Q&A: Analysis of Talmudic Study
Analysis of Talmudic Study
Question
Hello and blessings,
I am a yeshiva student in fourth-year shiur. By nature, I find it hard to learn from people, and most of my learning is done through books and self-study, and that is how I approached Talmud study as well. I enthusiastically adopted the Brisker method and added a few emphases of my own (dealing with rabbinic expositions, the thirteen hermeneutical principles, and focusing on the “why” and not only the “what” — that is one of the reasons I enjoy your site and your lectures so much; I haven’t found many who deal with this at such length and with such systematic method).
Recently I’ve been feeling stuck. I feel as though everything repeats itself — within a few minutes it is already possible to identify the foundation of the passage, and afterward all that remains is to apply it to one or two medieval authorities. I understand that the goal of learning is not to seek thrills, but the learning has become very predictable and I don’t know what to do with that.
Also, I feel that right now I want someone to learn from in order to build another level for myself (I assume there is a slight chance that I am not perfect and that I still have something to learn from others 🙂 ), but every time I go into a lecture it suffers either from unsystematic explanation or from focusing on parts that, in my opinion, are more marginal within the passage. So I haven’t found anyone who can help me develop the aspects I want to improve, namely:
1. I would like to sharpen my conceptual reasoning more. I think that in the yeshiva world not enough attention is given to the logic behind halakhic categories. For example, when we were learning tractate Makkot, I couldn’t find anyone who was bothered by how one can say that this is a scriptural decree without reason when we are dealing with the killing of an innocent person (afterward I found an article of yours on the subject and was very happy). Or, for example, at the beginning of Bava Kamma no one was able to explain to me why ownership of property is a reason to obligate payment for damage it causes (later I saw your article on metaphysical ownership…).
2. Because most of my learning is from books, I was never taught how to read the medieval authorities carefully and properly, and I think I have a serious gap in that area.
3. Another disadvantage I have is that I have no one to talk to in learning. I don’t go into lectures because they don’t give me anything new, and the guys in the yeshiva learn at a slow pace, so no one is holding in the passage I’m currently learning. That means I have no way to hear criticism of my own reasoning. I try to compensate for this by reading books of later authorities, but if I have an original idea, I have no one to discuss it with.
What do you think I should do? Do you think there are certain books or certain lectures that could help me? Or should I simply arm myself with patience?
Answer
I don’t really have good advice beyond two things: 1. Read as many books of conceptual Talmudic analysis as possible, and from the totality of them you will draw insights. 2. Think for yourself about the reasons behind things, and present your conclusions to people who can give you criticism on them. Patience is definitely very important. The aspiration to reach the highest level quickly is certainly positive, but in its extreme form it works against us.
By the way, when you listen to lectures, is what you’re missing only the explanations behind the conceptual reasoning, or does the lecture itself also not give you anything new? If the lecture itself gives you nothing new (meaning you arrive on your own at the same insights as the lecturer), then there is no point in listening. But if all that’s missing for you is the explanations, then it is worth continuing to listen until you acquire the accepted conceptual learning skills. You can build your own level on top of that.
By the way, the distinction between the conceptual analyses and the explanations behind them (between the “what” and the “why”) is far from sharp. Every conceptual explanation contains within it one or more assumptions about the “why.” This comes with time, and of course in your case it will take on your own form and reflect your own way of thinking.
Wishing you much success.
There are yeshivot where the rabbis are very present and around all the time. So if you want someone to talk to in learning, maybe it would be worthwhile to move to a yeshiva like that. Or to a yeshiva where the students are at a higher level.