Sunday, 2 January 2022

Avot in Retrospect: a summary of last month's blogposts

In case you missed them, here's a list of items posted on Avot Today in December 2021:

Friday 31 December 2021: A thought for the Winterval. The annual learning of Pirkei Avot in synagogue usually commences in spring, when people's thoughts traditionally turn to the pleasures of the flesh -- but don't we now have these thoughts all year round?

Thursday 30 December 2021: A name made great...": some notes on Avot and celebrity failureThe Chaim Walder affair has shocked Jewish communities the world over. We view it here through the guidance of Pirkei Avot.

Tuesday 28 December 2021: A place at last: Avot teaches us not to despise any item, however useless or trivial it seems to be. The wisdom of this teaching is shown in the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Thursday 23 December 2021: Lawgiver takes law into his own hands: what does Avot say? Moses strikes and kills an Egyptian who is assaulting a fellow Jew. Does a saying of Hillel give him support?

Friday 17 December 2021: Weighed in the balance:  There are two versions of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai's assessment of his top five pupils. Which one is right -- or are they both correct?

Thursday 9 December 2021: Keeping honour at a distance: In Avot 6:6 one of the 48 ways of acquiring Torah is to put some distance between oneself and honour. What are the practical implications of this?

Tuesday 7 December 2021: Testing God -- a national pastime? Avot 5:6 teaches how our ancestors tested God ten times in the wilderness. Why then are we still testing Him?

Monday 6 December 2021: A mishnah for all seasons? Avot's political guidance in the 21st centuryA post commissioned by the Judaism Reclaimed Facebook Group which looks at Avot and attitudes towards authority.

Wednesday 1 December 2021: How Judaism approaches pain and sufferingA guest post by Rabbi Shmuel Phillips which touches on numerous issues, including Avot 4:23 and the need to respect a person's personal space.

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Avot Today blogposts for November 2021 here
Avot Today blogposts for October 2021 here
Avot Today blogposts for September 2021 here
Avot Today blogposts for August 2021 here
Avot Today blogposts for July 2021 here
Avot Today blogposts for June 2021 here