Studying Torah 2

All the different approaches to study center around a debate in the Talmud; which is better, "Sinai" or an "uprooter of mountains"? That is, are we to prefer someone with a comprehensive knowledge of sources (like Mt. Sinai, from where all Torah is revealed), or one who comes to a source, analyses and reanalyses it, until all of its implications and nuances have been considered and weighed, sometimes coming to a conclusion, and sometimes remaining with a mystery?)The ruling in Talmud is that Sinai is better, as "all need those who sell wheat" (but few need the sellers of delicacies). The Sages urge "let a man first gain wide knowledge, and only later analyze". Added to this is the idea "the words of Torah are poor in one place, but rich in another". Meaning that facts necessary to fully understand a topic at hand, may only be found in a different tractate, in the context of a discussion on a totally different topic. One who studies in-depth, may be left in the dark, as the needed information is to be found elsewhere, where he has not yet reached, and may never get to. One who studies for breadth rather than depth, will likely have seen the missing information, or will come to it shortly in the course of his studies. At that time, all will become clear. This approach remains the practice of Sepharadi Yeshivot, and many, if not most, Hasidic Yeshivot. The standard Ashkenazi approach, however, is different. Ashkenazi rabbis argue that the Talmud is speaking of the time when written sources were generally unavailable. Today, when everything has been written down, and even printed, in editions that are readily available and fairly inexpensive, with commentaries that make cross-referencing easy, the "uprooter of mountains" is to be preferred. Thus, already while in High School, a Yeshivah student will be taught to analyze text, study and compare commentaries, attempting to understand not only how they differ, but what brought them to their respective conclusions. I once taught in such a Yeshivah. In the course of a semester, the students had only covered four or five pages of Talmud. They graduated knowing a great deal about very little. One of my teachers, who used to cover an incredible twenty eight pages of Talmud every day (!!!!), was very disappointed when he sent his eldest son to a famous Yeshivah in Baltimore. The son came home for intersession, and informed his father that he had covered eight pages. "Eight pages?!?! Is that what I am paying tuition for?!?!". Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, when he first met his prospective son in law, Rabbi Bar Shalom (from whom I was later to learn the intricacies of marriage contracts), he asked the young man what section of Talmud he was studying. Rabbi Bar Shalom was learning in an Ashkenazi Yeshivah. When he told the Rav, the latter began to test him on the topic. After a few minutes, Rav Ovadia told him "You know all the commentaries, but you do not know the Talmudic passage (sugya)!". In my opinion, this is the main reason why few rabbis are qualified to speak on a variety of topics. Few have studied (or even read) the entire Tanach, or know more than selected portions of Talmud. Fortunately, at least in Israel, this is changing. There is now a school system called "Barkai", in which the students come out from eighth grade, knowing the Tanach almost by heart. Rabbi Shabtai Sabato, has established a High School and post High School program, in which the students go through a third of Talmud by the end of twelfth grade, and complete the rest in an additional two years of study. My two eldest sons studied there. It is my considered opinion, that Judaism pays dearly for the lack of comprehensive study on the part of its rabbis. We wind up with pseudo-intellectuals, who remain fairly ignorant of the scope of Torah. I would compare this to a doctor who has only studied certain organs. Torah is an organic whole.

Studying Torah 1

"For it is our life, and our length of days". These words from our evening prayer sum up the Jew's attitude to the Torah. It's not just a series of books. It is our life. It is the blueprint of the Universe, as well as that which gives shape, direction and meaning to us as individuals. But it is so vast, that many people despair of ever getting through it, or even gaining a modicum of its rich teachings. The Torah itself, however, says that "it is not distant from you".Where does one start? As I have indicated in the past, I have little formal training in Torah. I used to resent that. But with time, I came to see that having formal training in Torah is like having academic lessons on how to fall in love. Torah is much too vast to be limited to a series of classes or lectures. It is a total, transformational experience. First, let us review certain facts. The word "Torah", which means "the Teaching" in Hebrew, has both a narrow and a wide definition. It means the Five Books of Moses, but it also means the entire gamut of Jewish religious literature. Thus, when one studies Talmud, or even a book of insights written by a contemporary rabbi, one is said to be studying Torah. Another point that must be made is that following the Shabbatean debacle of 1666, whose scope far exceeded that which usually is acknowledged  in laymen's Jewish history books, many rabbis, especially in Europe, revamped the curriculum of the Yeshivot, to cover only those areas which were not likely to stir emotion. Therefore, the course of study in most places is quite dry. Mental gymnastics take the place of spirituality. The excitement inherent in the quest for G-d, is all too often replaced by the excitement of yet another interpretation of a well-known Biblical or Talmudic statement. In many ways, Hasidism was a reaction to these developments; an exercise in putting the soul back into Judaism. Not that the study of texts is, G-d forbid, unimportant. It is the body of Torah. But a body without a soul is dead. There are Hasidic, as well as Sepharadic ways of studying Torah. (They are actually quite similar). In this series, I will examine different approaches to the study of Torah. I shall also try to show that different approaches can be used by laymen, even those with little free time. A half an hour of well-planned study can greatly enrich one's life.I will also examine some methodologies of those who go much further in their studies. I shall also examine those methods that are, in my opinion, blind alleyways that yield virtually nothing. Let us begin our journey.

Torah...for the Nations? Part 10

Back when I was in college, I met many people my age who had grown up in Orthodox homes. and had gone to Orthodox Day Schools Upon learning that I had a connection (at that time) with Chabad, I was informed that their parents disliked Chabad, as they felt that Chabad's efforts in "kiruv" ("bringing near" those Jews who had little or no connection with Torah), was causing the dilution of Jewish identity and values in the Orthodox community. I was very surprised at this, as I had learned of the preciousness in the Eyes of G-d of each person; especially of those children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had strayed. I came to realize that there were two undercurrents in this area; do we exist to be inclusive in this wonderful world of Torah, or are we to keep to the shadows, preserving ourselves and our families, hoping to remain invisible to the world? This is especially true of bringing Torah to the Nations. We have ample proof from Greek and Roman sources that Jews maintained an active missionizing effort in the ancient world. In fact, Jews had even forged parts of the Greek Sibylline Oracles, in order to have Apollo appear to instruct the pagans to become Jews. (This device was late taken up by Christians as well.) Even the Christian Scriptures make note that "the Pharisees travel over land and sea to win a single convert" (Matthew 23:15).. But there were already then voices in opposition. The Maccabean rulers of Judea had forcibly converted the Edumeans, who lived just East of the Dead Sea (c. 140 BCE). Rather than being a blessing, the Edumeans took over control of the country, "giving us" King Herod, who killed the last of the Maccabean family, as well as many rabbis, and promoted paganism, immorality, and general debauchery. Yes, he had the Temple rebuilt to an architectural standard hitherto unknown, He also built pagan temples all over the Holy Land. Especially under Roman domination, and even more under Byzantine rule, being Jewish was a dangerous affair. Could a recent convert be trusted to not betray his fellow Jews, when faced with torture? It was during this period that some rabbis changed their attitude towards converts. The Torah is the "Betrothed" of Israel, and must remain a secret. To be sure, there were always rabbis who maintained a liberal conversion policy. But Judaism had effectively encircled itself in a cocoon. The question arises if this applies today, when, at least in Western Society, religious fanaticism is rare. In fact, religion is almost irrelevant. Is it time to open the gates of Torah for all who wish; whether as Noachides or converts? The Talmud repeatedly warns against "locking the gates" before converts. Now, putting double locks on the gates has become fashionable. We carry a great treasure, and a golden tradition. In my opinion at least, it's high time to share what billions yearn to hear. It's time to emerge from the cocoon, and spread our wings.