revolt of 66CE
Zealots, sicarii, and others
The Kohanim and the Idumeans
The arrival of Vespasian and Titus
Agrippa II and Berenice
Tiberias Julius Alexander (nephew of Philo of Alexandria)
The establishment of Yavneh
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The last stand at Masada
The influence of Yavneh and the rise of Rabbi Akiva
The second Jewish revolt
The third revolt led by Bar Kochba and supported by the elderly sage Rabbi Akiva, ending in the tragedy at Beitar
The renaissance of the rabbis
The students of Rabbi Akiva
The end of the Tannaitic Period with the compilation and editing of the Mishnah by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi.

David then explores the Amoraic Period beginning with the career of Abba Arikha (Rav) and the transition of the centrality of Jewish life to Babylonia, which included:

The academy of the Sidra
The establishment of the Mishna as the central curriculum of study
Sura, Nahardea, and Pumbedita.

David discusses the creation of the Gemara, an analytic exploration of the Mishna, and:

The importance of the Braitta and the Tosefta
The Palestinian Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi)
Rav Ashi, Ravina, and the sealing of the Babylonian Talmud.

He also examines anti-Jewish persecutions in Babylonia at the end of the Talmudic Period and the independent state of Mehoza.

As always, David puts these elements of Jewish History into a broader framework of world history, looking at:

The rise of Christianity
The division of Rome
The adoption of Christianity by Constantine
Julian the Apostate
The fall of Western Rome and the rise of Byzantium
The Persian Empire
Zoroastrian religion
Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, and other major ideas.

This is an edited lecture of a live talk given in 2020 for Chabad South Africa and Daminyan Shule in Melbourne. It is the second part of David’s six-part overview series of Jewish History.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:33 — 78.2MB)

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July 29, 2021July 28, 2021

#95 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (2)

Part two of David’s Zoom series, Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud, mixes Jewish history with textual learning and fascinating storytelling.

The talk continues the story begun in the previous episode regarding Rav Kahana, a third-century sage who fled Babylonian authorities to find refuge in the Land of Israel following a violent confrontation in a rabbinical court.

In this lecture, David describes the next chapter for Rav Kahana following his arrival at the prestigious yeshiva of Tiberius. Through a series of unfortunate actions and misunderstandings, Rav Kahana finds himself once again at the centre of dramatic events involving pride, regret, and death.

As David unravels this extraordinary story, he explores:

key Talmudic figures and their contribution to Jewish life, history, learning, and continuity
the relationships and tensions between some of the great Jewish figures and academies of the time
the political and hierarchical structures of these rabbinical academies
the power of the sages and consequences of unsettling them
how concepts of right and wrong do not always resonate through centuries
the unexpectedly mystical nature of elements of the Talmud.

This lecture places in context the historical situation of the Jewish communities in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. It also reminds us of the importance of Torah scholarship in relation to the shape and influence of different parts of the Jewish world.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:27 — 18.7MB)

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July 22, 2021May 16, 2023

#94 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (1)

David Solomon explores several fascinating episodes described in the Talmud.

This first lecture in the series discusses an unusual Talmudic incident involving disloyalty, self-righteousness, contempt, justice, death, restitution, escape, and consequences.

As with many stories from the Talmud, this incident is set during a time known as the Amoraic period – between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE – when the centre of Jewish life was based in Babylonia. It concerns an investigation of a concept in halacha, Jewish law, known as mesirah – an action in which a Jewish person hands over another Jewish person or their property to a non-Jewish authority.

In the story, a rabbinical court (beth din) summons a man poised to inform on his neighbour to the Babylonian government. This man’s disdain for the authority of the beth din results in unexpected and grave consequences.

David examines the details and text of this remarkable event as well as the context and significance of the Talmudic figures involved. He also:

explains the relevance of the legal issue in its historical context
draws parallels between these historical incidents and recent issues of Jewish law
explores variations in definitions of right and wrong, justice and injustice
describes and contextualises the figures described in the passage
reminds us of the details and relevance of the historical setting in which the incident is set.

The Talmudic passage discussed in this lecture can be found towards the end of Tractate Bava Kamma, page 117a.