Passage of Time in Torah’s Narratives

Service Description

Have you ever wondered why the Torah expresses the past tense in two different forms, vayomer and amar? This course will examine the different uses of these forms, including: consecutive narrative voice, past perfect, review and clarification, new beginnings, present tense, quoted speech, and simultaneous actions. In many places, an awareness of these different meanings can change our understanding of a verse and lead us to understand the decisions made by Rashi and other commentators. Time permitting, some other literary elements of the Torah’s narratives will be discussed. Rav Yochanon Joseph's area of special interest is Rashi's commentary on the Torah. Rav Joseph has published multiple books about Rashi, including: Directions in Rashi, Hamikraos al Sidram, and Hakol Bi'chtav. A retired NYC public school teacher, Rav Joseph now spends his time learning and teaching Torah. Rav Joseph will share all of the necessary sources. Recordings will be available for this class. This course will be 10 sessions - June 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 30, Aug 6, 20, 27, Sept 3