Starting this Wednesday, I have the honor of continuing in Rabbi Yoshi’s footsteps and leading our weekly Talmud Study. I’d love for you all to join me!
In case you can’t, or don’t, I’ll be sharing some favorite Talmud texts on learning—maybe they’ll inspire you to jump in, with me or any of our other wonderful learning opportunities.

At the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, as Moses is sharing his last words with the people of Israel, he says:
הַסְכֵּ֤ת ׀ וּשְׁמַע֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ נִהְיֵ֣יתָֽ לְעָ֔ם לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
Silence! Hear, O Israel! Today you have become the people of your God יהוה:

While the injunction to listen (Shema) is deeply familiar to us, the command and particularly the word used here—to “Silence”—is less so, and of course, our ancient rabbis wanted to understand why silence is commanded, and even more so, why that word is used.

Always up for a good play on words, the rabbis of the Talmud imagine that—rather than commanding silence—Moses is instructing the Israelites on how to hear, how to encounter God’s word and God’s presence:

Form [asu] many groups [kitot] and study Torah, for the Torah is only acquired through study in a group.

They take this word for silence, and almost create the opposite. God’s word is not heard in silence, not in some solitary quest for enlightenment. Not in our tradition. We are to seek Divine presence with others, in the sometimes cacophonous sound of a group learning together.

Then, the rabbis take it even further. Looking at another verse—this time from the Book of Jeremiah— the rabbis proclaim: “A sword upon the Torah scholars themselves, who sit alone [bad bevad] and study Torah. And furthermore, those who study alone grow foolish … ”

Admittedly, it is a little dramatic, but the message is clear: Torah—and its study—is a group project!

—Rabbi Sari Laufer