Rabbi Yehoshua famously stated “It is not in Heaven.” In the simple context, he meant that the responsibility for halachic decisions is now in the realm of the human, not the divine.
However, there is a broader way of understanding “Not in Heaven.” In this class, we will examine how the stars and moon shaped Rabbi Yehoshua’s life and his behavior. We will also discuss his namesake, the biblical Joshua, and how he was the first person to have to face the idea of “Not in Heaven.”
We will also look at Bar Kochba, named for a star. Was his failed messianic quest also part of the “Not in Heaven” story?