[Avodah] WHAT IT IS PROPER TO LEARN

[Rich, Joel]

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

-- 
From an upcoming audioroundup:

http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/780602/Rabbi_Aryeh_Lebowitz/Why_Learn_Gemara_An_Appreciation_of_Talmud_Bavli_in_Anticipation_of_the_Siyum_Hashas
Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Why Learn Gemara? An Appreciation of Talmud Bavli in Anticipation of the Siyum Hashas 

Sounding very Litvish (my definition - anyone who says with a straight face Nasata V'natata b'emunah is a question about your learning and not your business ethics). R'Lebowitz explains the primary importance of Talmud Torah [especially halacha; agadah is only a supplement] as a description of HKB"H.
Why learn Talmud Bavli and not Kitzur Shulchan Aruch?  1) Deeper  understanding of halacha/applications; 2) connects us to baalei mesorah (links in tradition)[me - but a real Litvak would say connects us to how later baalei mesorah understood the earlier ones since else it's academic talmud!]; 3) promotes engagement of student with the material; 4) connects us to HKB"H; 5) contains Tanach and Misnah and Mussar (i.e. everything); 6) more challenging.
My questions - 1) why do many darshanim ignore the opinion that Ben Sorer etc. did actually occur?; 2) so how could Chinuch (training kids) be only drabbanan? [much like R'Chaim's argument that prayer must be a Torah concept - can you imagine a world without prayer?]

KT
Joel Rich
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