Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Prof. Reuven Kimelman

Reuven Kimelman is Professor of Classical Judaica at Brandeis University. Previously, he was Joseph Shier Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto and Five College Professor of Judaic Studies at Amherst College. He has also taught at Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Trinity and Williams Colleges as well as the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Hebrew University. He served as scholar-in-residence of the National Jewish Community Centers Association and Senior Scholar of CLAL. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University.

Professor Kimelman has published widely in journals of scholarly and popular interest on Bible, history, ethics, liturgy, and current affairs. He is the author of the Hebrew work The Mystical Meaning of Lekhah Dodi and Kabbalat Shabbat, published by Magnes Press of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and The Rhetoric of Jewish Prayer: A Literary and Historical Commentary on the Prayerbook, to be published by The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. He is also the teacher of our own audio coursebooks on The Moral Meaning of the Bible—The What, How and Why of Biblical Ethics, and The Hidden Poetry of the Jewish Prayerbook—The What, How and Why of Jewish Liturgy.

Rabbi Kimelman lectures frequently at academic conferences, synagogues and national Jewish organizations. He has served as scholar-in-residence for many groups, including the former UJA Young Leadership Cabinet, The Wexner Heritage Foundation, the JCCA Biennial Conference, the JCC On The Palisades, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), and the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities.

Joseph Telushkin, named by Talk Magazine as one of the fifty best speakers in the United States, is the author of Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History, the most widely selling book on Judaism of the past two decades. His trilogy, A Code of Jewish Ethics, has seen its first two volumes ("You Shall Be Holy" and "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself") published by Bell Tower/Crown (Random House) in 2006 and 2009, respectively. Rabbi Telushkin is the author of 12 other books.

Rabbi Telushkin was ordained at Yeshiva University and pursued graduate studies in Jewish history at Columbia University. He served as a rabbi for the Los Angeles-based Synagogue for the Performing Arts, and is an associate of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. Telushkin is a former director of education at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, a Senior Associate with CLAL (The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership), and a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Book Council.

Rabbi Telushkin tours the United States as a lecturer on Jewish topics.

The Moral Meaning of the Bible
with
Reuven Kimelman

The Moral Meaning of the Bible

In his unique journey, Prof. Kimelman uses well known Biblical episodes to discuss many of the “gray areas” of morality. By asking difficult ethical questions that emerge from the Biblical narrative, he helps the listener wrestle with these issues in a contemporary relevant manner. The focus is on biblical characters as agents exercising moral leadership. Each session focuses on one segment, asks provoking questions, analyzes the text closely in search for elucidation, and wraps up by suggesting at one or more answers.

Throughout the journey, the historical background, the literary artistry, and the ideological motivations of the text are highlighted by posing three questions: what is said, how is it said, and why is it said. Through the prism of these three questions, Professor Kimelman analyzes the moral content of each episode, delineates its mode of presentation, seeks to ascertain its purpose—all converging in illuminating the moral meaning of the Biblical text.

Contents
Volume 1

»The Seduction of Eve: Why Did She Do It? – Original Sin versus the Anatomy of Sin
» Cain and Abel: Homicide as Fratricide – The Moral Implications of Playing God
» Noah as the New Adam – Human Nature and Moral Realism
» The Tower of Babel – A Man Proposes and God Disposes
» Abraham’s Challenge to God – Power and Morality
» Moses as the People’s Defense Attorney – Leadership versus Self-Interest
» Elijah at Sinai – Religious Success and Moral Failure
» The Binding/Sacrifice of Isaac – Covenant and Mutual Testing

Volume 2

» The Blessings of Isaac to His Sons – Do the Ends Justify the Means?
» Jacob and the Man/Angel – Is the Struggle with Conscience a Struggle with God?
» Joseph’s Conflict with His Brothers – Illusions of Grandeur or Awareness of Greatness?
» Judah and Tamar – Perversity or Integrity?
» Joseph’s Meeting with His Brothers – Vengeance or Repentance?
» Joseph’s Reconciliation with His Brothers – What makes a Great Moral Hero?
» The Enslavement of Israel in Egypt – Do Despots Need the Consent of their People?
» Moses’ Self-Discovery – Why was Moses Chosen?

A Code of Jewish Ethics
with
Joseph Telushkin

Volume 1: You Shall Be Holy, is the initial volume of the first major code of Jewish ethics to be written in English. It is a monumental work on the vital topic of personal character and integrity by one of the premier Jewish scholars and thinkers of our time.

