This document is a lesson about Jewish law and tradition that covers several topics: - The origins of Jewish law dating back to Moses at Mount Sinai and how Jewish law has developed over thousands of years through oral tradition, prophets, the Mishnah, Talmud, and rabbinic texts. - The importance of mitzvot (commandments) in connecting Jews to God, benefiting people, bridging the physical and spiritual, and bringing the Messiah. - How small details, vowels, and punctuation are essential in interpreting biblical and rabbinic texts and how tradition has been necessary for translating and understanding meaning.

2. Lesson 1
The Bible and Beyond

3. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
l l
Lesson Two
Why Oral?
l
Lesson One
Just the Bible?
Lesson Three
1) Received
Lesson Four
2) Derived
l
Lesson Six
Can the
Torah
Change?
Lesson Seven
PaRDeS
Lesson Five
3) Legislated
Lesson Eight
Veracity

4. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
‫חלב‬
Lesson One
Just the Bible?
Lesson One

5. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Overview
A – Introduction
B - Glossary and Historical Overview
C - The Importance of Halachah
D - The Origin of Jewish Law
E – “How Did They Know?”
F - Summary

6. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
The Torah from Sinai

7. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
From Sinai to Cyberspace
Sinai Prophets Mishna Talmud Rambam Karo
2448
(1312 BCE)
5330
(1570)
4895
(1135)
4260
(500)
3948
(188 CE)
2488-3448
(1272-312)
2500 3000 5500
4500
3500 5000
4000
5766
(2006)
Cyberspace

8. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
When did customs begin?
Sinai Prophets Mishna Talmud Rambam Karo
2448
(1312 BCE)
5330
(1570)
4895
(1135)
4260
(500)
3948
(188 CE)
2488-3448
(1272-312)
2500 3000 5500
4500
3500 5000
4000
5766
(2006)
Cyberspace

9. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
3,300 years ago!
 Observing shiva
and making sheva
brachot were
customs established
as rabbinic law by
Moshe

10. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Overview
A – Introduction
B - Glossary and Historical Overview
C - The Importance of Halachah
D - The Origin of Jewish Law
E – “How Did They Know?”
F - Summary

11. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
What is the point of the mitzvot?
1. For our benefit
2. Connection with G-d
3. Bridge the gap
between body and
soul
4. Bringing Moshiach
5. The Importance of
Details

12. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Instructions
 G-d who designed and created us, also
provides us with the User's Manual to
ensure that we properly fulfill our function.
 G-d who designed and created us, also
provides us with the User's Manual to
ensure that we properly fulfill our function.

13. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
A Prescription for Life
 The wise doctor
mixes compounds
precisely and
knows exactly
what and how
much to dispense
to each patient.

14. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
A 613-ply cord
 Each mitzvah is a
distinct strand of the
rope connecting us with
G-d. The more mitzvot
we do, the more
powerful and complete
is the bond.

15. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
3. Bridge the gap between body and soul
 Until American Jews
stops thinking in
Christian terms we
will never be able to
meaningfully accept
mitzvot, or Judaism
for that matter.
- from “Think Jewish”
by Rabbi Zalman Posner

16. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
4. Bringing Moshiach
 Mitzvot are the
key to bringing
about the inner
transformation of
the world

17. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
5. The Importance of Details
 The cracked or missing letter of the
tefillin is just like a digit missing from a
phone number or URL.

18. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Overview
A – Introduction
B - Glossary and Historical Overview
C - The Importance of Halachah
D - The Origin of Jewish Law
E – “How Did They Know?”
F - Summary

19. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Without a tradition
Rosetta Stone Behistun Rock

20. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Can I buy a vowel please!?!

21. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
B R D
How many words can you make?

22. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap

23. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Fat

24. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Milk

25. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
“In the beginning G-d created
_____ heaven and _____ earth.”

26. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
A list of possible words
“bard,” bared,” bird,” “braid,”
“broad,” “brood,” board,
”bread,” beard,” buried, ”brad,”
bred,” breed,” bored,
”bride, “ also “aboard,” and
“abroad.”

27. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Side by Side

28. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
ET HASHAMAYIM  The Heavens
“In the beginning G-d created
the heavens and the earth.”

29. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
OT HASHAMAYIM
The Sign of the Heavens
“In the beginning G-d created
the sign of the heavens and the sign of the earth.”

30. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Thus the heavens and the earth
were _______

31. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Vay’chulu Were finished
Thus the heavens and the earth
were finished

32. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Vayich’lu Were destroyed
Thus the heavens and the earth
were destroyed

33. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap

34. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
to an idol

35. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
to G-d

36. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap

37. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Shivim

38. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Sh’vuayim

39. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
A woman without her man is nothing.
Punctuation Exercise
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman! without her, man is nothing.

40. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap

41. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
who were coming

42. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
who came

43. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
How did they know?
Placoid
Cycloid
Ctenoid
Broadnose
Shark
Bass
Paradise Fish
Ganoid
Florida Gar
Scales

44. Lesson 1: Bridging the Gap
Summary
For our
benefit
To Connect
Us With G-d
Bridging
the gap
Bringing
Moshiach
Importance
of details
Vowels and
Punctuation
Tradition of
translation
Letters

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