The Mishnah Research Fellow will work together with Rabbi Rahel Berkovits on transcribing and organizing her 20 podcasts on the entire Tractate of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah in preparation for turning them into a book of commentary.
Rahel has been teaching Mishnah and Talmud at Pardes for over 20 years. She loves to study and analyze the literary structure of the Mishnah and peel back the many different layers of the text. The Mishnah was created and edited as one coherent work that not only presents a law system but also reveals the theology and philosophy of the early Rabbis. By taking the time to learn one tractate in its entirety Mishnah after Mishnah (without the voices of the Gemara breaking up the flow) one can uncover beautiful literary and linguistic structures and meta themes that run through the text.
The two major topics tractate Rosh Hashanah deals with are sanctifying the new moon (based on human sight) and the rituals of Shofar and prayer on Rosh Hashanah (linked to human hearing and voice). The tractate also discusses important topics still relevant in the modern day such as the relationship of the individual to the nation as a whole, the limits and scope of Rabbinic authority, and the role of human beings to be partners with God and each other in creating holiness in this world.
Come help Rahel turn her teachings, which evolved in the Pardes Classroom, into a clear commentary that people anywhere can enjoy.
For a taste of the podcast listen here.
The fellow will work closely with Rahel in preparing the podcasts for publication. The fellow will help first and foremost with transcribing the podcasts into written texts as well as collecting sources, editing, and proofreading, in preparation for publication.
The Halakha Research Fellow is a full-time participant of the Pardes Year/Semester program, who has committed to a full year of study at Pardes.
Admissions are rolling, with financial aid priority given to earlier applicants.