Throughout history the questions that are raised by astrology received attention from great thinkers, philosophers, and theologians, most of whom argued against it on the basis of religious and philosophical doctrines.
In the Jewish tradition the staunch opposition to astrology is represented by Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon) (1138-1204) – a philosopher and major luminary in Jewish studies. At the other end of the Jewish spectrum, we find Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164) – a Biblical commentator, scholar, and a renowned astrologer, who wrote a large compendium of astrological texts. Both of them addressed the question of Fate and Free Will from two very different perspectives.
In this talk, Meira Epstein, a professional astrologer based in New York City with over 40 years of experience, will describe the Jewish attitude to Fate and Free Will, both pro and con, as it begins to appear early in the Talmud (vast compilation of Jewish law and tradition spanning the 2nd century to 5th century), and continue to the culmination, or the “show down”, when astrology came into the cross-fire between Maimonides and Ibn Ezra.
7:00pm - 7:30pm - General Q & A about astrology / open conversation
7:30pm - 9:00PM - Fate and Free Will in the Jewish Tradition
