How do we build a space for sacred energy that is not meant to last? Explore the conversations of the Talmudic Rabbis as they try to figure out what a sukkah is, how to build one, and what it all means. This is a beginner/intermediate course in the skills needed to analyze and interpret the Talmud. Thanks to an innovative pedagogical design,all instruction and learning will take place in English. No Hebrew is required or expected for participation in the course.

This course is for you, if you…

Want to learn how to think like the Talmud
Don’t know Hebrew or just don’t want to worry about language and translation struggles
Have 2 years or less of experience with skill-oriented Talmud study

FAQ

What does “skill-building” mean?

Great question! There are 2 ways of studying Talmud: content-first, and skills-first. A great example of content-first Talmud study would be a daf yomi podcast: you’re not talking about how or why the words mean whatever they do, you’re just focused on absorbing the material. A content-first class probably won’t equip you to be able to learn a new piece of Talmud on your own, even in translation.

Skills-first Talmud courses, like this one, are different. We’re interested in the content, but the teacher isn’t going to give it to you directly: you get to learn how to figure out what the Talmud means for yourself. Some “Talmud skills” include identifying the historical layers in the text, parsing words into meaningful phrases, deciding how those phrases function in the flow of the argument, and so on.

What’s Masechet Sukkah? What’s a sukkah?

A sukkah is a very particular kind of tent that we build to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot. If that sounds like a vague answer, it’s because that is exactly the question of the first chapter of Masechet Sukkah! Masechet Sukkah (“Tractate Sukkah”) is the book of the Talmud containing the conversations and debates about how to celebrate Sukkot. In this course we’ll be learning the first chapter of the Masechet.

Do I need to know Hebrew to do this course?

Nope! Absolutely zero Hebrew required or expected! All the texts will be in Lexi’s special translation that will enable you to build your Talmud skills without needing to worry about language or translation struggles. Even if you do know some Hebrew, this course will let you focus on building your interpretive skills without any language skill-issues getting in the way. We believe that separating language skills from “discursive” Talmud skills helps students learn both sets of skills faster and with less anxiety.

What’s this special translation look like?

Like this! You can think of it as a raw, unfiltered translation. Give it a crack and see what sense you can make out of it:

SUKKAH THAT IS HIGH ABOVE FROM TWENTY AMOT INVALID AND RABBI YEHUDAH VALIDATES AND THAT IS NOT HIGH TEN TEFACHIM AND THAT IS NOT TO IT THREE WALLS AND THAT ITS SUN GREATER FROM ITS SHADE INVALID.

Our primary goal in this course is to equip you to be able to make meaning out of stuff like this, which is the way the Talmud speaks. We’ll also learn what to do when a whole bunch of these kinds of statements get stringed together. Plus we’ll talk about how to use major commentators to help us understand and dig even deeper.

Will there be recordings? Can I miss a class?

Yes! Recordings will be available the day after each class. If you have to miss a class, it’d be a good idea to watch the recording and work through the material on your own. Activating this knowledge is the only way to build skills!

I really don’t need to know anything about Hebrew or Talmud to do this?

It’s really true! No Hebrew knowledge or prior Talmud experience required or expected. If you’ve never celebrated Sukkot or thought about the holiday before, you might struggle to understand what the Talmud is talking about, though.

Is this course for me if I have learned Talmud before?

It depends! If you’re already comfortable learning a daf with Rashi, and don’t want to work on those skills, then this course is not for you. But if you’re very used to learning Talmud in translation (like Steinsaltz or Artscroll, or through a teacher), and you’re looking to engage with the text more directly, then this course is for you.

I’d like to read more about the pedagogy informing this course.

You’re our kind of person! You can read a statement of the course’s pedagogical rationale and translation methodology here.

Robindra Nath Banerji