Six Days Shall You Labor: Shabbat and the Meaning of Work

Dr. David Kraemer
By :  David C. Kraemer Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics Posted On Oct 4, 2021 / 5782 | Monday Webinar Six Days Shall You Labor | Holidays Prayer

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Part of the series, “Six Days Shall You Labor”: Perspectives on Work in Jewish Text and Tradition

This session is generously sponsored by George A. Goldberg, M.D. in loving memory of his parents, Janet Kesselman Goldberg (z”l) and Max J. Goldberg, M.D. (z”l).

Shabbat, a day on which “work” is forbidden, also offers a commentary on work—on its place in our lives, its importance, and its limitations. Notably, the rabbinic Sabbath—that is, the “traditional” Sabbath—offers a perspective that differs from that of the Torah, both original and unique. Join Dr. David Kraemer to explore biblical and rabbinic views of the Sabbath as commentaries on the significance of work.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Many of us spend more time at work than anywhere else over the course of our lives—but are we defined by what we do? In this text-based series, JTS scholars will explore ideas about the meaning of work and rest in Jewish tradition, Jewish social movements around work, as well as the roles that gender, geography, and shifting economic and social circumstances have played in Jews’ professional paths and our understandings of the meaning and value of work.

View all sessions in the series