Rabbi Davies moved to Stockholm earlier this year, and is married to Yael Fried. Using his rabbinic training, Eiran
works as a spiritual personal trainer. He also works as a Goldsmith, and has a workshop in Hornstull.
Session 1: The Halachic Process part 1: Process not System
In this two-part session, we will explore a halachic question, and various approaches to it across the denominational spectrum. There is a common misconception that Halacha is a comprehensive system that provides Jews with rules for behaviour. Rather than this being the case, Halacha is a comprehensive attitude to behaviour which leads to a systematic yet flexible approach to questions. This means that wildly divergent opinions may still be within the framework of the halacha, being, as they are, anchored in the framework of Jewish text.In this part, we will begin to examine a Halachic question, and start to acquaint ourselves with the source texts used to approach the question.
Session 2: The Halachic Process part 2: Answers not Conclusions.
Halachic answers are by no means the end of any discussion. Rather they are part of an ongoing process of development that is the core of Jewish life. In this part we will return to our question, and examine some answers from various rabbis. We will see how they have applied their own understanding of the texts. There will be some surprising results.
Session 3: Travelling in Time and Space
It often surprises me when I discover that the rabbis of the Talmud had a more sophisticated view of the physical universe than ourselves. Menachot 29b contains a fascinating (and well-known) story about Moses and Rabbi Akiva. It contains a remarkable model of time and space. We will examine this and others to discover some of modern physics’ complex models of existence.