Curious Tales of the Talmud: Finding Personal Meaning in the Legends of our Sages
Judaism is full of deeply resonant and transformative wisdom. Some of its most profound ideas about life, the universe, the soul, and our relationship with G-d are encrypted in an unusual place-within peculiar and nonsensical Talmudic tales.
The Talmud's zany legends tell of gargantuan sea creatures, vinegar-fueled lamps, idolatrous kings, rivers flowing upstream, and a debate of riddles between Jewish and Athenian sages. These intriguing legends are not usually accessible to the general public, nor are the profound pearls of wisdom that are encrypted within them.
Lesson 4:
Greek Riddles: A Camouflaged Theological Debate
After exhausting his arguments, Rabbi Eliezer makes a carob tree jump, reverses a stream of water, crumbles the walls of the study hall, and evokes a heavenly voice, all to make a point. What is so important about Rabbi Eliezer's message? How is it relevant to us today?
