Diversifying Your Learning Portfolio: The Use of Multiple Methodologies for
Effective Torah Study
RABBI DR. ARI BERGMANN
Sponsored by
Devora and Moshe Smith
In memory of
Dr. Bergmann's mother, Syma Bergmann
לייב אריה בת ביילא סימה
Porsche Grill
Diversifying Your Learning Portfolio:
The Use of Multiple Methodologies for Effective Torah Study
Ari Bergmann [email protected]
t erp ohrnn ,ufkv vezjv sh o"cnr
ivhkgu ktrah kfk tmuh ypanu ej ovnu vtruvv hsung ovu vp kgca vru, rehg ov ohkaurhca kusdv ihs ,hc (t),sv vagn lunxk chhj u,ru,cu ubhcr vanc ihntnv kfu vag ,umn uz luruh rat vru,v hp kg rntba vru, vjhycv
:ivhkg igahku ivhkg
utk kg iheuk ihtu ktnau ihnh lk ushdh rat rcsv kfn rux, tk rntba vag, tkc rcug i,truvf vaug ubhta hn kf (c) wudu iuszc vagh rat ahtvu rntba ebjc u,,hn ovhrcs kg vruna ofj kfa ihs ,hc ,,hn ,rvztk i,hba hbpn vzsjt
,arsb vru,va ,usnv in ,jtc o,gs hpn ousnka ohrcs sjtu vp kgca vru, ovu vgunav hpn i,ut usnka ohrcs,ube,vu ,urzdv ivu vfhrm vgava vn hpku vru,k dhhx outaga ohrcs sjtu tuv lf vz rcsa ovhbhgc vtrbu ivc
,udvbnvutuv hrv vag, tkc rcug ivn sjt kf kg rcugvu ivk gunak vag ,umn ohrcs vakav uktn sjtu sjt kf rnutkgu okugv ie,ku ,sv ezjk hsf ohcrk ovc uruha ,udvbnvu ,urhzdvu ,ube,v ukt luruh rat vru,v hp kg
uz lk ushdh rat rcsv kfn ivc ,arsb vru,va ,usnv in ,jtc ihsv in i,ut usnkha ohrcs ukt urnth rat ypanvaht hpn aht ukcea vkcev:
1.1
The Supreme Sanhedrin in Jerusalem are the essence of the Oral Law. They are the pillars of instructionfrom whom statutes and judgments issue forth for the entire Jewish people. Concerning them, the Torahpromises Deuteronomy 17:11: "You shall do according to the laws which they shall instruct you...." Thisis a positive commandment.
Whoever believes in Moses and in his Torah is obligated to make all of his religious acts dependent onthis court and to rely on them.
1.2
Any person who does not carry out their directives transgresses a negative commandment, as Ibid.continues: "Do not deviate from any of the statements they relate to you, neither right nor left."
Lashes are not given for the violation of this prohibition, because it also serves as a warning for atransgression punishable by execution by the court. For when a sage rebels against the words of the court,he should be executed by strangulation, as the following verse states: "A person who will actdeliberately...."
We are obligated to heed their words whether they:
a) learned them from the Oral Tradition, i.e., the Oral Law,
b) derived them on the basis of their own knowledge through one of the attributes of Biblicalexegesis and it appeared to them that this is the correct interpretation of the matter,
c) instituted the matter as a safeguard for the Torah, as was necessary at a specific time. These arethe decrees, edicts, and customs instituted by the Sages.
It is a positive commandment to heed the court with regard to each of these three matters. A person whotransgresses any of these types of directives transgresses a negative commandment. This is derived fromthe continuation of the above verse in the following manner: "According to the laws which they shallinstruct you" - this refers to the edicts, decrees, and customs which they instruct people at large toobserve to strengthen the faith and perfect the world. "According to the judgment which theyrelate" - this refers to the matters which they derive through logical analysis employing one of themethods of Biblical exegesis. "From all things that they will tell you" - This refers to the traditionwhich they received one person from another.
