Meiri’s Opinion

It turns out that last week’s shiur which I thought was so radical is actually just simple pshat in the Meiri. Rabbi Triebitz shows from Seder Hakaballah that the transition from oral culture to written culture took place in the 11th century at the transition from the Gaonim to the Rishonim.

Rabbi Triebitz also answers some ‘apparent’ contradictions in Rambam. For example in Hilchot Malveh ve-Loveh Rambam talks about older versions of the Talmud.

Also in his introduction to Mishne Torah he talks about the Gaonim writing commentaries on the Talmud.

Rabbi Triebitz also explains why Rishonim also wrote halachot psukot, even after the transition to the written culture. He also attempts to show that the Netziv’s concept of aish and das may be a continuation of the two strands of oral and written culture.

Next week will be the final shiur (iy”h) and we will make a siyum for anyone who wants to join in.

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History and Development of the Talmud 19
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History and Development of the Talmud 19
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The Four Captives

And here is the answer to last week’s question – when was the Talmud written down? Rabbi Triebitz shows fairly convincingly from the Raavad when the paradigm shift occurred from an oral culture to a written culture. The answer is as surprising as it is logical – this is perhaps the most radical thing that Rabbi Triebitz has yet said in these shiurim.

If this shiur is accepted we can rewrite the history books, and understand more clearly the distinction between Gaonim and Rishonim.

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History and Development of the Talmud 18
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History and Development of the Talmud 18
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When was the Talmud written down?

This shiur continues on from the previous one, showing that for the Rishonim (most of) the gemara is binding, and anyone who argues is a heretic (or worse).

Then Rabbi Triebitz points out the ‘black hole’ in both his theory and Jewish history – why do we have no record of when the Talmud was written down? Surely that was (almost) as momentous an event as Har Sinai, yet the Talmud seems to just emerge in history fully formed. What was the heter to write it down at all?

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History and Development of the Talmud 17
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History and Development of the Talmud 17
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Arguing on the Gemara

This shiur is Rabbi Triebitz’s most controversial and radical (and exciting) shiur to date! He shows that the opinions of both the Rosh and the Rambam are that later authorities (perhaps even up to the time of the Rishonim) are permitted to argue with the halachic conclusions of those parts of the gemara which were written after Ravina and Rav Ashi. He brings proofs that the binding authority of the Talmud only applies to those sections that were included in the ‘sof hora’ah’ of Ravina and Rav Ashi, but that things written by the (early) Savoraim do not have the same authority.

This shiur casts light on all of the previous shiurim and will change the way that you think of the halachic process.

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History and Development of the Talmud 16
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History and Development of the Talmud 16
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Bavlaim Tipshim

Rabbi Triebitz discusses the difference in approach to Torah (and particularly Mishna) between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi. It seems that the Amoraim in Eretz Yisrael had a totally different approach to learning than their Babylonian counterparts.

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History and Development of the Talmud 15
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History and Development of the Talmud 15
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