This week I want us to talk about early rabbinic culture.Read…

This week I want us to talk about early rabbinic culture.Read…

This week I want us to talk about early rabbinic culture. Read Pirqei

Avot 1:1-18. It starts with the “chain of tradition” tracing rabbis back to Moses. Such an opening implies a particular way of constructing history and group identity. What is the purpose of this chain? What rabbis want to tell us by starting the tractate with it? What claims do they make? Also, what does the text mean by “Torah”? What does Torah include? Is it just the Torah of Moses or also something else?