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August 26, 2021

Forgiveness and Atonement in Jewish Tradition: Philological and Philosophical Perspectives

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier is Director of Education and a member of the Drisha faculty. A Research Fellow in Philosophy of Religion at Notre Dame, he received his PhD in Ancient Judaism at Yale University and was a member of Yeshiva University’s Kollel Elyon. Previously he served as Director of the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Yale University and as the Flegg postdoctoral fellow in Jewish Studies at McGill University.

Shlomo is an alumnus of Yeshivat Har Etzion and RIETS, as well as of the Wexner and Tikvah Fellowships. He has lectured and taught widely across North America, as well as at Yale Divinity School, Yeshiva University, the Tikvah Fund, and Bnot Sinai. A Founder of The Lehrhaus, Shlomo serves on the Editorial Committee of Tradition and has edited two books on contemporary Jewish thought.

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With the arrival of Elul and Yamim Noraim comes a focus on the all-important triad of Mehilah, Selihah, and Kapparah, loosely translated as forgiveness, pardon, and atonement. This class will examine closely these terms, both what distinguishes them from one another and what holds them together, using the tools of philology and philosophy. By considering the history of these terms as well as their meaning and function, it will be possible to glean an understanding of how Jewish tradition has understood forgiveness and atonement. Particular attention will be paid to the question of what metaphor is employed in depicting sin, and what that says about the possibility of overcoming it.

Session 1: The Shifting Meaning of Selichah and Kapparah and Its Implications for Understanding Atonement

The Shifting Meaning of Selichah and Kapparah - 08/24/2021

Session 2: The Metaphors of Sin and the Meaning of Mechila

The Metaphors of Sin and the Meaning of Mechila - 08/31/2021

Session 3: ‘To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine’: Really? Considering Divine Forgiveness in Philosophical and Jewish Perspective

To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine - 09/14/2021

Source – Session 1: The Shifting Meaning of Selichah and Kapparah

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Source – Session 2: The Metaphors of Sin and the Meaning of Mechila

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Source – Session 3: ‘To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine’

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