New on the site: Michi-bot. An intelligent assistant based on the writings of Rabbi Michael Avraham.

How can one study Gemara without a Bible?

שו”תHow can one study Gemara without a Bible?
asked 5 months ago

Peace and blessings to the honorable Rabbi Shlita,
A. How do you understand the Gemara if you don’t study the Nakh? That is, it is clear that there are verses that can be understood without knowing the background, but when the Gemara mentions, for example, the killing of the priests of Nob by Saul, if you don’t know the story (even though you obviously do…) you don’t understand the Gemara well (and that is why there is also a certain criticism of the Haredi public for not studying the Nakh).
Although the rabbi also usually skips the legends, so it’s not that bad not to know the Nach when studying Gemara, many times the Gemara brings verses whose background is very important for understanding.
B. There is no doubt that the Bible is no small part of the Torah, so why wouldn’t a person strive to know the entire Torah – or at least a central part of it – even if he doesn’t see great value in it?
It is just as it is appropriate for the ordinary person to know the simple, even if he is preoccupied most of the day with the eternal in the world.
Giving up on the Bible means giving up on a large part of the history of the Jewish people (even though the rabbi claims that history cannot be learned from it) and future prophecies and so on.


Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

0 Answers
מיכי Staff answered 5 months ago
A. Studying halachic verses is of course a different matter. I’m talking about biblical, not halachic, passages. on. Aspire. I don’t see any value in it, but I didn’t say that the Bible is not part of the Torah and that there is no mitzvah in studying it. I prefer study that teaches me something. When I finish everything else, maybe I’ll get to the Bible.  

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

יוסי כהן replied 5 months ago

B. Does the rabbi see value in knowing all of Torah (at a certain level), or is it better for a person to focus on one main area and know it (at a high level)?

מיכי Staff replied 5 months ago

I don't think there is one answer to this question. Each to his own. Personally, I believe that knowing the whole Torah means knowing it in depth. Therefore, the definition of knowing the whole Torah versus knowing part of it in depth is incorrect. Both are partial knowledge.

Leave a Reply

Back to top button