Hovot HaLevavot (Part 1)

Rabbeinu Bahya Ibn Pakuda (11th century) was obsessed with one basic problem: all too often, we focus on "duties to be performed by parts of the body" (Hovot Ha-Eivarim) and ignore the "duties of the heart" (Hovot HaLev). He sought to correct that and to articulate a vision of inwardness, spiritual awareness, and love of God. In this talk, Shai Held reads selections from his classic Hovot HaLevavot to try to both understand R. Bahya in his own terms, and to explore the ways his words might be helpful to us as we cultivate our own Jewish lives.