Teaching and living a prophetic vision of Jewish life renewed in Yeshua

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1 Teaching and living a prophetic vision of Jewish life renewed in Yeshua RW681 Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah Rav Carl Kinbar Location: Online (Live Video) December 31, March 4, 2018 (Winter Quarter, ) Time: Sundays 9:00 am to 11:00 am Eastern COURSE DESCRIPTION In this course, we study passages from Song of Songs Rabbah, the Sages inter-textual biblical interpretation and theological reflection on the Song of Songs. Reading the Song as a parable of the relationship between God and Israel, the Sages expressed a deep and nuanced theology in which mutual love is the primary characteristic. We study portions of the Apostolic Writings in light of the Sages approach to Scripture. Course goals are to learn, evaluate, and incorporate the Sages approach in our understanding of the Bible. RELATIONSHIP TO THE CURRICULUM This course is required for the MRS degree and an elective for the MJS degree. RELEVANCE The study practices, language skills, and academic knowledge learned in this course contribute to students comprehension of the Sages interpretation, theology, and modes of expression. Rabbinic students learn how to engage in Midrash study as prospective custodians of Israel s sacred tradition. PREREQUISITE R501- Early Rabbinic Judaism 1, or permission from the instructor. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS This is a live, online course. The student must have a computer and reliable internet access. COURSE FORMAT Lecture and discussion in live online Zoom sessions; informal discussion thread. REQUIREMENTS Listen to podcasts; complete required reading; prepare for, and participate in, the eight video sessions, including translation of Midash texts; write the the mid-term essay exam and the final paper. Video sessions will take place on Sundays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am Eastern.

2 REQUIRED TEXTS Course Pack (digital download) FROM R501 Fernández, Miguel Pérez. An Introductory Grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew. (Leiden and Boston: Brill, 1999). Download free at Fonrobert, Charlotte and Jaffee, Martin, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Talmudic and Rabbinic Literatur (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007). (Paperback) Jastrow, Marcus. A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli, and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature. (Reprint, New York: Judaica Press, 1989). (Accessed free online at Strack, H.L. and Stemberger, Gunter. Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996). (Paperback) RECOMMENDED READING Bocaccini, G. Roots of Rabbinic Judaism: An Intellectual History from Ezekiel to Daniel. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Though asserting that Rabbinic Judaism is a post- Hurban development, Bocaccini explores early roots of Rabbinic thought in the period from the Babylonian exile to the Maccabean revolt. Jaffee, M. Torah in the Mouth: Writing and Oral Tradition in Palestinian Judaism,200 BCE-400CE. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, A study of oral tradition as it functioned in the rabbinic discipleship community. Kaplan, Jonathan. My Perfect One: Typology and Early Rabbinic Interpretation of Song of Songs. New York: Oxford University Press, An important study of tannaitic Midrash on the Song of Songs. Neusner, Jacob. A Theological Commentary to the Midrash. Volume 3: Song of Songs Rabbah. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, The first and only theologial commentary on Song of Songs Rabbah. Peters, Simi. Learning to Read Midrash. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, An excellent overview of later, aggadic midrash, using both traditional and academic methodology. ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES 1. Write a mid-term essay exam of 2,500 words. This open-book essay exam will be posted on Orbund after class on Sunday, January 21 st and is to be uploaded to Orbund on Wednesday, January 31 st at midnight (student s time). 2

3 2. Write an end-term paper 4,500 words. The paper topic will be given in the last class session on Sunday, February 18 th and is to be uploaded on Orbund by Sunday, March 4 th at midnight (student s time). COURSE OUTLINE Please read material in the order in which it is listed in each week s readings. WEEK 1 Introduction: the Song of Songs and Song of Songs Rabbah (December 31) Important: The assignments for Week 1 must be completed prior to the first video session. LISTEN Podcast: Introduction to Midrash Study READ (33 pages) 1. Scolnic. Why Do We Sing the Song of Songs on Passover? [20] 2. Kates. Entering the Holy of Holies: Rabbinic Midrash and the Language of Intimacy [13] Study Guide, Week 1 Kaplan. The Holy of Holies or the Holiest: Rabbi Akiva s Characterization of the Song of Songs in Mishnah Yadayim 3:5. The Song of Songs from the Bible to the Mishnah WEEK 2 Song of Songs (Rabbah) and the Torah, Part 1 (January 7) READ (47 pages) 1. Ulmer. The Boundaries of the Rabbinic Genre Midrash [15] 2. Eisen. Maharal s Be er ha-golah and His Revolution in Aggadic Scholarship in Their Context and on His Terms, ( ) [15] 3. Slifkin. Maharal s Multiple Revolutions in Aggadic Scholarship [17] Study Guide, Week 2 Decock. Origen s Christain Approach to the Song of Songs 3

