CHABAD LUBAVITCH TORAH CENTER
6791 N Green Bay Ave | Glendale, WI 53209
414-262-5464 | adulted@chabadwi.org
Six MONDAYS*
January 19th - February 23rd
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM with Rabbi Menachem Deren
*The class the week of February 2nd will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd
This course is being offered for both online and in-person attendees
$80.00 | 20% off before January 12th
Course Overview
From as early as the eighth century to the present, individuals and local rabbis have submitted legal inquiries to the leading decisors of Jewish law in their respective eras. These questions span every sphere of life—from business dealings to intimate personal matters—and encompass virtually all fields of law: financial, civil, criminal, torts, family, medical, and beyond.
The extant written responses form a comprehensive corpus of Jewish legal precedent, serving as a testament to the art of legal discernment. The reasoning employed by rabbis in applying ancient legal principles to concrete situations illustrates rigorous methods of fact-finding, interpretation of precedent, and balancing of competing values in pursuit of ethical and just decisions.
Captivating Cases in Rabbinic Responsa, a six-week CLE course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), explores a representative selection from this vast repository of case studies—spanning continents and centuries—and compares their treatment with approaches found in U.S. law.
Lesson Outline
Lesson 1: The people who asked the questions
What do these questions reveal about our ancestors? What did they think, feel, and value? Explore five fascinating stories to find out.
Cases / Barcelona, 1300; Algiers, 1450; Modena, 1530; Spain, 1450; Auschwitz, 1944
Lesson 2: The quest for facts
Do sages make assumptions about how reality works, or do they investigate the facts? Follow rabbis as they conduct five fascinating investigations worldwide.
Cases / Cairo, 1548; Altona, 1709; Hamburg, 1772; Jerusalem, 1866; Brooklyn, 1958
Lesson 3: How the Torah stays relevant
See inside the process that enables the Torah's ancient code to guide life in an ever-changing world. Witness the precise process of applying Talmudic precedent. Cases | Barcelona, 1300; Valencia, 1380; Pavia, 1478; Berezhany, 1908
Lesson 4: When the exception is the law
Explore four unexpected rulings to uncover the hidden fallback mechanisms within Jewish law: these aren't exceptions to the law. They're the law revealing its quiet values (like human dignity, and peace in the home). Cases | Pavia, 1450; Salonika, 1550; Krakow, 1570; Liozna, 1790
Lesson 5: Answering the whole person
Rules don't always translate into reality easily. See how sages account for the practical, social, and emotional realities around a question to ensure their ruling leads to its intended outcome. Cases | Cairo, 1173; Barcelona, 1300; Lodmir, 1615; Lubavitch, 1871; Brooklyn, 1954; Manchester, 1963
Lesson 6: Responsa from the future
Could Artificial Intelligence decide Jewish law? Is lab-grown meat kosher? See how Jewish law is addressing the questions posed by tomorrow's cutting-edge technology.
Cases | Jerusalem, 2003; Maaleh Adumim, 2009; New York, 2015; Beit Shemesh, 2022; Worldwide, 2026