Online Beit Midrash
Bring Nishmat’s Beit Midrash into your home! Join in-depth classes in Tanach, Talmud, Halacha and Tefilla with our experienced, brilliant teachers. Improve your knowledge and text-learning skills with women of all ages from all around the world. The full list of courses is below – now the only question is, which one(s) will you choose?
Classes start the week of September 8th.
Have questions about which class is right for you? Please reach out to [email protected]
*Tuesday morning classes take place simultaneously at Nishmat’s campus in Jerusalem and over Zoom.
SUNDAY
Beginners Talmud: Masechet Sukkah
Rabbanit Navit Tzadik
4:00-6:00pm (Israel)/ 9:00-11:00am (US East Coast)
In this course, we will embark on a journey of Talmudic study by exploring the profound discussions that occur in the Bet Midrash of the Sages. We too will be active members of the Bet Midrash as we engage with the text through chavruta (paired) learning at the beginning
of each class.
This semester, our focus will be on selected sections of Tractate Sukkah. We will examine key topics such as exemptions from mitzvot (commandments) while engaged in other mitzvot, the
prohibition of adding to mitzvot, the enhancement of mitzvot, the prohibition of performing a mitzvah while violating a prohibition, and the principle that hearing a statement is akin to answering it, among others.
Additionally, the tractate provides a detailed description of the Sukkot holiday practices during the time of the Temple, which will help us understand fundamental concepts about the
Temple and their relevance to contemporary times. While a basic knowledge of Hebrew is encouraged, no prior knowledge of Hebrew or Talmud is required for this course.
17 sessions, NIS 1360/$390
Intermediate Talmud: Masechet Brachot, Chaper 4
Rav Hanan Schlesinger
4:00-6:00pm (Israel)/ 9:00-11:00am (US East Coast)
This class will focus on the fourth chapter of Tractate Brachot of the Babylonian Talmud. The chapter covers ten folios in the traditional Vilna Shas and we hope to complete at least the first five of them, from page 26a to page 28a during the first semester and to complete the chapter during the second semester.
The central theme of this chapter is the conceptual and spiritual foundation of the Shemonah Esra Prayer. Is it modeled upon the sacrificial service in the Beit haMikash or does it flow from lived human experience? The chapter delves into this question and into its many halachic ramifications.
The chapter also deals with Tefilat Aravit at the onset of Shabbat and the matter of accepting Shabbat early.
The chapter includes more Agadic material than most Talmudic chapters and this material is usually fully integrated into the halachic discussions. We will analyze it with as much attention and seriousness as the halachic material in the chapter.
The two-hour Zoom sessions will be divided between chavruta study of the texts on the one hand, and on the other hand, frontal presentation and class discussion. The frontal presentations will deal both with the skills of critical textual analysis and with – when possible – the philosophical and theological issues suggested by the texts.
This is in intermediate level class. It is for women who have already studied in-depth at least one full chapter of the Babylonian Talmud or one full tractate of Daf Yomi.
13 sessions, NIS 1040/$300
MONDAY
Praying With Heart, Mind and Soul: An Exploration of Tefilah
Rav Chaim Tabasky
4:00-5:00pm (Israel)/ 9:00-10:00am (US East Coast)
We will consider various cognitive, emotional and spiritual approaches to Jewish prayer, and see how they apply to an assortment of prayer texts. In the first semester we will first compare and contrast the approaches of Maharal and Rav Kook, and how they impact on halachot of tefilla. Then we will study some of the prayers with which we start the day (Modeh Ani, Birchot Hashachar, Ashrei, Shema Yisroel) and consider how our understanding of the text affects our emotional and spiritual devotion. Though all texts will be available in English, the course will include interpretations that should be of interest to those quite familiar with Jewish prayer.
17 sessions, NIS 510/$145
Milk and Meat
Rav Da’vid Sperling
7:15-8:15pm (Israel)/12:15-1:15pm (US East Coast)
This year we will learn the laws of Kashrut – Milk and Meat. We will focus our learning on an in depth understanding of the sources for the laws, and how they unfold through the Shulchan Aruch until present day application. By learning in such a way, we will not only understand them better, but come to a deeper appreciation for halacha in general, and how it is applied to our lives.
18 sessions, NIS 540/$155
TUESDAY
After Eden: From Kayin to the Tower of Babel
Simi Peters
9:00-11:30am (Israel)
In this course we will explore how the Torah explains the history of humanity after Eden and before Avraham Avinu transforms the spiritual landscape, using sources from midrash and biblical commentary.
This course is available both in person and on Zoom.
18 sessions, NIS 1350/$385
Discounted price for both Tuesday morning classes, Simi Peters and Rav Da’vid Sperling – NIS 1800/ $515
Milk and Meat
Rav Da’vid Sperling
11:45am-12:45pm (Israel)
This year we will learn the laws of Kashrut – Milk and Meat. We will focus our learning on an in depth understanding of the sources for the laws, and how they unfold through the Shulchan Aruch until present day application. By learning in such a way, we will not only understand them better, but come to a deeper appreciation for halacha in general, and how it is applied to our lives.
This course is available both in person and on Zoom.
18 sessions, NIS 540/$155
Discounted price for both Tuesday morning classes, Simi Peters and Rav Da’vid Sperling – NIS 1800/$515
Preparing to Enter the Land: Topics in Sefer Devarim
Simi Peters
8:00-9:00pm (Israel)/ 1:00-2:00pm (US East Coast)
Deuteronomy describes how Israel is prepared for the transition from the encampment in the desert to sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael. Using sources from Hazal and the biblical commentators, we will explore topics such as the unique challenges of living in the land of Israel, the institution of the monarchy, the meaning of prophecy, the lessons of history, and the laws of war, among others.
18 sessions, NIS 540/$155
WEDNESDAY
מקדש, מלך ונביא: עיונים בספר מלכים (in Hebrew)
הרב דוד סבתו
2:00-4:00pm (Israel)/ 7:00-9:00am (US East Coast)
סיפורה המופלא של מלכות ישראל נפרש על פני תקופה ארוכה וסוערת של ארבע מאות שנים, ומקופל בין דפי ספר מלכים. סיפוריו נעים בין פסגות המקדש בירושלים – לתהומות עגלי זהב ופולחן הבעל, בין שגשוג כלכלי ופוליטי חסר תקדים, לפילוג, גלות וחורבן, ובין כוח פוליטי לאמת נבואית. בשיעור נעיין בפרקי ספר מלכים בשילוב של ניתוח פרשני-ספרותי, עם מבט היסטורי-רעיוני רחב על משמעויותיו ולקחיו
17 sessions, NIS 1020/$290
THURSDAY
Women and Halacha
Rabbanit Navit Tzadik
8:30-9:30pm (Israel)/ 1:30-2:30pm (US East Coast)
In a world where equality is such a central value, women’s place in Halachic Judaism raises a lot of questions. What mitzvot are women exempt from and why? Are women encouraged to learn Torah as men are? Should women be reciting a zimmun? Starting from the verses and halachic discussion in the Talmud, we will go through the different sources and rulings to help shape a better understanding of the value of equality in Halachic Judaism.
Though the class is only one hour and there will be no assigned chavruta time, questions and discussion on the sources is encouraged.
16 sessions, NIS 480/$140
