Advice for starting a new Gemara study
Hi Mickey.
I am a graduate of a reputable yeshiva and studied two Gemara courses (study and proficiency) for two years in the yeshiva, and during the rest of the time I studied a lot of thought and especially philosophy, with an emphasis on your books, which for me completely changed my life.
Since I left the yeshiva (about 5 years have passed since then) I have not studied Gemara at all in an organized manner and certainly not with the proper attention. I recently bought the Responsa Project with the intention of returning to study Gemara at least once a week and I am now trying to find the ideal Gemara for myself to review and start anew with in-depth study. I want to say that I am currently looking for more Gemaras with a lot of intellectual issues and fewer complicated and financial issues (the bull that went after the cow, etc.). I would love to receive advice on an interesting Gemara that I should start with and perhaps in general how you would recommend that I return to studying? To study the Gemara on my own or at least start with some kind of guidance, such as your pages on the issues you have taught and published on the site.
Thanks for the help.
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Dear questioner,
Your direction is positive. In fact, the Rambam writes that the intellectual issues in the Talmud are the most fascinating and contain Torah secrets that are worth delving into (several times in the Mishnah). But of course, one needs a lot of background and means to try to decipher their meaning, assuming of course that the rabbi is a parable and not a literal one.
Unfortunately, our Ashkenazi brothers, and almost no matter what sect they belong to, see the main point of religious elevation in understanding and discussing the legal issues in the Talmud, and without understanding, as the Rambam noted, that all the issues were written at the time for the purpose of clarifying the Toshish, and therefore they are no longer needed, after the ruling of the halachah in the Mishnah Torah (in fact, the Rambam did not mean to actually neglect the study of the Talmud, but only to leave it by way of discussion). In any case, if you would like to expand your knowledge on the subject, I recommend the introductions at the beginning of the book by Rabbi Dr. Yochai Makbili.
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