With the stated purpose of restoring ethics to its central role in Judaism, Rabbi Telushkin offers hundreds of examples from the Torah, the Talmud, rabbinic commentaries, and contemporary stories to illustrate how ethical teachings can affect our daily behavior. The subjects dealt with are ones we all encounter. They include judging other people fairly; knowing when forgiveness is obligatory, optional, or forbidden; balancing humility and self-esteem; avoiding speech that shames others; restraining our impulses of envy, hatred, and revenge; valuing truth but knowing when lying is permitted; understanding why God is the ultimate basis of morality; and appreciating the great benefits of Torah study.

Volume 2: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, is rich with ideas to contemplate and discuss, while being primarily a book to live by. Nothing could be more important in these strife-torn times than learning how to love our neighbors as ourselves. The message of this book is as vital and timely now as it has been since time immemorial.

"Love your neighbor as yourself" is the best-known commandment in the Hebrew Bible. Yet we rarely hear anyone talk about how to apply these words in daily life. This book gives both Jews and non-Jews an extraordinary summation of what Jewish tradition teaches about putting these words into practice.

Writing with great clarity and simplicity, as well as with deep wisdom, Telushkin covers topics such as love and kindness, hospitality, visiting the sick, comforting mourners, charity, relations between Jews and non-Jews, compassion for animals, tolerance, self-defense, and end-of-life issues. This volume is breathtaking in its cope and will undoubtedly influence readers for generations to come. It offers hundreds of practical examples from the Torah, the Talmud, the Midrash, and both ancient and modern rabbinic commentaries, as well as contemporary anecdotes--all teaching us how to care for one another each and every day.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Is It Possible?

A WORLD PREMIERE
120-Minute Live, Interactive Tele-Webinar
with best-selling author top-50 speaker
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
and renowned scholar and master teacher
Professor Reuven Kimelman

"Love Your Neighbor As Yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) is the most widely recognized line from the Hebrew Bible. There is hardly any Jew, Christian and perhaps others who has not heard this five-word sentence.

But what does it really mean? Please consider:

Why aren't we asked to "love humanity," but just our neighbor?
What does the word "as" mean here?
How does it relate to "do not hate your brother in your heart?"
Does it apply to enemies?
What is the neighbor's responsibility to us?
Does it imply that we are obligated to love ourselves?

If you find any of these questions (or others you may have) puzzling or intriguing, this interactive, live session with two of the world's best scholars, teachers and captivating speakers is just for you.

Date:	Monday April 27, 2009
Time:	9 PM Eastern \| 6 PM Pacific
Place:	Your telephone OR your Internet computer

If this time is NOT convenient for you, no worries: we will make the recording of the full session available to you within 48 hours of the live event, so you can listen to it at your leisure. However, you MUST register to gain access to the replay.

In this 120-minute live, interactive session, two renowned scholars and master teachers bring TWO complementary treatments of this most influential Biblical teaching. While Professor Kimelman brings a dominantly literary, text-based perspective, Rabbi Telushkin brings a persoective dominantly focused on interpretation and relevance of this verse to each participant's daily life.

You will be able to get some of your own questions answered live!

If you happen to also be an educator, lay or professional, this tele-webinar will serve as a pre-made module. You can learn, adapt and then teach this material. Your students, congregants and friends will be delighted to have this exposure to two of the leading speakers and thinkers in the Jewish world today.

All you need participate is either a telephone OR a computer. Period. No travel, no hassle. To reserve your virtual seat (yes, there is a limit on the number of attendees we can accommodate), simply...

The regular tuition for this unprecedented tele-webinar is $36. However, thanks to an anonymous sponsor, we have a limited number of "subsidized virtual seats" available at 25% off. If you feel you need a little help in taking advantage of this unique learning opportunity, simply follow the instructions below on how to register for only $27.

What Do I Get for My Registration Fee?
How Do I Register?
How Can I Continue to Learn from Rabbi Debra?
Frequently Asked Questions

If you've had the pleasure to attend any of Rabbi Telushkin's or Professor Kimelman's live teachings, you already know how insightful, informative, and entertaining they are. If you haven't, you are in for a real treat. So go ahead and register now!

See you there!

Sergiu S. Simmel
Founder and President
Our Learning Company LLC

What Do I Get For My Registration Fee?

A live, interactive 120-minute tele-webinar
A recording of the entire event, streamed over the Internet
A downloadable MP3 recording of the event
A 17 page Study Guide.
A full, 30-page chapter from Joseph Telushkin's A Code of Jewish Ethics, volume 1 (PDF format).
A full, 33-page chapter from Joseph Telushkin's A Code of Jewish Ethics, volume 2 (PDF format).
A full, 32-minute session from Reuven Kimelman's Moral Meaning of the Bible, volume 1 (Streamed Audio & PDF format).
Several other "surprise bonuses" from Joseph Telushkin

How Do I Register?

