We say this sentence every week but we often feel that following the path of halakhah requires effort, sometimes sacrifice and can occasionally — think of agunot —, cause suffering. Do we misunderstand Jewish law? This talk explores talmudic reflections on how halakhah is supposed to make our life better and NOT more difficult, and looks at cases where the principle of Derakheha darkhei noam is employed even against a deorayta law in order to make life "pleasant".
Speaker bio:
Rabbanit Dr. Ágnes (Ági) Vető, a Visiting Assistant Professor of the Jewish Studies Program at Vassar College, grew up in Budapest, Hungary. She received an MA in Oriental Studies from the London University School of Oriental and African Studies and an additional M.A. in Jewish Studies at the Rothberg Graduate School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. After studying at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem she enrolled in a doctoral program at New York University and has earned her PhD in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature in 2015. As of 2020 she is a musmekhet of Yeshivat Maharat, where she also completed the Halakhah in Action Fellowship in 2023. Her current book project investigates how to reutilize dormant halakhic institutions in order to secure agency for Jewish women seeking divorce.
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What is Uri L'Tzedek: Orthodox Social Justice?
Uri L’Tzedek is an Orthodox social justice organization guided by Torah values and dedicated to combating suffering and oppression. Through community-based education, leadership development, and action, Uri L’Tzedek creates discourse, inspires leaders, and empowers the Jewish community towards creating a more just world.