Barry Scott Wimpfheimer | |
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Awards | National Jewish Book Award (2018) |
Academic background | |
Education | |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Rabbinic literature |
Institutions |
Barry Scott Wimpfheimer is an American scholar of the Talmud and Rabbinic literature. He is an associate professor at Northwestern University and chair of its department of religious studies. [1]
Wimpfheimer grew up in an Orthodox household in Washington Heights,New York and began studying the Talmud since 17. [2] [3] He earned his B.A. from Columbia University and M.A. from Yeshiva University in Talmudic studies. He received his rabbinic ordination in 2000. [4] He then earned a Ph.D. from Columbia in religion,studying under David Weiss Halivni. [4] His work has focused on the Babylonian Talmud as a work of law and literature. [3] [5]
Wimpfheimer's book on the history and evolution of the Talmud,The Talmud:A Biography (2018) won a National Jewish Book Award in 2018. [6] He argued that the Talmud can be read in three different ways:the essential Talmud,which sees the Talmud as a work of religious literature produced at a certain historical period;the enhanced Talmud,which sees the text as the central canonical work of Judaism after the Destruction of the temple;and the emblematic Talmud,which sees the scripture as the primary symbol of Jews,Judaism and Jewishness. [3] [2]
Wimpfheimer also teaches an online introductory Talmud course via Coursera. [7] He is the co-editor of Prooftexts:A Journal of Jewish Literary History . [8]
Halakha,also transliterated as halacha,halakhah,and halocho,is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandments (mitzvot),subsequent Talmudic and rabbinic laws,and the customs and traditions which were compiled in the many books such as the Shulchan Aruch. Halakha is often translated as "Jewish law",although a more literal translation of it might be "the way to behave" or "the way of walking". The word is derived from the root which means "to behave". Halakha not only guides religious practices and beliefs,it also guides numerous aspects of day-to-day life.
Judaism is an Abrahamic,monotheistic,and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious,cultural,and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Modern Judaism evolved from Yahwism,the religion of ancient Israel and Judah,by the late 6th century BCE,and is thus considered to be one of the oldest monotheistic religions. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Israelites,their ancestors. It encompasses a wide body of texts,practices,theological positions,and forms of organization.
Jacob Neusner was an American academic scholar of Judaism. He was named as one of the most published authors in history,having written or edited more than 900 books.
The Mishnah or the Mishna is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah. It is also the first major work of rabbinic literature. The Mishnah was redacted by Judah ha-Nasi probably in Beit Shearim or Sepphoris at the beginning of the 3rd century CE in a time when,according to the Talmud,the persecution of the Jews and the passage of time raised the possibility that the details of the oral traditions of the Pharisees from the Second Temple period would be forgotten. Most of the Mishnah is written in Mishnaic Hebrew,but some parts are in Aramaic.
The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity,in nearly all Jewish communities,the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to "all Jewish thought and aspirations",serving also as "the guide for the daily life" of Jews.
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City,New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies. The Jewish Theological Seminary Library is one of the most significant collections of Judaica in the world.
A yeshiva is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature,primarily the Talmud and halacha,while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The studying is usually done through daily shiurim as well as in study pairs called chavrusas. Chavrusa-style learning is one of the unique features of the yeshiva.
Torah study is the study of the Torah,Hebrew Bible,Talmud,responsa,rabbinic literature,and similar works,all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism,the study is done for the purpose of the mitzvah ("commandment") of Torah study itself.
Joseph Ber Soloveitchik was a major American Orthodox rabbi,Talmudist,and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion of the Lithuanian Jewish Soloveitchik rabbinic dynasty.
Saul Lieberman,also known as Rabbi Shaul Lieberman or,among some of his students,The Gra"sh,was a rabbi and a Talmudic scholar. He served as Professor of Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTSA) for over 40 years,and for many years was dean of the Harry Fischel Institute in Israel and also president of the American Academy for Jewish Research.
David Weiss Halivni was a European-born American-Israeli rabbi,scholar in the domain of Jewish sciences,and Professor of Talmud. He served as Reish Metivta of the Union for Traditional Judaism's rabbinical school.
Jewish studies is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history,Middle Eastern studies,Asian studies,Oriental studies,religious studies,archeology,sociology,languages,political science,area studies,women's studies,and ethnic studies. Jewish studies as a distinct field is mainly present at colleges and universities in North America.
Aggadah is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism,particularly the Talmud and Midrash. In general,Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporates folklore,historical anecdotes,moral exhortations,and practical advice in various spheres,from business to medicine.
This is a list of books by Jacob Neusner. Articles,reviews,etc. are not included here.
The Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary was founded in Berlin on 22 October 1873 by Rabbi Dr. Israel Hildesheimer for the training of rabbis in the tradition of Orthodox Judaism.
Daniel Boyarin is a Religion historian,Born in New Jersey,he holds dual United States and Israeli citizenship. He is the Hermann P. and Sophia Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture in the Departments of Near Eastern Studies and Rhetoric at the University of California,Berkeley. He is married to Chava Boyarin,a lecturer in Hebrew at UC Berkeley. They have two sons. His brother,Jonathan Boyarin,is also a scholar,and the two have written together.
Christine Hayes is an American academic and scholar of Jewish studies,currently serving as the Sterling Professor of Religious Studies in Classical Judaica at Yale University,specializing in Talmudic and Midrashic studies and Classical Judaica.
Tal Ilan is an Israeli-born historian,notably of women's history in Judaism,and lexicographer. She is known for her work in rabbinic literature,the history of ancient Judaism,the Dead Sea Scrolls,ancient Jewish historiography,Jewish epigraphy,archaeology and papyrology,onomastics,and ancient Jewish magic. She is the initiator and director of The Feminist Commentary on the Babylonian Talmud (FCBT). She received her education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is currently professor of Jewish Studies at the Free University of Berlin.
Orthodox Jewish philosophy comprises the philosophical and theological teachings of Orthodox Judaism. Though Orthodox Judaism sees itself as the heir of traditional rabbinic Judaism,the present-day movement is thought to have first formed in the late 18th century,mainly in reaction to the Jewish emancipation and the growth of the Haskalah and Reform movements. Orthodox Jewish philosophy concerns itself with interpreting traditional Jewish sources,reconciling the Jewish faith with the changes in the modern world and the movement's relationships with the State of Israel and other Jewish denominations.
The earliest known precursor to Hebrew,an inscription in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet,is the Khirbet Qeiyafa Inscription,if it can be considered Hebrew at that early a stage.