Fall 2022: My G‑d
![]() WHEN 6 Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm Nov 9th - Dec 14th Instructor: Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm This course is being offered for in-person attendees LOCATION
Chabad of Milford-HCW MORE INFO
[email protected] Course Overview My G‑d: Defining the DivineNothing is off-limits as this refreshingly open course asks piercing questions about G‑d and delivers profound, insightful answers. An enlightening study into G‑d’s nature, G‑d’s goal for creation, human experiences of G‑d, the role of religion, and the function of miracles and prayer, this course promises to satisfy your questions, including those you didn't know you had.
Lesson Outline
Lesson One: The Basics Let’s become familiar with G‑d’s basic bio:
Lesson Two: His Nature Let’s learn a bit about how G‑d operates:
Lesson Three: His Reasons Let’s discover why G‑d does what he does:
Lesson Four: His Expectations Let’s discuss G‑d’s expectations of us:
Lesson Five: His Paradoxes Let’s delve into some of the deeper Divine mysteries and enigmas:
Lesson Six: Our Relationship Let’s deepen our understanding of our relationship with G‑d: Spring 2023: Jewpernatural |
![]() WHEN (MILFORD)
4 Wednesdays, May 3 - 24 Instructor: Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm This course is being offered for in-person attendees WHEN (STRATFORD) 4 Wednesdays, Instructor: Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm This course is being offered for in-person attendees LOCATION
MILFORD: at Chabad-HCW, 15 Edgfield Ave. MORE INFO
[email protected]
Course Overview As we understand the natural world better, we have only grown more fascinated by mysterious topics like the meaning of dreams; the existence of angels, demons, and extraterrestrials; and the power of the evil eye. With record interest inspiring curiosity, dread, and mockery, this course probes the Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and kabbalah to provide Jewish perspectives and guidance for those curious about these perennial questions.
Lesson Outline — 01 We all dream as we slumber, but do the scenes of our dreams impart messages with lasting significance? And can we control our own dreams, perhaps to reduce nightmares and the like? — 02 Since the dawn of time, the endless sea of twinkling planetary configurations has been read to shed the secrets of individual Homo sapiens, or to eavesdrop on the celestial pulling of puppet strings attached to our lives. Do the stars in fact influence our natures or provide information regarding our unknown futures? — 03 Cultures across the map and down the eras have maintained a belief in the negative powers of an “evil eye” and curses, and produced diverse methods of protection from it. What does Judaism have to say? Is there an evil eye, and what might be its effect? Can people harm others by cursing them? — 04 Is there other intelligent life out there in the universe? Does Judaism believe in angels and demons? Can we communicate with the souls of our deceased loved ones? Winter 2023: Booksmart |
![]() EVENINGS - MILFORD 6 Wednesdays, Instructor: Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm This course is being offered for in-person attendees MORNINGS - STRATFORD 6 Thursdays,11:30 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. Instructor: Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm This course is being offered for in-person attendees LOCATION MILFORD: Chabad of Milford-HCW, 15 Edgefield Ave., Milford MORE INFO [email protected] Course Overview Book Smart:
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Lesson Outline
— 01
The Torah
We begin by addressing the question, “What is the Torah?” We discover how the whole of Jewish teaching (“the Torah” in its broader meaning) derives from the Chumash (“the Torah” in its narrower meaning). We also discuss the relationship between the “Written Torah” and the “Oral Torah,” and how these two components of Torah constitute a “partnership” of Divine revelation and the human toil of the mind.
We then introduce the twenty-four books of the Tanach. We explain the differences between Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim, and review the contents of each. We also see how the roots of the different “genres” of Torah—Midrash, Halachah, Kabbalah, Musar, etc.—are all in the “Written Torah,” as will be further demonstrated in each of the next five lessons.
— 02
The Midrash
“Midrash” is both a methodology and a body of literature. In this lesson, we explore both aspects of Midrash. We study the various methods by which additional layers of meaning contained within the words—or between the lines—of the Torah are expounded. We also acquaint ourselves with some of the major Midrashic works that record the expositional teachings by the sages of the Talmudic era (approximately 100 BCE to 500 CE).
Midrash includes Halachic (legal) expositions, which extrapolate the details of the Torah’s laws from the text, as well as Agadic Midrashim—moral, philosophical, and mystical teachings, as well as historical narratives and parables. We study examples from both of these varieties of Midrash, including a number of intricate legal expositions, and an esoteric parable relating to a celestial battle over the creation of the human being and the paradox of goodness and truth.
— 03
The Talmud
More than any other work, the Talmud defines “Jewish learning.” In this lesson, we review the history of the Talmud, explore the structure of this intricate and fascinating work, with its 63 volumes of teachings and deliberations by hundreds of sages over a period of six centuries on virtually every subject under the sun. We also engage in the in-depth study of a Talmudic sugya (“subject discussion”) and experience the unique twists and turns of the Talmudic dialectic.
In the process, we discover how Talmudic learning leverages the “flaws” of the human mind—its circuitous reasoning, its contentiousness, and its inconsistencies—to reveal the multifaceted nature of the Divine wisdom and apply it to the complexities of human life.
— 04
Halachah
Halachah is the “bottom line” of Torah, where the biblical commandments, rabbinical ordinances, and Talmudic deliberations translate into the dos and don’ts of daily life. Halachah addresses every part of a Jew’s life, from waking to bedtime, from birth to burial, from everyday activities to the most extraordinary situations.
In this lesson, we explore the history of Halachah, from its sources in the Written Torah, through the Halachic Midrashim, the Talmud and its commentaries, the various “codes” compiled through the centuries, and the many thousands of Halachic responsa authored through the centuries. We survey the great variety of issues and dilemmas that Halachah addresses. We then bring it all to life via a case study that traces a Halachic issue from its biblical origins through more than a dozen citations across the entire spectrum of Halachic literature.
— 05
Musar and Jewish Philosophy
Musar is the body of Torah teachings that deals with ethics, character development, and spiritual self-improvement. The field of Jewish philosophy, also known as “Chakirah,” includes works devoted to discussing the philosophy and ideology of Judaism. While these constitute two distinct areas of Torah literature, there is also a certain degree of overlap between them; indeed, some of the fundamental works of Jewish philosophy are also works of Musar, and vice versa.
In this lesson, we review the history and the primary authors and works in these two fields. We then study a number of texts covering three related topics in both these fields: the doctrine of creation ex nihilo (“something from nothing”), bitachon (trust in G‑d), and the emotion of anger.
— 06
Kabbalah and Chasidism
Kabbalah is the Torah’s mystical dimension, containing its most powerful and empowering ideas. But for many centuries, the teachings of Kabbalah were carefully guarded secrets, transcribed only in the guise of esoteric terminology and metaphors, and taught only to a small, exclusive circle of mystics in each generation. Chasidism is both an extension of Kabbalah as well as a field of Torah in its own right, revealing the inner “soul” that unites the Torah’s various components and applying its most abstract spiritual teachings in personally meaningful ways.
In this lesson, we survey the history of Kabbalah and Chasidism. We address the question of why these teachings were kept secret, and why and how they were eventually revealed. We then explore one of the core subjects of Kabbalah—the doctrine of the “Ten Sefirot”—beginning with a mysterious passage in the Zohar, followed by a series of Kabbalistic and Chasidic texts that examine the great paradox of G‑d’s relationship with us, and the body-soul dichotomy that defines our own lives.