Click the Register Now button above
Enter your first name, your email address, and what is YOUR most puzzling question about the "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself" commandment.
Why a question? For two reasons. First, Rabbis Telushkin and Kimmelman would like to adapt their teaching to the specific questions and topics you have in mind. Additionally, we want to produce future such learning events based on what YOU tell us about what interests you. However, if you find it difficult to come up with a question, simply enter "no question" and that will be fine.
Click on the "Here is My Question, Joseph & Reuven" button
Verify that you formulated your question well.
Now is the time to revise it, or to confirm it
Enter your payment information. If you need to use one of the "subsidized virtual seats," enter the Coupon Code TW29SRF and click on the Apply button to the right of the coupon field. The amount will now show $27, instead of the regular $36.
Click on the green Submit Order button and wait for the credit card transaction to go through.
View and print the Study Guide by clicking on the large button.
Print the web page (by clicking on the Print button on the bottom), and save it; it has all the information you need to call in or tune in for the live event.

If you happen to miss the live event due to schedule conflicts, no worries: Watch your email inbox within 48 hours from the live event for information on how to access its full recording.

However, to attend the live event or listen to the replay, you must first...

The Special Offer:
How Can I Continue to Learn with Reuven Kimelman and Joseph Telushkin?

At the tele-webinar, and only for registered participants, I will offer you the opportunity to enjoy a very special package of learning materials with Joseph Telushkin and Reuven Kimelman, as well as several other Special Bonuses, including a membership in Our Learning Inner Circle™.

This offer will be available only for a very limited period of time (we're talking hours), and only for registered participants. The details will be made available during the tele-webinar. To make sure you won't miss this opportunity, you must

Looking forward to your participation!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: I cannot make it to the live event (have a scheduling conflict), but I'd love to learn about the subject. What should I do?

A: No worries: We will make the recording of the full session available to all registrants within 48 hours from the live event. However, to gain access to the recording, you must register for the Tele-Webinar. You can do so by clicking HERE.

Q: Will this be a video broadcast from a studio?

A: No, this tele-webinar enables leaners from across the world to access these two preminent scholars in an audio format, pretty much like a call-in radio talk-show, either by telephone or over the Web. If you connect by telephone, you'll be able to ask your questions in your own voice. If you connect by webcast, you'll be able to ask your questions by instant messaging off the same webcast page.

Q. I am a beginner, and know precious little about Jewish ethics or the Hebrew Bible. Will I be able to follow this session, or is it suitable for advanced learners only?

A: Rabbis Telushkin and Kimelman's teaching is for everyone. They are both renowned for the clarity of their teaching. Both Reuven Kimelman and Joseph Telushkin have the rare gift for making complex topics accessible without “watering them down.” Also, don't forget that you will gain access, like all other registrants, to the recording of the session, which you'll be able to listen to again. So even if you missed something on the first pass (such as during the live event), you'll be able to catch up shortly afterwards.

Q: I am very advanced in my Jewishor Biblical studies (maybe even an ordained rabbi, priest, or minister or a scholar), so why should I spend my time and money on this?

A: For at least four reasons: First, both Reuven Kimelman's and Joseph Telushkin's approaches to this topic are fairly unique: their combined abilities to synthesize millennia of Jewish commentary and add their own fresh new perspectives is about as superb as you'll be able to get anywhere. Second, the opportunity to hear and interact with them in combination is unprecedented. Third, you will find that the format of this tele-webinar, broken down into segments and sub-segments, brings the topic alive in ways few do. Fourth, if you are an educator, you'll be able to very quickly create a seminar of your own based on what you learn here; Rabbis Gillman and Kimelman have already done all the "heavy lifting" for you.

Q: How come you're charging money for this tele-webinar when there is so much free stuff on the Internet?

A: We offer a very unique, interactive, pedagogically superior learning environment rarely available anywhere. We also engage absolutely top-of-the-line (if I may use that phrase) Jewish scholars, teachers, authors and thought leaders as our faculty.

Q: I don't know any Hebrew. Is that a problem?

A: Not at all. Everything is in English. If Rabbis Kimelman and Telushkin quote a word or a phrase in Hebrew, they will immediately translate it into English.

Q: I am a computer novice, and I am afraid I won't be able to handle this remote learning. What should I do?

A: If you know how to use a telephone, you're all set. You will be able to fully participate over the phone.

Q: Will I need access to the Internet during the live event?

A: No. You will be able to participate fully just by using a telephone (even your mobile phone!). If you do have access to an Internet-connected computer, then you'll have a choice: phone or computer.

Q: I understand that in order to register I will be asked to ask a question; but I don't know enough to ask a question now. Will I be able to ask questions during the event?

A: Yes. During the live session we will have Q&A segments when we'll take questions from the audience. If you REALLY don't have any one question now (remember, ALL questions on the topic are good questions), simply say so in that box.