izations , ▁under ▁the ▁guidance ▁of ▁the ▁scholar ▁of ▁medieval ▁philosophy , ▁Harry ▁Aust ry n ▁Wolf son . ▁The ▁subject ▁of ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁was ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁Pro ven ç al ▁Tal m ud ist , ▁Abraham ▁ben ▁David ▁of ▁Pos qui ères ▁( R abad ). ▁Pub lished ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Rab ad ▁of ▁Pos qui ères : ▁A ▁Tw elf th - Cent ury ▁Tal m ud ist , ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁academic ▁port ra its ▁of ▁a ▁Tal m ud ist ▁written ▁at ▁an ▁American ▁university ▁. ▁ ▁A ▁sc ion ▁of ▁the ▁Has id ic ▁dynast y ▁of ▁Ch ern ob yl , ▁Tw ers ky ▁succeeded ▁his ▁father ▁M esh ull am ▁Z al man ▁Tw ers ky ▁as ▁the ▁Tal ner ▁Reb be ▁of ▁Boston ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁twenty ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁spiritual ▁leader ▁of ▁Cong reg ation ▁Beth ▁David , ▁known ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁as ▁the ▁Tal ner ▁Be is ▁Med r ash ▁(" the ▁Tal ner ▁study ▁hall "), ▁which ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁a ▁renov ated ▁house ▁in ▁the ▁Bright on ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Boston . ▁ ▁Tw ers ky ' s ▁lect ures ▁in ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁on ▁T ues day ▁night s ▁and ▁late ▁Saturday ▁af tern o ons ▁were ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁er ud ition ▁and ▁original ity , ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁el ite ▁religious ▁Tor ah ▁study , ▁with ▁the ▁voc ab ul ary ▁and ▁world