Inheriting Aḥer: How Profound Experiences Alter our sense of Otherness and Belonging (based on Rabbinic Midrashic Tales)

Weekly on Wednesdays

What happens when a profound experience changes us in ways our community or society cannot absorb?

Elisha ben Abuyah — remembered in the Talmud as Aḥer, “the Other” — was once among the leading sages of his generation. After a transformative mystical encounter, he emerged changed. His theology shifted, and his society disowned him. Yet the tradition preserves his story, and Rabbi Meir continues to walk beside him, learning from him even across difference. 

In this five-session beit midrash course, we will study the core Talmudic and midrashic texts that tell Aḥer’s story and explore how later voices in the tradition wrestle with his legacy. Together, we will reflect on how Jewish tradition responds to rupture, exclusion, mystical risk, and the possibility of return.

For spiritually curious Jews — especially those who sometimes find themselves at the edges of mainstream religious life — Aḥer’s story speaks with particular resonance. In a time of political polarization and rising antisemitism, how do we honor difference without weakening community? How do we remain rooted while allowing transformation?

Sessions will include close textual study and time for reflection and integration. Texts will be in English, with the original Hebrew and Aramaic provided. No advanced background required — only curiosity and openness.

Rabbi David Kosak is a Rabbi, teacher of rabbinic literature, credentialed Jewish meditation instructor, and poet. After two decades of congregational leadership, he now teaches and writes at the intersection of classical Jewish texts and contemporary spiritual development. Living off-grid in the forests of southern Oregon, he brings an embodied perspective to questions of boundary and belonging. His courses invite learners into serious engagement with primary sources while honoring the diverse paths that bring people to the beit midrash.

Texts and recordings provided to all registrants!