Avot Today is taking a break but looks forward to returning to action after the holiday of Sukkot. Meanwhile, since many readers were so busy with the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur that they didn't have much spare time for reading our Pirkei Avot pieces, here's a summary of our September posts. Do feel free to browse them at your leisure -- and don't hesitate to comment on them if the moment inspires you.
The Facebook group for Avot Today is where you will find comments already posted by other readers. All the September posts on this blog are replicated on Facebook, so you can conveniently share them with friends.
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September posts
Wednesday 27 September 2023: Sukkot and a methodology for teaching. Traditional Jewish learning techniques may at first seem random and disjointed -- but have Pirkei Avot and other ancient texts already anticipated later didactic notions?
Tuesday 26 September 2023: Not pillars but a conveyor belt? At Avot 1:2 Shimon HaTzaddik teaches that the world stands on three "things", which many people analogise to pillars. But is there a better analogy?
Sunday 24 September 2023: When God copies us. The concept of imitatio dei -- of us seeking to emulate God-- is so frequently cited that we may lose sight of the possibility that it works the other way round, particularly when it comes to giving others the benefit of the doubt (Avot 1:6).
Friday 22 September 2023: Do not stand alone. An awkward phraseology in R' Shimon ben Netanel's teaching (Avot 2:18) that one should not be wicked "before oneself" invites a creative interpretation.
Thursday 21 September 2023: Finding our way in the dark. Taking a look at Avot 2:1, the Kozhnitz Maggid asks where we might get a fix for our moral compass when neither prophecy nor Heavenly voices are part of our daily routine.
Tuesday 19 September 2023: Getting a second opinion. Pirkei Avot has much to say about relying on the opinions of our sages -- but is there a presumption that one attaches oneself to just one of them at a time?
Thursday 14 September 2023: Rosh Hashanah in just two minutes. If the long religious services and sometimes puzzling prayers are too much for you, Avot 4:29 succinctly summarises the main points of the day.
Tuesday 12 September 2023: Keeping the line open. Looking at Avot 6:2, we note that you won't get the message -- whatever it may be -- if you are not ready and prepared to receive it.
Sunday 10 September 2023: "Where do you come from, where do you go?" Akavya ben Mahalalel's famous mishnah at Avot 3:1 is not all about a sperm-to-worm life-cycle: it also admits of an historical perspective.
Wednesday 6 September 2023: Having a good shout. Avot is clear when it comes to controlling one's temper -- but what about displaying anger when one is not actually angry at all?
Friday 1 September 2023: Absolute consciousness: are we aware of it? A question posed on one of the Dee Project Pirkei Avot sheets invites speculation as to whether we can even function as humans if we are totally aware of everything we do.
Avot Today blogposts for August 2023
Avot Today blogposts for July 2023
Avot Today blogposts for June 2023
Avot Today blogposts for May 2023
Avot Today blogposts for April 2023
Avot Today blogposts for March 2023
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