Jewish Ethics
Spring 2015
Richard Hidary -
The Jewish tradition provides an ethical system which has
influenced much of the world throughout its centuries of development. This
course will explore the foundations of Jewish ethics and attempt to find a set
of principles for deciding ethical issues. We will delve into a few of the most
relevant and widely argued cases of ethical controversy and seek guidance from
Jewish sources that relate to these matters. Throughout, we will focus on
primary sources and survey the various methodologies used by modern posekim and
ethicists to interpret and apply these ancient texts to modern contexts.
Requirements:
(1)
Attendance, prompt arrival and class participation are
assumed. Anything more than two absences or three lates will lower your grade.
(2)
Preparation and Participation: Homework assignments and
quizzes based on readings to prepare may be given throughout the semester. The
purpose of these is to make sure you keep up with the preparation. In addition,
students will be selected randomly each class to read and explain the required
texts. (10%)
(3)
Exams. A midterm (35%) and a final (40%) will assess
your grasp and retention of material as well as give the class an opportunity to
review and notice patterns that recur through many topics.
(4)
One 8-10 page final paper on any topic in Jewish ethics
that we did not cover in class. The paper should cite at least five primary
sources and two books or articles. The paper should cite the texts, explain them, provide rationales for various sides of the argument, summarize what modern writers say and comes to some
conclusion. You can also compare it to other systems of ethics or discuss an application. Please confirm your topic with me before you start writing. All
papers are due on April 21. (15%).
Required Texts: (1) Tanakh
(2) The sources sheets and readings for each class listed below. You can either print it and bring it to class or bring a laptop/ipad.
Office hours: Room 523 on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:15-2:30PM and/or by appointment. Please email rhidary@yu.edu
with any questions or concerns.
Introductions
1. Tuesday, January 20
2. Thursday, January 22
Sources and Methodologies
Definitions, Mapping out the field
Required
The Foundations of Jewish Ethics
Prepare Primary Sources
Wikipedia on “ethics.”
4. Thursday, January 29
Rabbi Moshe Shamah, “The Basic Principle of Religion.
Vegetarianism
5. Tuesday, February 3
Prepare Primary Sources
Required
Cohen, Alfred S.,
“Vegetarianism from a Jewish Perspective,” Journal of Halacha and
Contemporary Society 1,2 (1981) 38-63.
6. Thursday, February 5
Required
Suggested
Environmentalism
7. Tuesday, February 10
Prepare Primary Sources.
Required
Tsvi Blanchard, “Can Judaism Make Environmental Policy?
Sacred and Secular Language in Jewish Ecological Discourse,” in Judaism and
Ecology, pp. 423-48.
Truth and Lying
8. Thursday, February 12
Prepare Biblical Sources
Required
9. Tuesday, February 17
Prepare Rabbinic Sources
Required
Business Ethics
10. Thursday, February 19
Prepare Primary Sources.
Please bring a Tanakh to class.
Required
11. Tuesday, February 24
Required
12. Thursday, February 26
Required
Ricky Cohen, “Ethics in Business,” The Edah Journal 2:1 (2002) 1-5.
Homosexuality
13. Tuesday, March 3
Prepare Primary Sources
Required
14. Tuesday, March 10
15. Thursday, March 12
Infertility, IVF, Artifician Insemination
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein - teshuva
Abortion
16. Tuesday, March 17
Prepare Primary Sources
Required
17. Thursday, March 19
Required
Suicide
18. Tuesday, March 24
Prepare Primary Sources
Required
Passover - Rejoicing at Enemies
Euthanasia and Organ Donation
19. Thursday, March 26
Prepare Primary Sources
Fred Rosner, “Euthanasia,”in Contemporary Jewish Ethics
and Morality,
20. Tuesday, March 31
Rabbi Moshe Tendler et al.,
“Brain Death I: A Status Report
of Medical and Ethical Considerations” and
“Brain Death II: A Status Report of
Legal Considerations” The Journal of the American Medical Association
(1977).
Rabbi Moshe Tendler,
“Halakhic Death Means Brain Death”
Jewish Review (1990).
Rabbi Eliezer Waldenburg - Tsits Eliezer 9:45.
Hakham Ovadia Yosef - Yehave Da`at 3:84.
21. Tuesday, April 14
Ethics of War
22. Thursday, April 16
War in the Bible
Deut 20:1-20
Num 25:16-18 and 31:1-24
Required
23. Tuesday, April 21
When can/should a country go to war?
Prepare Primary Sources
Required
***** Final papers due *****
24. Tuesday, April 28
The State of
Required
Conversion/Gerut
25. Thursday, April 30
26. Tuesday, May 5
Modern Applications of conversion laws in
Final – Tuesday May 12 – 9:30AM
Final Review Sheet (2015)
Resources: