Shavuot II

Catalog description

This course in Advanced Talmud will focus on the religious and spiritual dimension of swearing in court beyond its legal function. Should the articulation of a shevuah, when required, constitute the fulfillment of a Biblical command, and, if so, does it qualify as one of the six hundred and thirteen Biblical commandments? Careful attention will be paid to the perspectives of Rambam and Ramban in addressing these questions. Finally, the nature of the shevuah of modeh bimiktzat will be investigated through the primary window of Rabbahs famed question of - mipnei mah amrah Torah. What distinguishes cases of modeh bimiktzat from kofer bakol, and what is responsible for the Biblical obligation to swear in the former case and exemption in the latter instance? Three conceptual models for the shevuah of modeh bimiktzat will be developed and potential practical halakhic ramifications between the various understandings will be explored.