Spirituality Events in Somerville

In this talk, Dr. Fruman will propose a reading of three distinct responses to the thought of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and to the theological foundations of Religious Zionism, as they emerge in the work of three contemporary thinkers: Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, Rabbi Shimon Gershon Rosenberg (Shagar), and Rabbi Menachem Froman. All three draw, in different ways, on Hasidic and kabbalistic sources. Yet they use these traditions to rethink the relationship between mysticism and politics—sometimes in continuity with Kook, and at other times in tension with, or even in opposition to, his thought. Dr. Fruman will suggest approaching these responses through a threefold typology: anti-Kook, post-Kook, and hyper-Kook.

Session 1: Finding our Way. How do we transition from our 'busy' lives into the 'Palace in Time' as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel writes about in his book, The Sabbath? Kabbalat Shabbat is about moving from the mundane to the holy; it is a pilgrimage. We will explore the opening prayers and psalms of Kabbalat Shabbat (Yedid Nefesh and Psalm 95-99) and how they help us make the transition to the 'Palace in Time' as mentioned in Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book 'The Sabbath'.