This aggadah series is in memory of Dr. Dodi Tobin z”l מרים דודי בת חנה יוכבד ויהודה לייב who brought love of Torah to her many students. She was a beloved teacher and director of the Matan Bellows Eshkolot Educators Institute for Tanakh at Matan. May her family find nechama, and may this Torah be for a blessing in her memory.
How long can a Talmud scholar be away from home for the sake of Torah study? How did the rabbis balance their passion for Torah alongside their relationships with their wives and children? In this two-part series Rabbanit Karen Miller Jackson explores the 7-part “kovetz” – series of aggadic (biographical) stories on Ketubot 62 – about Rabbis who left home out of devotion to Torah. Yet, the Sages warn themselves, this comes at a (sometimes steep) price. These aggadot also provide a rare glimpse into what the wives and children of the rabbis might be feeling. Rabbi Akiva may have been able to be away for 24 years at the encouragement of his wife, but the other rabbis’ experiences had tragic results. This collection of stories comes as a beautiful and heartfelt compliment to the legal material relating to the challenges and aspirations of husband-wife relationships.
For Part 1 click here