u euxp s erp ,ur hukv z"hrdv
wv ,kjb (z"fe ohkv,) unf hgrz ubhhv 'h,kjb ,t ,hjat ip h"arpcu /h,kjb ,t ,hjat ip hk ktdk kfut tk ktdv rnthu [u]:k"fg ',hbung tku hbungc vgyu 'hctunu hbung tuch tk (ws d"f ohrcs) rntba hgrzc odp ,,k /ohbc
,uyapcu 'ugrz ,t ,hjaha ouan kutdk vmur ubhts uk rnuk lhrm vhv gusn ,hbung tku hbungc ktudv vgy ots g"mu:vhkg chfr utk ruxhtu ',hbung tku hbung ahrs tks iuhf 'vbtahku vhkg tuck ruxt tuvs uk rnth
ktuna) e"ts ibjuh r"t n"vbn wufu ,ur,un ovh,uceb kct 'wufu ohruxt hctunu hbung t,ht c"g u"g ,unchc vbvs vtrbvuv,ta sg hnustv dtus k"t wufu rgbv vz hn ic tcmv ra rbct kt rnt h,akpv ,trek tmh sus ,t kuta ,utrfu (z"h wtrbct k"t vhctunv ,urn h,tes y"n /utk ot kvec tuck tuv hutr ot uhkg kta utk ot ,ufknk tuv iudv ot khtan
tfv hbta ',hrmn tku hrmn 'rz oun ch,f rznn /,rznn tku rznn v,gn tkt ,hctun tku hctun ,hbung tku hbung tbhb,vat ka vfrs tku osek aht ka ufrs ohncu ojkc of,t unse tk rat rcs kg (d"f ohrcs) tres tngy arpns
wufu okgv hn ic v,t kta lknv rnthu shn 'eh,aht 'ohab ,trek ohabu ohabt ,trek ohabt osek ovk vhv 'osekuvk haet ',hctun tku hctun ,hbung tku hbung uk urnt 'kta arsnv ,hcc ktau tm lnn vnkg,b vfkv vhk rnte hfv
ucrj rdja snkn tcr rnt wufu aht ic tangu (z"h wc wt ktuna) shn vhkg hzurftk hgc 'ueh,aht 't,hhaue hbv kf dtushctun ',hbung tku hbung 'h,nrv ktuna ka ubhs ,hcn hbkcuen lf crjc resh uz vfkv gnua ubhta hn kf rntu ktgnahf
:a"hhg /f"g ',hctun tku',hbung tku hbung tbhb, rbct k"t rcf vbuatrc tv 'h,nrv ktuna ka s"cn hbkcuen lfc tang ashj htn tsj c"mu
:hbkcuen lfa vzc khguv vnu /tuv kuxpa hzurftk uaec oda sg uk vaev f"pgtu
jeks 'ucahu vp uca rnthu rhgv hbezn ohabt vrag jehu (wc ws) ,urc ch,fs htns c"g wz ,ucu,fc t,ht tv /c"m sugu
rcf vexpbu varsb zguc hnhc rcf f"tu a"hhg 't,khn hnuxrpk vrag lhrmu 'wufu ,hbung tku hbung arshnk zguc o,uttv 'uz vfkvc sug ohbuhsv vnu 'uz vfkv kg vaeva h"g 'ukxpk dtus kufh vhv vz lhtu 'wufu ,hbung tku hbungs 'vfkvv
:tuv lfa v,hv veuxp rcf osuen
f"anf 'hbhxn vank vfkvn vkcec rxnba vnn /t ohfrs wc h"pg vfkv exupu gcue vhv kusdv s"c vbvs vtrbvu,arsb vru,va ,usnv in ,jtc ihsv in o,ut usnkha ohrcs ukt urnth rat ypanv kgu c"v ohrnnn t"pc o"cnrv
d"hn sjtca arsn ugce uz vfkv ots vzc n"epbvu /k"fg 'aht hpn aht ukcea vkcev uz lk ushdh rat rcs kfn 'ivc,usnv in t"c uarsa kusd s"hc t"v v"pc oa a"nf rjt iputc vfkvv guceku rjt iputc aursk rjt ihs ,hc kufh ,usn'f"g 'wufu uhbhgc vtrba hpf isu r,ux z"hrv ru,xk rjt ogy uk vtrbu rjt s"hc ovhrjt sngu 'wufu ovhbhgc vtrba vn hpf
t"pc a"g /thv n"kvn ,kcuen vfkv tvs vfkvv ru,xk sjt s"ck t"t 'hbhxn vank vfkv h"pg guce vfkvvaf kct:k"fg okugk ,eukjn ovc iht vkce hrcs d"v
