Rabbi Benay Lappi, founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Svara, a traditionally radical Yeshiva
Expert in applying queer theory to Talmud study
Background: Faculty positions at various universities and Jewish institutions
Known for innovative educational approaches; also a licensed pilot, shoemaker, and patent-holding inventor
Lecture Overview
Starting Point
Steven Cohen's prediction in 1991: Judaism will survive but be unrecognizable in 100 years
Rabbi Lappi's view: This is not bad news; transformation is inherent in Judaism's history
Hypotheses
Common Human Questions
Basic big questions of life shared by all humans: Why am I here? Who am I? What should I do? Where do I belong?
Traditions and master stories answer these questions (e.g., Torah for Jews, the American Dream for Americans)
Inevitability of Crashes
Every master story will eventually crash due to:
Adoption of a new story
An external event
Internal change
Responses to crashes:
Option One: Denial and building walls to preserve the old story
Option Two: Full acceptance of the crash, rejection of the old story
Option Three: Creative adaptation, taking useful elements from the old story and re-imagining the rest
Option One: Denial
Pros: Familiarity, safety, community retention, stability
Cons: Must exclude incompatible information, can lead to insularity and stagnation
Option Two: Acceptance and Rejection
Pros: Freedom from outdated practices, intellectual honesty, forming new communities
Cons: Loss of old community and traditions, fragmentation, the new story itself will eventually crash
Option Three: Creative Adaptation
Pioneered by rabbis after the destruction of the Second Temple
Combines vital old elements with new innovations
Examples: Transformation of sacrifice practices into prayer, inventing oral Torah
The Role of Queerness
Queer individuals as “canaries in the coal mine”—they experience the crash first
Application of queer theory:
Queer people are used to crashes and skilled in adapting (crash-flex)
Insight from being outsiders contributes to re-imagining the master story
The Rabbi Revolution
Re-imagining and retelling master stories
Oral Torah (Mishna) as Torah 2.0, built on the foundation of written Torah
Emphasis on imagination, creativity, and resilience
Svara and Moral Intuition
Rabbis introduced five sources for understanding God's will: Written Torah, community practices (custom), legal precedents, rabbinic legislation, and moral intuition (Svara)
Svara (moral intuition) can even override written Torah when they conflict
Importance: Human beings are entrusted to apply wisdom and moral insight in transforming tradition
Current Jewish Crashes
Historical examples: Destruction of the Temple, Holocaust, Enlightenment
Present-day: Emancipation, modernity, wealth and power dynamics in Jewish communities
All Master stories (not just Jewish) are in some state of crash due to modern shifts
Conclusion
Encouragement to embrace creativity and imagination in transforming Judaism
Being educated (learning Torah) and morally intuitive (Svara) is critical
Importance of trying new practices, even if many won't work
Aim: Create a tradition that supports future generations in being deeply empathetic, resilient, and connected human beings
Call to Action
Engage in learning opportunities within the community and beyond
Use individual queerness and experiences to contribute to the evolving tradition
Participate in building an unrecognizable yet meaningful Jewish future