Four Entered the Pardes: An Exploration With An Agenda

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 35 minutesSynopsis: Tonight (6/4/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, was not a shiur but an exploration with an agenda (which I explain toward the beginning and won't divulge here). We read the famous aggadah about the four Tannaim who entered Pardes - R. Akiva, Acher, Ben Zoma, and Ben Azzai - along with several other sources that comment directly or indirectly on it. Our goal was not to conduct a comprehensive analysis, but to read through the facts and think aloud about what we were reading. We certainly accomplished that goal. What remains to be done is to fully develop an understanding of the fate met by each of the four in a manner that enlightens us about the correct and incorrect paths to truth.-----מקורות:תלמוד בבלי חגיגה דף יד עמוד ברמב"ם - פירוש המשניות חגיגה ב:ארמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים א:לא-לברשב"ץ - פירוש להגדה של פסח: ארבעה בנים-----The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l'zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | InstagramPodcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah PodcastWhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist