Bet Aviv Lunch and Learn

If there is one Talmudic story that became most crucial in the 20th century, it is this one. As the authority for interpretation and action in the Jewish world shifted – according to many readers– from Divine powers to human hands, Jews from across the spectrum reached back to study the“Oven of Akhnai,” in which two Rabbinic figures battle out whether the authority over truth lie sin the hands of God, or whether “It does not reside in Heaven!” The second half of this tale, however, asks a different series of questions: How does a society deal with minority opinions, especially ones that threaten the very fabric of the community? Brought within the context of verbal wrongdoing, the Talmud reframes this tale of human
authority into an exploration of the possible abuse of power, and the uncontrollable power of shame.