tku hbung"s vfkvv rcf zguc exp ohbshg ishgna vn hrjt 'tuv raf ot uhkg ubsa "sus" ka uz varp cyhv rtc,n z"pkvfkvv ru,xk ogy tmna ,rjt tuv arsu vhv rjt s"cs "dtus" kufh vzku 'vhv ,usn d"hn sjtc arsnc ",hbung
,arsb vru,va ,usn d"hc vexpba iuhf ',rjt euxpk kufhu 'ohrh,nv ogy kg vaeva trndv ,hdux kf hpf veuxpvlf rnta tang kct 'tuv ,usn d"hn sjtc arsn er ',hbung tku hbung tbhb, vkhj,c thcna vn f"unfu /f"anf ivc
ot od vfkvv ru,xk ohkufh iht vzku /a"g d"nxc arupn ifu 'hbhxn vank vfkv ubhhv 'h,nrv ktuna ka s"cn hbkcuen:n"kvn thv ,kcuen vfkva iuhf 'vr,uxk rjt ogy utmnh
od ,ntcs ',hbung tku hbungc vgya iuhf tahk uk ruxta rnt tku 'h,kjb ,hjat ip ktudv rnta vn cyhv rtucn z"pguvz kct 'lf ihsv uz vgac tvs vbtahk kufh hbta p"gts zguck igya tkt ,hbung tku hbunga zgucn uz vfkvk kche ktudv
ihsv vhvh rcf zts hgrz undphs h,kjb ,t ,hjat hzt ihsv ru,xhu sjt s"hc tuch otu ,ushn d"hn wts arsn jfn er:f"anf 'v,ut ru,xk t"tu hbhxn vank vfkvn thv ,kcuen vfkvs vgy tuv kct ',hbung odu hbungs
t erp - xupsv jxub - vrhmh rpx
iubju oujr hsa kt okug lknu ohhj ohvkt ktrah hvkt ,utcm vuvh vh eej vnfj ,uthkp ,uch,b oh,au ohakacuna auseu ourn sg ifua tabu orrupx rpxu rpxc ohrpx vakac unkug ,t trcu :
t vban t erp - vrhmh rpx kg k"z t"rdv aurp
:x"nc okuf ohkukf ovu 'a"nf /wuf ohrpx wdc unkug ,t trcu
rupxu rpxu rpxcifu inek a"nf s"cj vagb ivca a"nt ,uh,ut wd ovu gushf okugv trcb ivca ,gsu vbhcu vnfj iv ////ruphxv unf kgupv kt jfvn kfav thmuna ,gsv tuv ruphxu /sck kfac tuv ihhsga c"j iv rpxu rpx /b"agc iv
t vban t erp - vrhmh rpx kg k"z t"rdv aurp
d iputrupxu rpxu rpxc ohrpx vakac unkug ,t trcuwdcu ,hatrc j"zcu vnur, rvzc a"nf s"cj iva (wc iputc) h,c,f rcf /
ifu ',gscu vbuc,cu vnfjc ohvkt jur u,ut tkntu ifanv ifu 'wuf .rt sxh vnfjc wv a"nf okugv trcb ukt ohrcsa"nf ohshc c"uj s"cj oau ,ufhrtc a"anf wufu ,ufz ;f iuaku ohsh wc ivu 'ohgushu ohbucbu ohnfj ovc vb,b vru,v
t,a wuf ihkhkf t,gsunu t,jt t"p m"spxc a"nf iuakc ,gsu wuf tktnac ,hjb vbhc wuf tbhnhc ,hjb vnfj ohbueh,c///wuf v"h ihc oh,x ts iahk wuf ihepb
ihc duuzv tuv ,gsv h"ga ,rcsn vutr duuzv hubhf ifka wtf orcjnu duuzv uca ,gsv tuv rupxu b"uz ov ohrpx wc ihbgutsujh hc ,hk tnkg hrcht vc ,"hc ,ts d"gt ;"ktk v"cev rntu b"uz iva wcc okugv trcba sux uvzu vynk ihc vkgnk
,gsv sux tuva vynk u,uyap,vu r,fc tuv sujhv kfu okugv trcb c"ujca r,fv ouenc ,gsv sux tuvu lc tktrpx wtu wc kfv kkf ivu '(,urcsv ,rag k"r) ;"ktc vru,v vkhj,vu iuu,t kfk atr tv, ,t a"zu gushf tahse tkzn
uhsjh usngh ovhkt hbt true k"bv ohrpx hba iva ohna vjpy hbhnhu .rt vsxh hsh ;t okugv ,thrcc ifu /rupxu rpxusux vzu uhsjh usngh duuznu true rupxv sux
tkzn ,gsv sux vhv tka [uv,v] okugc k"bf ihptc ihpt ihjdan uuv tk tke,n vuv tk sgs (m"spx ahrc) tke,nv/r,fv ,uyap,v tahse
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