From the Hartman InstitutePromoted podcast

Individuals in a Time of Communal Tragedy

During times of collective pain, when is it right, or even necessary, to close ourselves away — and when are we morally bound to participate in the wider community?

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)
People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)

In times of war, personal tragedy tends to be subsumed by a collective sense of loss and grief.

Borrowing a metaphor from a rabbinic passage about the spread of wildfire in Bava Kamma 60a-60b, Elana Stein Hain and Leora Batnitzky, a professor of philosophy and Jewish studies at Princeton University, explore human interconnectedness as it relates to evil in the world. Together they consider the question: during times of communal pain, when is it right, or even necessary, to close ourselves away, and when are we morally bound to participate in the wider community?

Episode Source Sheet

About TEXTing: TEXTing with Elana Stein Hain delves deeply into Jewish texts to guide and inspire us as we grapple with the concerns and meaning of this moment. Join Elana as she addresses the issues of our day through the lens of classical Jewish texts, in conversation with Hartman scholars Christine Hayes, Yonah Hain, and Leora Batnitzky.
TEXTing. Where ancient wisdom meets contemporary relevance.

You can now sponsor an episode of TEXTing. Click HERE to learn more.

 JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS  

read more: