This episode features Christine Hayes, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Yale University. A Talmudic scholar of late antiquity, she draws on performance studies, as well as theories of humor and play, to examine the Talmudic rabbis’ counter-cultural construction of divine law as a contingent and dynamic phenomenon unfolding in historical time. This episode is drawn from the 16th Annual Robbins Collection Lecture in Jewish Law, Thought, and Identity at the Helen Diller Institute, in February 2025.

Featuring:

Christine Hayes, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Yale University

About the Helen Diller Institute:

The Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies provides a rich academic forum for our nation’s future leaders to explore the breadth and complexity of Israel and contemporary Jewish issues. At a time when polarization is more severe than ever, we bring integrity, excellence, and grit to fostering dynamic spaces where students and the wider community can thoughtfully exchange ideas. To learn more about our mission and work, please visit hdi.berkeley.edu.

Production by Yellow Armadillo Studios. Click here to view a transcript of this episode.

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