{"id":65121,"date":"2019-11-03T13:43:31","date_gmt":"2019-11-03T11:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=65121"},"modified":"2023-05-28T18:28:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-28T15:28:26","slug":"and-as-for-me-whither","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/and-as-for-me-whither\/","title":{"rendered":"And As For Me Whither?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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And they told me: There are no fatlings or mules<\/span>
\n<\/span>In the House of the Lord; they\u2019re studying Talmud<\/span>
\n<\/span>Then I answered from scripture:<\/span>
\n<\/span>They\u2019ve changed the instruction and Law;<\/span>
\n<\/span>And as for me – wither?<\/span><\/p>\n

The great Spanish poet and Scholar Samuel ibn Nagrillah, often referred to as Samuel the Prince, due to his three-decade role as general and vizier to the Berber King Badis, penned these words when he encountered men studying Talmud in a sloppy manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weaving together Rueben\u2019s words when he returned to the pit where he placed Joseph in order to save him \u201cAnd as for me- wither?\u201d and the words of Isaiah in verse 20 of our chapter \u201cinstruction and law,\u201d the poet expresses his anger at the ignorant Jews whose study of Talmud sounds like the braying of mules due to their ignorance. He continues by describing their behavior an an esthetic insult- the heads bobbing like willows, and their actual study as injurious to our tradition- their mouths abused the names of the great.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I found the poem amusing, as I read it just hours after receiving a message from the Rabbi of\u00a0 my mother\u2019s synagogue challenging the men and the women to study a page of Talmud in advance of the upcoming completion of the seven and a half year cycle of study of the Talmud. Ceremonies celebrating the achievement will be held all over the world, including one in Metlife stadium on January 1<\/span>st<\/span>, and a first, one specifically for women in Jerusalem just days later. The popular study of Talmud is a crowning jewel of contemporary Jews the world over, an achievement truly worthy of celebrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Samuel the Prince Isaiah\u2019s words were repurposed to chide the popular study of Talmud.\u00a0 We can reinterpret them again as an expression of gratitude to the various sources that have made the study of our tradition alive and accessible. From the translators, such as R. Adin Steinzaltz, to the publishers such as Artscroll, and Koren. From the philanthropists and entrepreneurs to those smart enough to simply place their Jewish teachings online, a historic effort has allowed Jews (and Gentiles) unprecedented access to the wisdom of our tradition. Searching for Torah and instruction today is once again difficult, because the choices are so vast and varied, that when sitting down to study I ask \u201cand as for me- wither?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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