Faculty Rabbinical School Welcomes New Faculty Member Dr. Matthew Hass
Hebrew College Rabbinical School is thrilled to welcome to the faculty new Assistant Professor of Rabbinics, Dr. Matthew Hass.
Dr. Hass is joining the faculty having earned his PhD in ancient Judaism at Harvard and after teaching Hebrew College rabbinical students on an adjunct basis. “Through the interview process and his work as an adjunct faculty member this year, Matthew has demonstrated exceptional wisdom, intellectual depth, teaching capacity, and a profound commitment to Talmud Torah as a sacred endeavor,” says Rabbinical School Dean Rabbi Daniel Klein `10. “He brings not only an expansive knowledge of the subject area—including both classical texts and contemporary academic discourse—but also a deep engagement with Jewish thought and philosophy.”
We asked Matthew a few questions to introduce him to the Hebrew College community. He shared about his passion for text, his commitment to teaching, and his growing connection to the college. Read more below!
Your PhD is in ancient Judaism, and your dissertation focused on interpretations of Abraham in ancient Jewish literature. What drew you to this era of Jewish history and this particular figure from our tradition?
I did not consciously set out to specialize in ancient Judaism. My BA and MA are both in Talmud, and before I started my PhD I always saw that as my field. But then I became interested in learning more about early Christianity and points of contact, real or imagined, between Jews and Christians in antiquity. Over time I came to realize that I could not even begin to understand Christianity without immersing myself in the rich literature of Second Temple Judaism. But to understand that corpus, I needed to learn more about the Hebrew Bible. Before I knew it, I was contemplating serious research projects from the 6th century BCE to the 6th century CE. That’s over 1200 years of history. My focus was always on the texts, rather than the time period. But I also believe knowledge of historical context enriches our understanding of any text we study.
Why Abraham? There are probably many ways to tell the story, but I like this one: I was fascinated by the way Paul reinterpreted the Abraham story in the New Testament books of Galatians and Romans. I started reading the work of scholars who specialized in those books. They would inevitably discuss the “Jewish view” of Abraham in antiquity, and I always found those discussions surprising. They didn’t pay attention to the texts and themes that I always found most interesting. I thought I could bring a new perspective to the story of the “Jewish view” of Abraham, so that’s what I did.
What is the difference between teaching rabbinic literature and other Jewish sources to ordination students rather than in a traditional academic setting? What motivates you to teach in a rabbinical school?
The biggest difference is that rabbinic literature matters to rabbinical students in a way it might not matter to those studying it in a traditional academic setting. If someone in a university setting decides they don’t like rabbinic literature, that’s fine. It’s not for them. They can study something else. But for those studying to become a rabbi, the authors of rabbinic literature are your predecessors. They have a claim on you. You must contend with them. They might not be your favorite people. But you need to develop a relationship to the rabbinic corpus. It is very exciting to facilitate the beginning stages of students’ relationships with these texts. In class, I often speak of the Talmud as my friend, and one of my chief motivations as a teacher in a rabbinical school is to help students cultivate friendship with these texts. It’s tricky, it doesn’t always happen, but it makes for an energetic and exciting atmosphere. More often than not, my students teach me something new about my oldest friends. These moments are truly special.
You were teaching Hebrew College rabbinical students on an adjunct basis prior to joining the faculty. What have you observed about the learning environment and culture of the program, and how has it informed your teaching?
I love the Beit Midrash. The buzz and electricity that pervades the room when everyone is learning in the morning is absolutely wonderful. It also means that I interact with students beyond the classroom. I can talk to them as they learn, answer questions, see what issues are coming up, and tailor the classroom experience to address not only the content we are learning, but also the process of learning it.
Who are the teachers, mentors, classmates, or even students from your own Jewish and academic studies who you are reflecting on with gratitude as you step into this role?
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from many amazing teachers. The Talmud department at the Jewish Theological Seminary was my home for five years, and I am immensely grateful to all of the faculty there. They know who they are, and they have my deepest thanks. I would single out Rabbi Dr. Zvi Arie Steinfeld z”l, who was a visiting Talmud professor at JTS in Spring 2010. He showed me that the line between Talmud Torah and “academics” didn’t always exist. He also knew the entire Talmud by heart. I knew then that I would never have that kind of facility with the text. But learning with him inspired me to think about how I could find my own voice and make my own contribution.
David Stern, Jon D. Levenson, and my advisor Shaye J.D. Cohen guided me at Harvard. All three of them are sparking models of the combination of rigorous, uncompromising scholarship, and a deep humanity and care for their students. I am only beginning to realize how much I learned from them. But I can tell one funny story. This past semester at Tufts I assigned a short chapter by Shaye Cohen. One student came into class early and said, “Professor, I really loved this essay. It was really funny that he writes like you talk!” I once read that Wittgenstein’s students used to copy his mannerisms. I guess I have picked up some of Professor Cohen’s characteristic turns of phrase.
Our faculty at Hebrew College are successful because they are insightful thinkers and motivated teachers, but also because they bring their full selves to their work. Are there any hobbies, passions or interests you are excited to share with the community that are not strictly related to what you were hired to teach?
I read voraciously, but despite my wife’s valiant efforts, I have never been that into fiction. Instead, I often immerse myself in scholarship from other fields. It is a wonderful mental workout, and it also helps me ask new questions of the texts I teach and write about. For the last several years, I have been diving into German philosophy. It started from my use of Heidegger, Wittgenstein, and Gadamer in academic work. But I was soon finding my way into Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche. I find I am sometimes more interested in the people who study these philosophers than the philosophers themselves. I see these scholars as kindred spirits, people who are devoting their lives to a textual corpus that they love.
I have no intention of encouraging people to take up German philosophy. But I truly believe that we need to bring our full selves to our studies and to our communities. So perhaps if I bring some Hegel into the classroom, I can encourage others to bring some of their friends into the discussion as well.