UATX Professor of Religion and Philosophy J.J. Kimche on the Talmud and why it matters.
An Englishman by upbringing and an intellectual historian by training, J.J. Kimche's work explores the intersections of European philosophy, Jewish thought, and the evolving trajectory of religious ideas in the modern West.
Recorded: June 1, 2026 at UATX.
00:00 — Intro 00:54 — Why this lecture is necessary 02:50 — What is the Talmud? 07:40 — The destruction of Jerusalem 09:46 — Scriptural interpretation 11:23 — The central curriculum of Jewish law, learning, & memory 13:30 — Argument & folklore 16:44 — Anti-Talmudism 19:07 — Why the Talmud can sound strange 20:26 — History's first “yo mama joke" 23:38 — How to read a Talmudic passage 25:37 — What is a Sukkah? 28:55 — Laying out the basic laws 30:59 — Seeking a scriptural source 33:23 — Finding practical differences between interpretations 39:25 — Form vs. material 43:45 — Legal driving age 49:09 — How to think
