The Jewish Bible consists of 24 books. All 613 mitzvot are instructed in the first five books collectively known as the Torah. The very end of the Torah tells the story of the death of Moses on the doorstep of Israel. The next section of the Bible, collectively known as the Prophets and beginning with the book of Joshua, document what happens to the Jewish people as they begin their conquest and settlement of Israel, their battles with it’s indigenous peoples and the political, social and spiritual ups and downs of the nation and her leaders. In this class we meet great visionary leaders such as Samson, Devorah, Saul, Ezra, David, Solomon and the prophet Samuel, debate the traditional perspective of the David and Bathsheba controversy and draw parallels between the triumphs and missteps of yesteryear and the challenges facing the Jewish people in contemporary times.
This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe