Category Archives: Torah

There are many different  learning cyclces that are out there whether Amud Yomi, Daf Yomi, Mishna Yomi, Rambam Yomi, etc. Which program is appropriate for you really depends on what you hope to achieve and how much time you have available. For myself, personally, I prefer breadth over depth, bekiut over biyun. For that reason I have to recommend the Chok L’Yisrael learning program for anyone who wish to achieve mastery over large portions of Torah.

What is Chok L’Yisrael?

Chok L’Yisrael is a daily learning program, with the core text being the parsha of the week along with the commentary of Rashi. The daily portion of Rashi is not structured according to aliyot, but according to a number of pesukim which varies each day. The number of pesukim learnt based on a kabbalistic number system which I do not have direct knowledge of. This is followed by a portion of Neviim, Ketuvim, A perek of Mishna, A sugya in Shas, Zohar (for those on the level), halacha (from Shulchan Aruch or Rambam’s Mishne Torah), and some mussar (taken from various seforim and ethical treatises). The accompaning sections of Torah are intented to be relavant to the portion of Chumash Rashi.

"Facing Current Challenges" by R’Yehuda Levi is an absolutely fantastic sefer which I recommend that everyone buy and read. His breadth and depth of knowledge in all aspects of Torah is simply phenomenal. The topics covered range from Jewish Nationalism to Ecology to Chinuch. One can read a book review by R’YGB here.

In the same chapter of Sefer Heberith the author exaplins that “the cornerstone and foundation” of Divine service is “to have a craft by which to earn a living through ones own efforts, and not to need the support of other people”. He goes on to say:

The author of Sedey Chemed thought so highly of these remarks that he copied the entire chapter into his book [4]

[4] Sedey Chemed, Kelalim, Alef #230, Peiath Sadeh, ibid. #160

Very import article to be read by all:
http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/REI66features2.htm
(See previous posts, Part 1 , Part 2 & Part 3)
Update: Very interesting and informative article over at Seforim, entitled Jews, Beards and Portraits

There is an interesting post on English Hebraica regarding the historical use of depilatory cream by Orthodox Jews as a means of beard removal. See the post here as well as a direct link to the article quoted here. (For previous posts on the topic see Electric Shaver Part 1, Part 2)

R’ Gil Student, in his article entitled “On the Authorship of the Torah” relays the ideas of certain authorities that there were pre-existing manuscripts that contained the recorded histories of our forefathers, Eg Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc. (See the section Scrolls of the Forefathers).  R’ Student wishes to propose that these manuscripts served as the source for much of our text of Genesis, although they were edited summarized and collated by G-d himself.

“Most importantly, G-d had to edit the scrolls in order to perfect the exact wording and phrasing of the Torah so that many meanings can be found in it. While a good writer can insert two or three layers of meaning into a text, only a divine Author can insert dozens of meanings. Despite all this editing, the inspired scrolls of the patriarchs form the basis of the book of Genesis”

Now this theory may be well and true, with authoritative sources to support it. However, I think the following quote from the Rambam in his letter “The response to Joseph Ibn Gabir” seems to dismiss this theory. The “scrolls of the forefathers” if they existed, had no role in the composition of the Torah. The revelation at Sinai was an original creation, the content only being revealed to Moshe “for the first time” (i.e he did not get a ‘sneak preview’ from previous manuscripts)

This is my understanding of what the Rambam is saying in this letter. If anyone feels I have misinterpreted this letter, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

“You mention further an objection made against my judgment that the rite of circumcision we are commanded to observe is Mosaic law rather than a tradition of Abraham. My opponents argue that, inasmuch as on the occasion of that Commandment, the Lord made a thirteen-fold covenant of that Commandment, the Lord made a thirteen-fold covenant with Abraham, we may assume that the obligation to observe the rite of circumcision dates back to Abraham. The argument is inadmissible and their alleged evidence demonstrates that they do not understand the very foundation of our religion. My judgment, I assure you, is correct without any doubt.

