What is Talmud Tweets?

What is Talmud Tweets? A short, personal take on a page of Talmud - every day!

For several years now, I have been following the tradition of "Daf Yomi" - reading a set page of Talmud daily. With the start of a new 7 1/2 year cycle, I thought I would share a taste of what the Talmud offers, with a bit of personal commentary included. The idea is not to give a scholarly explanation. Rather, it is for those new to Talmud to give a little taste - a tweet, as it were - of the richness of this text and dialogue it contains. The Talmud is a window into a style of thinking as well as the world as it changed over the centuries of its compilation.

These are not literal "tweets" - I don't limit myself to 140 characters. Rather, these are intended to be short, quick takes - focusing in on one part of a much richer discussion. Hopefully, I will pique your interest. As Hillel says: "Go and study it!" (Shabbat 31a)

Monday, August 6, 2012

Berachot 5 - The Evil Inclination

An amazing page filled with miraculous healings and theories of chastisement (why does G-d inflict pain and suffering? What do we learn from it?)

I've studied this page several times. Today I focused on a brief text regarding the battle between the evil and good inclination within a person, based on Psalms 4:5 - "Tremble and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still, Selah!"

The interpretation: "Tremble and sin not (fight your evil impulse); commune with your own heart (study Torah) upon your bed (recite the Sh'ma at night), and be still (remember that death awaits), Selah!"
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