SAGE: Talmud Unplugged: Greatest Hits

A 7-Session Series of Raw Wisdom, Sacred Questions, and Timeless Debate

This year, SAGE dives into the heart of Jewish tradition with Talmud Unplugged: Greatest Hits. Over seven sessions, we will explore the most powerful, surprising, and transformative moments in the Talmud. These are the stories and debates that reveal a tradition filled with passion, doubt, humor, and spiritual courage.

From rabbis who argue with God to texts that challenge us to rethink justice, inclusion, and prayer, each session offers a close look at teachings that still speak to our lives today. These are not abstract ideas. They are urgent conversations about what it means to live with purpose, dignity, and faith.

No background in Talmud is needed. Bring your questions, your curiosity, and your full self. This is SAGE at its best - engaging, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in Jewish wisdom.

Register and join us for fascinating monthly learning.  Coffee and cookies will be provided.  The cost is $54 per person for members and $72 per person for non-members.  You only need to register once for the entire series.

November 12, 2025: All This, and Still We Pray

When the world is cracked and God feels distant, how do we still show up to pray? This session explores haunting, raw, and redemptive Talmudic portraits of prayer, whether whispered in ruins, shouted in protest, or offered as a final breath.

Tracks:

• Praying in Ruins – Berakhot 3a–b

• Saving Grace – Avodah Zarah 18a–18b

• Praying to Die – Ketubot 104a

December 10, 2025: And This Is Its Reward?

Why do the righteous suffer? The rabbis do not flinch from this ancient question. Instead, they argue, cry, blame God, and sometimes laugh in the face of divine injustice. Join us as we confront the limits of theodicy and the humanity of the rabbis.

Tracks:

• All-Powerful God – Avodah Zarah 54b

• And This Is Its Reward – Menachot 29b, Berakhot 61b

• On Suffering – Chagigah 15b, Berakhot 5b

January 14, 2026: The Torah Is Not in Heaven

Can tradition survive without divine micromanagement? In this session, we meet Moses, angels, rebel rabbis, and heavenly voices, all in one showdown about the future of Jewish law. Spoiler: the rabbis win.

Tracks:

• The Oven of Achnai – Bava Metzia 59b

• Moses Duels with Angels – Shabbat 88a–89b

• Modernization – Menachot 29b

February 11, 2026 : Sacred Ethics, Savage Honesty

Is it better to be honest or kind? The Talmud wrestles with what to say at a wedding, how to protect dignity, and when peace takes precedence over truth. This session dives into real-life moral dilemmas and sacred awkwardness.

Tracks:

• Truth Telling – Ketubot 16b–17a

• Preventing Embarrassment – Sanhedrin 10b–11a

• For the Sake of the Ways of Peace – Gittin 59a–61b

March 11, 2026: Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers?

What happens when law and ethics clash? This session tackles moral gray zones: stolen lulavs, lost wallets, and righteous rationalizations. The rabbis ask not just what is legal but what is right.

Tracks:

• Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers – Bava Metzia 21a–22a; 27a–30b

• Performing a Mitzvah with Something Stolen – Sukkah 29b–30a

April 15, 2026: Women, Wine, and Power

Women in the Talmud are often silent, but not always. In this session, we encounter fierce female figures and subversive voices that reshape what we think we know about gender, power, and participation.

Tracks:

• Yalta and the 400 Barrels of Wine – Berakhot 51b

• Exclusion or Inclusion – Shabbat 31a

• Personal Truth in Belief – Yoma 69b

May 13, 2026: Tikkun Olam: Then and Now

Long before it became a slogan, tikkun olam meant changing Jewish law for the sake of justice and social repair. In this final session, we explore how the rabbis protected the vulnerable, elevated holiness, and made room for principled disagreement.

Tracks:

• Tikkun Olam – Gittin 33a, 34b, 36a, 40a–b, 45a, 47b–49b; Ketubot 56b; Chagigah 2b

• Elevating the Holy – Shabbat 21b

• Civil Discourse – Eruvin 13b