All posts by Reb Arie

07Jul/20

Mainstreaming Mysticism

7 Jul 2020JournalMainstream, mysticism, teachersReb Arie

Mainstreaming Mysticism Medieval mystics were not quite the same as the earlier giants from whom they adopted much of their ideas. The adopted became adapted until modern qaballa formed around a conventionalRead More…

05Jul/20

Aqiva & Ishmaél

5 Jul 2020JournalAqiva, Ishmaél, mystics, studentsReb Arie

Aqiva & Ishmaél We have introduced Aqiva the student. He was also a master. Aqiva’s halakha is precedent in later generations. Aqiva In Menahot 29b, Moshe Rabénu is shown a vision ofRead More…

03Jul/20

Maimonides, Philosophy & Qaballa

3 Jul 2020JournalMaimonides, mysticism, Philosophy, rationalismReb Arie

Maimonides, Philosophy & Qaballa Maimonides (1135-1204), whom we call Rambam after the abbreviation of Rabbi Moshe Ben-Maimon, causes as much controversy now as in his own day. Modern mystics tend to recogniseRead More…

02Jul/20

The Shoulders of Giants

2 Jul 2020Journalancient giants, giants in different places, Modern giantsReb Arie

The Shoulders of Giants The Talmudic innovators were giants of a different place. The Tana’im are in Israel. Some of the Amora’im are, but most are in Bavel. They are giants butRead More…

01Jul/20

One Generation From Another

1 Jul 2020Journalformer, Generations, innovators, laterReb Arie

One Generation From Another It’s one thing to build a structure and another to maintain it. More than 1400 years are invested in uncovering halacha up to the early modern age. WeRead More…

30Jun/20

The Return of Classification

30 Jun 2020JournalClassifying, Gemara, halacha, MishnaReb Arie

The Return Of Classification The Arba Turim restored the Mishna’s order to the Gemara’s chaos. Halacha in the Mishna generally is found where you’d expect to find it. Halacha in the GemaraRead More…

29Jun/20

Hearts On Fire

29 Jun 2020Journalhalacha, Hearts, innovation, Talmud, understandingReb Arie

Hearts On Fire Halakha in the Talmud is not easy to use. This raises some questions: What prevented the Savoraim from indexing the halakha? Was this any more difficult than any otherRead More…

28Jun/20

In Search of Hearts

28 Jun 2020JournalHearts, Minds, revival, TraditionReb Arie

In Search of Hearts Let’s now learn of the last academics and how they presided over the closing of the Talmud in Bavel. The process saw this generation’s minds give way toRead More…

26Jun/20

The War On Scholars

26 Jun 2020JournalBavel, Palestine, Pumbadita, Rome, SuraReb Arie

The War On Scholars The Bavli scholar Natan greatly assisted scholars in Israel by providing refuge during the Jewish war against Hadrian (132-135 CE). Most of Rebbe Aqiva’s students were slaughtered inRead More…

25Jun/20

The Bavli Amoraim

25 Jun 2020JournalAbbayé, amoraim, Bavli, RavaReb Arie

The Bavli Amora’im Abbayè & Rava Abayé Abayé was a Bavli Amora. His proper name was Nahmani. Abayé (literally “father of”, but used as a diminutive, i.e. “little father”) was a nicknameRead More…