Q&A: A Slightly Personal Question — How the Rabbi Reads Books
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A Slightly Personal Question — How the Rabbi Reads Books
Question
I’d like to know how the Rabbi reads books. That is, what methods he uses in order to absorb into his mind and remember the text he reads. From my impression, the Rabbi is very much a man of books, so I’d be happy if he could share a few tips 🙂
Answer
I don’t have any specific tips. A few comments:
- Over time, your body of knowledge becomes more detailed, and then each idea fits into a more clearly defined place, so naturally you remember it better too.
- The only advice I have is to read with the awareness that you want to remember. If you have the energy, try summarizing for yourself what you read after the reading. You can also do it chapter by chapter.
- It’s worth setting yourself a simpler goal: not to remember everything you read, but the foundational ideas. You can also give up on remembering the exact source of things, which is harder to retain. In the end, what matters is not the quotation and the appearance of being knowledgeable, but the idea itself and how it fits into your own framework.
- If you write about what you read—a summary/review for yourself or for others—that can of course also help.
Good luck.