E-mail Shiurim

Subscribe to our e-mail list:
1. Maharal's Derech Chaim on Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky (dean, Darche Noam Institutions): biweekly shiur run through Project Genesis. more

Derech Chaim: - The Maharal of Prague's Commentary On Pirkei Avot
This class is taught by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky, Dean of the Darche Noam Institutions.
Excerpt: "The beauty of the Maharal's approach is his precise textual analysis of the words of the Rabbis, leading him to a deep understanding of the hidden and eternal truths embedded in their words, reaching the hidden dimensions of the Torah. We will try to convey that unique combination through cyberspace. One very important assumption that the Maharal posits in all teachings of the Rabbis, and which is even more fundamental when studying Pirkei Avot, is that the Rabbis aren't giving us lessons on how to win friends and influence people, or habits of effective people. These are things we can figure out for ourselves [or have Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, et al, help us with :-) ]. The Rabbis are revealing to us the inner essence of man, creation, and the way these interact. So we shouldn't mistake Pirkei Avot for a Rabbinical version of "Poor Richard's Almanac." This perspective helps understand how and why the Maharal goes below the surface of the text in trying to understand the words of the authors of Pirkei Avot. What one finds in the Maharal's works is a deep respect for the philosophical depth and textual integrity of the teachings of our Rabbis".

Back to Shiurim Index