ABOUT THIS COURSE:

"Taking the Law Into Your Own Hands" examines the question to what extent Jewish law provides an avenue for individuals to enforce their legal rights without going to Beit Din. The structure of the sugyah involves the presentation of a series of mishnayot baraitot that appear to be operating according to one of three standards:

A person may take the law into his own hands when going to Beit Din in the interim would lead to physical or financial loss
A person may take the law into his own hands even when going to Beit Din in the interim would not lead to physical or financial loss
A person may never take the law into his own hands and must always go to Beit Din whether or not, in the interim, such actions would lead to physical or financial loss

The course is based on the first major sugyah in the third chapter of Bava Kamma, 27b-28a. The first mishna of that perek, המניח את הכד is opens up the discussion, sparkling a controversy as to whether a pedestrian has a fundamental obligation to watch out for items on the ground in a public thoroughfare. The discussion then unexpectedly detours into the central issue in this course, eventually re-introducing our mishna as a relevant source that seems to firmly limit an individual's right to take the into his own hands.

Our course features:

Step-by step shiur videos that guide you through the sugyah
multiple-choice self-grading tests