Item Description:

Because the Talmud is the record of the conversations that occurred in the Babylonian yeshivas for over three centuries, Talmud study is a glimpse into an ancient world which still holds sway over our own. Join Rabbi Wein as he dives into the end of the conversation and examines the lives of the final contributors to the Talmud. Though diverse in character, each of these great figures led a life of impeccable integrity that will instruct and inspire all listeners.

Individual Lectures:

Rabah & Rav Yosef - Rav Yosef was nicknamed "Sinai" for his encyclopedic knowledge, and the Talmudic record of him reveals why the nickname was so apt. Just as Sinai, the smallest of all mountains, became the place for the giving of the Torah, this self-effacing genius nearly refused the mantle of leadership when it was awarded him. Though he suffered personal tragedies and received criticism in his public capacity, he was nonetheless beloved in his hometown for his gentle piety.

Rav Nachman & Rav Sheises - These two successors to Rav and Shmuel were in many ways their mirror images. They were experts in differing areas of Jewish Law, each an accepted "specialist" in his own right. More notable still were their very distinct personalities. With stories from the Talmud, Rabbi Wein contrasts the humble Rabbi Nachman to the iron-willed Rabbi Sheshis and shows how their shared leadership of the Jewish people impacted Torah scholarship.

Mar B'Rav Ashi - Of all of the last Talmudic rabbis, Mar B'Rav Ashi's name was most synonymous with Torah scholarship. Why him above all others? The answer lies within his extraordinary biography. Living in an era when rabbis did not inherit their positions but had to prove themselves worthy, the son of a great Torah scholar was viewed with suspicion. This lecture, sprinkled with stories of later gedolim, illustrates the dichotomy between lineage and merit and the man who was able to unite both.