Historical Truth versus Textural Truth

In this radical and exciting shiur Rabbi Triebitz discusses and develops an idea of Rabbi Professor Shaul Lieberman – the distinction between “historical truth” to “textural truth”. With this idea Rabbi Triebitz explains the incomensurability between the approach of the academics and the Rabbis.

“Historical truth” involves conjecture using textual analysis and other techniques to ascertain the text in its historical context. “Textural truth” attempts to understand how the text and later authorities understood the text. Analysis of the “Jewish tradition” – how later commentaries viewed the text.

According to Lieberman only the second form is valid. According to Rabbi Triebitz only the second is Orthodox.

Rabbi Triebitz then looks at the Baal HaMaor and Milchemes on Bava Metziah (p. 28 on the pages of the Rif) and then looks at a very interesting opinion of Rabbeinu Tam in Bava Kamma 70a.

[flv:/talmud/talmud_08.flv 415 210]

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History and Development of the Talmud 8
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History and Development of the Talmud 08
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History & Development of Talmud shiur 7
Showing Continuity to the Stam

Rabbi Triebitz refutes Halivni’s claim that the stamaim lived a long time after Rav Ashi and that they didn’t understand what the Amoraim were talking about. He does this by analyzing the Gemara in Avoda Zara 71a and shows, using Ramban and other Rishonim, that Ravina begins the ‘stam’ of the gemara by asking a question directly to Rav Ashi.

[flv:/talmud/talmud_07.flv 415 210]

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History and Development of the Talmud 7
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History & Development of Talmud shiur 6
Esrog shel Orlah part 2

Rabbi Triebitz goes through the Gemara Succah 35a line by line and shows how his understanding of the development of the Talmud leads to a new reading of the gemara.

[flv:/talmud/talmud_06.flv 415 210]

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History and Development of the Talmud 6
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History and Development of the Talmud 06
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