have you ever experienced greatness?
it could be a slice of apple pie. it could be an athlete stepping up to perform in an extraordinary fashion. it could be a musician performing in a concert hall. it could be viewing a master’s painting or sculpture. sometimes, it can be a lecture from a renown scholar.
i was blessed to have professor eliezer slomovic as my teacher. he defined brilliance, superior knowledge and enthusiasm for his topics. his academic prowess surpassed all those i had in college and law school. recently, another great scholar announced he would be retiring. this would be professor richard elliott friedman.
professor richard elliott friedman is someone that you might be familiar with. currently, he is at the university of georgia, as “the ann and jay davis professor of jewish studies emeritus.” he is an author of many books related to the bible. he is the modern scholar who is willing to commit his reputation that there was in fact an exodus from egypt. he, unlike other scholars, looks towards reality. while others dismiss the exodus solely based upon the torah’s largess account of the event, he takes the matter and analyzes it under a more realistic lens. his conclusions carry weight in the debate. his background also includes appearances on many television programs. he has consulted on bible-related movie and television productions.
professor friedman’s lectures are online to be enjoyed. likewise, a number of his speeches are present. while professor friedman can be accused of being a “so-so” comedian, his wealth of knowledge and passion for the bible is special. he has the ability to make complex matters simple. upon hearing his lectures, one can profess as to that he deeply cares about the subject matter and its greater implications.
in sum, while he may soon be retiring, hopefully professor friedman will continue to play a role in academia and bible scholarship. i encourage you to go to his youtube channel to take in his many lectures. also, he maintains a personal website.
be well!!
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