WINTER 2025 COURSE
DECODING THE TALMUD
Inside the Story, Substance, and Significance of the Book that Defines Judaism
Enter the intricate world of the Talmud: the monumental classic that has defined Jewish learning for centuries. Join this six-week course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute to discover the Talmud, its history, authors, and significance—and experience it for yourself.
You'll learn the key terms, logical principles, and historical context required to decode every part of the Talmudic page. Plus, see how it became central to Jewish life and why it inspires fascination, debate, and study today.
Decoding the Talmud | Course Promo
COURSE OVERVIEW
WHEN
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Six sessions, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 5
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Morning option: 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Evening option: 7:30-9:00 pm​
We may add a Zoom class option if there is interest.
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WHERE
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In-person, at Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
6735 Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI​
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INSTRUCTOR
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Rabbi Levi Dubov
Director, Chabad of Bloomfield Hills
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FEE
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$100 - course textbook included
Couple's discount: 15% off
Bring a friend: 50% off (contact us for the promo code)
Join the first class commitment-free.
Scholarships available. Contact us for more info.
MORE INFO
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248-949-6210
rabbi@bhchabad.org
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson One
The Jewish People and the Talmud
Why Jewish life orbits a book of law
Jewish law’s ultimate record is the Talmud, but what is Jewish law? Explore its nature, scope, and roots in the written Torah and Oral Law—and see learning’s central role in Jewish practice and culture.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson Two
The Mishnah
The origins, authors, and contents of Judaism’s first legal code
See how Jewish law shifted from oral tradition to written code and encounter the Mishnah’s precise style, tight structure, and tolerance for debate—and its spiritual significance in Jewish life.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson Three
Decrypting the Mishnah
How the sages studied, debated, and understood the Mishnah
Discover the tools, methods, and principles the sages employed in the centuries-long effort to unpack the Mishnah’s full practical implications.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson Four
To Create the Talmud
How the sages shaped its structure and substance
Meet the pivotal sages in the Talmud’s story—from Rav and Shmuel’s first academies to Rav Ashi and Ravina’s final text—and see how they wove in stories as well as ethical and philosophical teachings.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson Five
How the Talmud Thinks
A unique method of logic—and why it matters
Understand the Babylonian Talmud’s rigorous mode of legal reasoning, how it balances dueling principles to arrive at clear legal boundaries, and how its elegant logic fuels deeper learning.
LESSON OUTLINE
Lesson Six
The Talmud until Today
Talmudic literature and fifteen centuries of constant study
See how and why the Talmud became the core of Jewish law and discover the vast literature of responsa, legal codes, and commentaries that continue the conversation until today.
