The Talmud and Plato Share a Common Quest for Truth

Put in grander terms, the fight between hasidic schools, which desire a curriculum for boys ages eleven and up that consists almost entirely of Talmud, and the government, which demands that they study more math, science, and English, is just another version of the ancient quarrel between Athens and Jerusalem—between a moral or intellectual world based on reason and one based on revelation. But what if that distinction has been greatly exaggerated? That is the argument of Jacob Howland, who sees many similarities between the Talmud’s intellectual mission and that of the Greek philosophers, especially Plato. He delves into this subject in this discussion with J.J. Kimche. Their conversation nicely complements one that Howland recorded on the Mosaic podcast, which focuses on a different talmudic passage. (Audio, 56 minutes.)