4 WEEK 3 Song of Songs (Rabbah) and the Torah, Part 2 (January 14) READ (19 pages) Fraade. Literary Composition and Oral Performance in Early Midrashim [19] Study Guide, Week 3 Mandel, Jewish Hermeneutics WEEK 4 Midrash as Paideia (January 21) READ (20 pages) Fishbane. Anthological midrash and cultural paideia: The case of Songs Rabba 1.2 [20] Study Guide, Week 4 WEEK 5 Midrash as Theology (January 28) READ (31 pages) Wettstein. Against Theology [31] Study Guide, Week 5 WEEK 6 Learning Midrash as a Spiritual Practice, Part 1 (February 4) READ (40 pages) Fisher. Beyond the Homiletical: Rabbinic Theology as Discursive and Reflective Practice [40] Study Guide, Week 6 Kinbar. Israel, Torah, and the Knowledge of God: Engaging the Jewish Conversation 4

5 WEEK 7 Learning Midrash as a Spiritual Practice, Part 2 (February 11) READ (23) Kaplan. For Every Generation: Preaching as Imaginative Mediation of Rabbinic Tradition [23] Study Guide, Week 7 WEEK 8 Learning Midrash as a Spiritual Practice, Pt. 3 (February 18) READ Review Scolnic. Why Do We Sing the Song of Songs on Passover? and Fisher. Beyond the Homiletical: Rabbinic Theology as Discursive and Reflective Practice ( ) Study Guide, Week 8 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: Demonstrate an improving grasp of the basics of Rabbinic Hebrew Interpret and comment on midrashim studied in this course Describe Midrash in terms of theology and spiritual practice Engage in Midrash study as a lifelong practice ASSESSMENT The final course grade consists of your grades for class preparation (required reading and preparation of Hebrew texts) and participation (64%), the mid-term exam (12%), and the final paper (24%). Grades will be awarded according to the following criteria. THE GRADING SYSTEM The basic letter grades have the following significance: A Exemplary B Adequate C Passing, but requiring substantial improvement P Passing (for use only if the Pass/Fail option is available and selected) F Failed 5

6 Grades have been assigned the following numerical values for the purpose of computing the grade point average: A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C- 1.7 F 0.0 Further aspects of the MJTI Grading System can be found on page 30 of the MJTI Catalog. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Assessing Class Discussion STANDARD MJTI ASSESSMENT RUBRICS Analytical Reflection Assessment Criteria for Class Discussion. Evidence/Support Interaction Total 40% 30% 30% 100% Demonstrates a serious attempt to grapple with the Unit material. Analysis is reasonable and gives opportunity for interaction. Asks relevant questions. Supports discussion points with references to assigned readings, logical analysis, and examples. Gives citations (work, page number) for material quoted or paraphrased. Interacts with the instructor and other students. Discusses agreement or disagreement with classmates analytical reflections and provide explanation of logic; and/or respond to questions posed in classmates analytical reflections, and when appropriate, reference assigned readings, logical analysis, and examples. 6

7 Assessing Written Work Assessment Criteria for Written Work A (exemplary) B (adequate) C (passing) F (failed) Quality of thought Fresh or even original Mostly derivative or clichéd Fully derivative; clichéd No evident effort to understand Engagement with subject Deeply engaged Modestly engaged Superficially Engaged Disengaged Organization Well organized Somewhat choppy Poor Disorganized Mechanics of writing and documentation Nearly errorfree Some errors or sloppiness Many errors and very sloppy Filled with errors and sloppiness Argument and support Well argued and documented Reasonable clarity and support Roughly argued and poorly documented No clearly supported argument or support STRUCTURED WORK HOURS 10 hours 200 pages of reading (20 pages per hour) 35 hours Preparation for class Midrash study (5 hours per session from sessions 2-8) 19 hours Eight 2-hour online sessions (19 50-minute hours) 26 hours Mid-Term essay exam (2,500 words) and final paper (4,000 words). This totals 6,500 words at 250 words per hour. 90 hours Total structured hours 7