Rabbi Natasha Mann

Background of Haggai Time: 520BCE (Persian Period) Place: Yehud Kings:  None. Ruled by High Priest + Governor   Political Backdrop: ·        We’re back from exile! Step 1: Assyrians are the Big Bad: Northern Kingdom falls (722BCE) Step 2: Babylonians take over as the Big Bad: Southern Kingdom goes into exile (586BCE)             Exile period… 539BCE: Neo-Babylonian Empire falls to Cyrus the Great (Perisan Empire) Step 3: The Persian Empire sends us home! (538BCE) Primary Themes of Haggai: ·        The necessity to rebuild the Temple! ·        ‘On that day’ no longer refers to returning from exile   ·        Haggai speaks to the leadership – more like the historical prophets than the literary prophets! Structure of Haggai Content Verses Section 1: Accusation! Chapter 1 Superscript – so many details! 1:1 Why haven’t you built the House? 1:2-11 T

Background of Zephaniah Time:  Late 7 th Century BCE             Last of the pre-exile prophets (though sometimes dated later) Place: Southern Kingdom             There is no more Northern Kingdom Kings: King Josiah (South) Political Backdrop: ·        Josiah is the last great king of Judah – removes idols: ‘Josiah’s Reform’ (622BCE) o    Zephaniah seems very critical of Jerusalem, which is strange because Josiah reigned over one of the better eras! Some suggest that the book was written pre-reform ·        Assyrian Empire starting to fall apart; Neo-Babylonian Empire hasn’t yet risen to take its place. Zephaniah seems to be describing Babylon, but doesn’t name them. Primary Themes of Zephaniah: ·        Catastrophe -> Restoration ·        The Day of the Lord – doom and gloom, followed by announcement of hope ·        Universality of God’s power and reign (creation, nations, statement against deism) ·        Zephaniah is both

Below is a summary of some research I'm doing into the place of emotional distress in halakhic decision making, specifically regarding the use of technology (e.g. livestreaming) on the High Holy Days of 5781. If you would like to see a more in-depth view of my sources and interpretation, please do get in contact with me (most easily done at rabbi.natasha@newlondon.org.uk). (Please note: the area of law in which I'm discussing is around the termination of pregnancy. This might be a difficult subject for some to read about.) The introduction of mental health into the halakhic equation regarding termination of pregnancy began as a method for protecting life (pikuach nefesh) and classifying the fetus as a pursuer (rodeif; this allowed rabbis to prioritise the life of the mother), largely relying on the opinion of Rabbi Israel Meir Mizrahi in the late seventeenth century. However, it has since been expanded to cover cases in which there is non-lethal emotional distress ov

Background of Habakkuk Time:  Between 612BCE and 586BCE             (After rise of Babylonian power and before the Babylonian exile) Place: Southern Kingdom Kings: Unnamed Political Backdrop: ·        Babylonians have arisen as the Big Bad ·        A long commentary on Habakkuk was preserved within the Dead Sea Scrolls (called Pesher Habakkuk ). This does not include the third chapter! o    Pesher Habakkuk identifies the Chaldeans as the Romans – implications on how prophetic literature is supposed to be read? Primary Themes of Habakkuk: ·        Lamentation ·        The Problem of Evil o    The place of the oppressor in a theological framwork ·        Relating to God while living under injustice ·        So much mythology! Structure of Habakkuk Content Verses Section I: Dialogue with God Chapter 1 Intro 1 Habakkuk questions God – why are You allowin