Included in the six hundred thirteen precepts that were commanded at Sinai are the injunction of circumcision and the prohibition of the sinew which, although they existed in earlier times as recorded in scripture, have been in force as prescriptions only since the time of Moses. You ask those blind people – who pretend to be seers and cite as evidence against me the thirteen-fold covenant with Abraham – to tell you if Abraham himself had perhaps written the thirteen fold covenant with all the verses contained in that portion, and Moses simply copied them, as some people are wont to copy ancient works of another author, or whether the verses have been composed by Moses for the first time under inspiration? Whoever does not believe that these verses, together with the whole Torah, were composed by Moses under inspiration denies that the Torah is of Divine origin.

How would one indeed know what was communicated to Abraham, were it not for the account communicated by Moses? Hence, the foundation and the injunction of that precept, as well as the thirteen-fold covenant stem from Moses. This matter is obvious except to those who do not posses the capacity to reflect and who do not concentrate on the roots of religion but on its branches. The Torah enjoined by Moses is in its totality a revelation of God. If it contains ancients laws, as the Noahide law and the sign of the covenant, we are not bound by them because they were observed in ancient times but because of the later Sinaitic legislation vouchsafe exclusively to us.”

[The Response to Joseph Ibn Gabir, Letters of Maimonides – Leon D Stitskin (Pg 88-89) ]

Over Shabbat I read a fascinating work, a series of letters from the Rambam translated into English. The work is entitled “Letters of Maimonides” and is authored by Leon D Stitskin.

As for your own situation, I would suggest that you do not disparage yourself or abandon the prospect of achieving perfection. There are great scholars who commenced their learning at an advanced age and yet developed into distinguished scholars. It behoove you, therefore to study the Hebrew text of the volume I composed. It is not difficult to understand it lends itself easily to study, and in fact, if you master on part you will eventually be able to understand the whole work. Keep in mind, however, that I do not intend to produce and Arabic edition of the Mishneh Torah, as it would lose its specific flavor. Moreover, how can you ask me to do this when I hope to translate even my Arabic writings in the holy language? In any event, you are our brother, may the Lord guard you, lead you to perfection and grand you bliss in both worlds.
 

Marty Bluke over at Jewish Worker has two thoughtful posts about working for a living in Israel.

Here is a copy of a post I received from Areivim. It reflects the kind of effort I would like to see the majority of the members of the Orthodox community take to alleviate the financial difficulties that are being encountered.

Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:18:27 +1100
From: "SBA" <sba@sba2.com>
To: "areivim" <areivim@aishdas.org>
Subject: Kiryas Joel – Getting Ready For New  Workforce Development Center
Message-ID: <007201c636e1$0207e090$a137eddc

Here are some sources that I feel are valuable reading for this topic:

Rabbi Willig:
Torah U Madda – Theory and Practice (Audio)
Secular Studies: Are they for everyone (Torah U Madda Journal Volume 1: 1989)

Rabbi Yitzchok Breitowitz:
Full-time Learning vs. Combining Learning with a Profession
Part II – Entering the Professional World: Pros and Cons

[Eyes to See: Financing Torah Study with Public Funds is only Permissible for Distinguished Scholars Completing Their Halachic Training, Pg 452, (Rabbi Yom Yov Schwarz)]

"Tur (OC 156) states that after davening in shul each morning and spending some time in the daily study of Torah, one should "then turn to his business activites, for ‘all Torah study that is not accompanied by work will cease in the the end. Commenting on this, the Bais Yosef writes:
In other words, do not say, "Why do you tell him to turn to his business activities? It would be preferable for him to continue studying Torah forever! Therefore, [the Tur] explains that it is a desirable practice for him to turn to his business activities, as we learn in the Mishna (Avot 2:2), "All Torah study that is not accompanied by work will cease in the end" That is, he will run out of money and be forced to search for a livelihood, and then he will not even be able to set aside limited periods of Torah study each day. It will also lead him to sin, for poverty will cause him to violate the will of his creator"