Captivating Cases in
Rabbinic Responsa
Listen in on the surprising, practical questions your ancestors asked rabbis across Jewish history.
(course details below)
Class Presenter: Rabbi Shmuly Grossbaum
Dates and time: Tuesdays 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Jan 20, Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17, Feb 24
Location:
Chabad on the East Side
2026 Yonge St.
Class will be accompanied by light dinner.
Price:
First class free
Full course $89.00*
10% Couples discount
15% Early bird discount until Jan13. Use code 15early.
*Includes student book
Course Overview:
Listen in on the surprising, practical questions your ancestors asked rabbis across Jewish history. Join this six-session course to discover the little-known world of rabbinic responsa, a vast archive of the real-life questions of ethics and practice Jews asked across history—and the scholarly answers rabbis wrote. Algiers is under siege: May I pray in a bathhouse? The Inquisition is watching: How will I celebrate Passover? Seventeen Jews are held hostage in faraway Regensburg after a blood libel: Must I help pay their ransom? See what enables Jewish tradition to offer relevant guidance in a rapidly changing world—and come face-to-face with raw Jewish history.
Lesson Outline:
Lesson One - Jan 20
The people who asked the questions
What do these questions reveal about our ancestors? What did they think, feel, and value? Explore five fascinating stories to find out.
Cases BARCELONA, 1300; ALGIERS, 1450; MODENA, 1530; ALGIERS, 1732; AUSCHWITZ, 1944
Lesson Two - Jan 27
The quest for facts
Do sages make assumptions about how reality works, or do they investigate the facts? Follow rabbis as they conduct five fascinating investigations worldwide.
Cases CAIRO, 1548; ALTONA, 1709; HAMBURG, 1772; JERUSALEM, 1866; BROOKLYN, 1958
Lesson Three - Feb 3
How the Torah stays relevant
See inside the process that enables the Torah’s ancient code to guide life in an ever-changing world. Witness the precise process of applying Talmudic precedent.
Cases BARCELONA, 1300; VALENCIA, 1380; PAVIA, 1478; BEREZHANY, 1908
Lesson Four - Feb 10
When the exception is the law
Explore unexpected rulings that reveal the hidden fallback mechanisms built into Jewish law. These cases show how the law itself protects deeper values like human dignity and family harmony.
Cases PAVIA, 1450; SALONIKA, 1550; KRAKOW, 1570; LIOZNA, 1790
Lesson Five - Feb 17
Answering the whole person
Rules don’t always translate easily into reality. See how sages account for the practical, social, and emotional realities around a question to ensure their ruling leads to its intended outcome.
Cases CAIRO, 1173; BARCELONA, 1300; LODMIR, 1615; LUBAVITCH, 1871; BROOKLYN, 1954; MANCHESTER, 1963
Lesson Six - Feb 24
Responsa from the future
Could Artificial Intelligence decide Jewish law? Is lab-grown meat kosher? See how Jewish law is addressing the questions posed by tomorrow’s cutting-edge technology.
Cases JERUSALEM, 2003; MAALEH ADUMIM, 2009; NEW YORK, 2015; BEIT SHEMESH, 2022