[Avodah] WHAT IT IS PROPER TO LEARN

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Aug 05, 2012 at 08:04:49AM -0400, Prof. Levine wrote:
> Please see http://tinyurl.com/98fcosh  for a detailed discussion of this topic.

> One opinion brought at this URL is
>> ii.Mishnah Berurah (155:3): Every day, one must learn Mikra, Mishnah,  
>> Gemara and Poskim. Ba'alei Batim who learn only three or four hours a  
>> day should not learn only Talmud, for then they are not Yotzei. Rather, 
>> they should learn also Poskim, everyone according to his ability.

But the Ashkenazi practice of focusing on Bavli is very old, and is
defended by Rabbeinu Tam (AZ 19b "yeshaleish"). The gemara (Sanhedrin 24a)
asks, "What is 'Bavel"?" I presume this is referring to the yeshivos and
mode of learning there, since Talmud Bavli didn't exist in R' Yochanan's
day, and yet it's R' Yochanan who gives the reply, "Belula bemiqra,
belula bemishna, belula betalmud."

R' Tam says it's for this reason that we focus on shas; that with shas
alone one learns all three -- miqra, mishna, and talmud.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             We are what we repeatedly do.
micha at aishdas.org        Thus excellence is not an event,
http://www.aishdas.org   but a habit.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                   - Aristotle