Shavuot 5781: ”Prelude to Sinai: The Enduring Appeal of Akdamut Millin” with Dr. Laura S. Lieber

n this session, we will examine the liturgical poem “Akdamut Millin” (“The Introduction of Words”), written by Rabbi Meir b. Isaac of Worms (died ca. 1095), with an eye toward understanding its origins and its enduring appeal. Why would Rabbi Meir compose such a lengthy (ninety line) poem in Aramaic, long after Aramaic ceased to be the vernacular of the Jewish community? And what meaning can such a work have for us today?