Q&A: The Ease of Wisdom versus the Depth of the Talmud
The Ease of Wisdom versus the Depth of the Talmud
Question
Hello,
I wanted to know what you think about a statement that Rabbi Aviad Shar Shalom Bazila (17th century) used to say: "All the sciences (in his youth he acquired broad knowledge in the sciences of his time, with an emphasis on astronomy and engineering, and wrote works in these fields.) I studied for ten years, but as for the wisdom of the Talmud—'I was young and also grew old, and I found only a trace of it.'"
I would be glad to hear your thoughts both about his attitude toward the sciences, as something easy, and about his attitude toward the Talmud as something deeper than the abyss.
(I am not expecting an answer that this rabbi merely meant it as a flourish, or as flattery toward holy matters; I truly want to understand how correct or incorrect this statement is in your opinion.)
Thank you
Answer
In my opinion, this is baseless. It is much easier to gain mastery over the Talmud than over physics or mathematics.
With all due respect, Rabbi, I don't think he meant only the "dry" Talmud. He meant the Talmud plus the medieval authorities (Rishonim) and later authorities (Acharonim), and reconciling all the approaches, difficulties, and contradictions. Mastery of all that requires immense immersion (which is not the case with the secular sciences), and review upon review.