A Soulful Journey

"The aggaddic teachings draw the heart. " -Shabbat 87a What the Talmud is saying is that a story touches the soul in a powerful way that words cannot.  This may be true because our lives are stories --- and when we hear a tale it is as if we lived it.

In the realm of Jewish scholarship there are two types 1.     A  ba’al halacha , a person whose knowledge and observance is impeccable but he is likened to a naked giant for while he is great in observance, this is his sole possession. 2.     A  ba’al agadda , whose is an artist and expert in legend and folklore. A masterful storyteller, he is likened to a full panoply.    Outside the exterior gleams but inside there is only emptiness. It is the combination of these two that we strive to reach.  – Dr. Weisberg, University College

“Halacha is to stir the body. Aggadda is to draw the heart.” – Rabbi Louis Jacobs Halacha is the Law.  It is what God demands of us and that we strive to observe.  Aggadda are the tales that infuse the Torah into life.  The stories, parables, and tales are all part of the fabric that breathes life into Torah.  We need both Law and Myth to be whole.