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AN EXPLORATION OF JEWISH LAW AS WAY OF LIFE (ONLINE)
This course offers an introduction to halakhah as a dynamic and evolving system at the heart of Jewish life. Rather than presenting halakhah simply as a fixed set of rules, the course explores it as an ongoing interpretive conversation that spans centuries, texts, and communities. Participants will engage directly with primary sources from the Torah, Talmud, as well as medieval and contemporary codes and responsa to understand how legal ideas emerge, develop, and represent core values.
Through close reading and guided discussion, participants will gain insight into the methods and principles that shape halakhic reasoning. Emphasis will be placed on the role of disagreement, interpretation, and authority, highlighting how multiple perspectives coexist within the tradition. Select case studies such as Shabbat, kashrut, and prayer, will serve as entry points into lived halakhah, tracing the movement from biblical text to rabbinic elaboration and later codification, including works like the Shulchan Aruch.
The course also introduces key philosophical voices such as Moses Maimonides, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Prof. Mara Benjamin, and others who reflect on the meaning and purpose of halakhic life. Their perspectives invite participants to consider halakhah not only as law, but as a framework for shaping identity, values, and religious experience. By the end of the course, participants will have developed both the skills and conceptual tools to approach halakhic texts thoughtfully and to understand their continued relevance today.
The course is given in collaboration with the Jewish Community of Helsinki and Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.
Course Structure
The learning methods used in this course are lecture, chavruta (learning in pairs) and discussions.
Reading some articles and some primary sources may be included as a home assignment between sessions.
Prior Knowledge
The course is given in English.
No prior background in Hebrew or Jewish legal study is required. The course is designed for a pluralistic and intellectually engaged audience and encourages participants to reflect on their own relationship to halakhah in contemporary contexts.
To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom.
Course Material
Course material is included in the cost for this course.
About the Teacher
Sofia Freudenstein graduated from Yeshivat Maharat, the first school to ordain women through an Orthodox semikhah rabbinic curriculum, and is completing her master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School. She is the Director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Jewish Community of Helsinki, Finland.
Sofia enjoys connecting with people, birdwatching, and learning to play the kantele (the Finnish harp).