About this episode
Prague at the turn of the 17th century was the site of a critical period in the development of pre-modern Jewish thought. The great rabbis of that city developed a unique theology, synthesizing the rational philosophical tradition that shaped religious thought in the Middle Ages with the growing influence of Kabbalah. In doing so, they created a new kind of religious language - one that set the stage for the emergence of Hasidism in the following century. This series will explore this unique period of Jewish thought through three of its greatest representatives: the Maharal, the Keli Yakar, and the Shelah. These thinkers provide unique and surprising ways of thinking about the nature of God, the purpose of the mitzvot , and how literally to read our sacred scriptures. Recorded in Winter 2025. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WinterLectureSeries2025KasherGolemPart3.pdf