Re: what? an update? *rubs eyes*shoshi144December 6 2005, 05:26:49 UTC
explanation take two:
it's a class on a text called breishit rabbah, which is a rabbinic work that comments line by line on genesis. in its midrashy fanciful way (as far as i can tell) it brings up all these unrelated tangential stories that prove various sermon-y points and resolve problems in the text and do all sorts of other fun things. it's intensely odd and philosophical and moralizing and all such other things.
the class goes through the text in comparison to the texts from which the rabbis were getting their ideas at the time and texts which used the ideas of the rabbis. therefore, plato, philo (a jewish philosopher who tried to rectify the bible with philosophy) augustine, and many such people. I only got a glance at the syllabus but it's just a LOT of text... basically there are just a lot of ideas and they play together and it's complicated but seemingly fascinating and yeah... who knows. i'm not sure i have the guts (not to mention there are only two undergrads currently in the class). we'll see, we'll see. but how cool is creation?
Re: what? an update? *rubs eyes*elerzDecember 6 2005, 05:35:07 UTC
muchas gracias :)
i wanted to reply and say that it sounds fascinating but then i realized that that was the word that you'd used. But it does sound very interesting, and also, I think, like something you'd enjoy very much.
As for guts. . . we WILL see, I hope, or at the very least you will see, but honestly? I have meah achuz faith in you, I really do. Be'atzlacha. . . v'be'kef, of course. :)
it's a class on a text called breishit rabbah, which is a rabbinic work that comments line by line on genesis. in its midrashy fanciful way (as far as i can tell) it brings up all these unrelated tangential stories that prove various sermon-y points and resolve problems in the text and do all sorts of other fun things. it's intensely odd and philosophical and moralizing and all such other things.
the class goes through the text in comparison to the texts from which the rabbis were getting their ideas at the time and texts which used the ideas of the rabbis. therefore, plato, philo (a jewish philosopher who tried to rectify the bible with philosophy) augustine, and many such people. I only got a glance at the syllabus but it's just a LOT of text... basically there are just a lot of ideas and they play together and it's complicated but seemingly fascinating and yeah... who knows. i'm not sure i have the guts (not to mention there are only two undergrads currently in the class). we'll see, we'll see. but how cool is creation?
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i wanted to reply and say that it sounds fascinating but then i realized that that was the word that you'd used. But it does sound very interesting, and also, I think, like something you'd enjoy very much.
As for guts. . . we WILL see, I hope, or at the very least you will see, but honestly? I have meah achuz faith in you, I really do. Be'atzlacha. . . v'be'kef, of course. :)
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