| I wrote these essays for the course entitled "Jewish Theology," one of the six core courses in the curriculum for the Master of Science in Jewish Studies degree at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. This course was taught by Dr. Byron Sherwin. I was enrolled in this course from June 2004 to June 2005. |
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Dr. Ferdinand von Schnauser, a licensed veterinarian, brought an anti-trust suit against the American Medical Society for its monopolizing the medical treatment of human beings. In his suit, he claimed that he was trained and licensed to treat all varieties of animals, and that for thousands of years philosophers and even theologians had defined the human being as a variety of animal – e.g., rational animal, speaking animal, etc. Therefore, he maintained, since human beings essentially are animals, he should be licensed and allowed to treat them.
About the same time as Dr. von
Schnauser’s suit, Mr. Turner Goodwrench, president of P.U. (Plumber’s Union)
brought a similar suit, on behalf of his union against the American Medical
Association. In his suit, the claim was
made that since the human being has been defined as an “ingenious array of
portable plumbing,” plumbers ought to be able to render medical treatment to
human beings.
These two cases come simultaneously before the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Meyer Lansky Professor of Jewish Theology and Ethics at the Bugsy Siegel College of Judaica, you are called as an expert witness to testify at the trial. You are asked by the court for a preliminary statement on the issues which will help the court come to a decision in these two cases. Write such a preliminary statement.
The “You Stab Them, We Slab Them” Jewish Funeral Home is co-sponsoring a conference with the “Chicago Future Life Options Exchange.” The topic is “The Afterlife: Attitudes and Views in Jewish Theology.” You are the keynote speaker. What would you say?
Ted Koplotz, moderator of the TV talk show “What’s My Wine?,” a show sponsored by Mogen David Wine Company – the official kosher wine of the Chicago Bears – invites you to appear on a program dealing with the topic: “what Happened at Sinai?” As representative of the ADL (Association for Dialogic Law) you are expected to discuss how differing concepts of revelation affect the process of decision-making in Jewish law. In preparing for the show, you write down notes on the points you wish to make. What are these points?
Johanan Carsonowitz, moderator of the talk-show “Fightline,” sponsored by Gucci Tallit and Tefillin Co. – the official phylacteries of the 1992 Summer Olympics – invites you to participate in a program on the topic, “Will the Real Torah Please Stand up!” What points do you make?
Dr. Whoopse Goldberg has a patient suffering from sin syndrome. Spiritual rehabilitation in the form of teshuvah has been prescribed. How would you diagnose this illness and how would you describe the process of a possible cure?