You won’t want to miss a day! TB Shabbat 83

Shavuot is the holiday of Revelation. If services would have been held tomorrow, we would have read how Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai and received the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20). Today daf TB Shabbat 83 ends with a wonderful segue to the celebration of Shavuot because both Rav and Rabbi Yonatan stressed the importance of studying the Torah.

“Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: One should never prevent himself from attending the study hall for even one moment, as this mishna which states that a Jordan ship can become ritually impure (because it is small enough to be carried full or empty of goods on dry land. This boat was typically loaded on shore and then carried and placed into the water as Rabbi Ḥanina ben Akavya explained. See the entire sugiya for greater elaboration. gg) was taught for several years in the study hall, but its reason was not revealed until Rabbi Ḥanina ben Akavya came and explained it.

Following Rav’s statement, the Gemara cites that which Rabbi Yonatan said: One should never prevent himself from attending the study hall or from engaging in matters of Torah, even at the moment of death, as it is stated: “This is the Torah: A person who dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14). That is an allusion to the fact that even at the moment of death, one should engage in the study of Torah. Reish Lakish said: Matters of Torah only endure in a person who kills himself over the Torah, one who is ready to devote all his efforts to it, as it is stated: “This is the Torah: A person who dies in a tent,” meaning that the Torah is only attained by one who kills himself in its tent.” (Sefaria.org translation)

We are blessed that we live in time when Torah is accessible by all. New translations and commentaries in English are readily available. I highly recommend the one volume Jewish Study Bible which has English commentaries on every book of the Bible by current biblical scholars or the three volume Robert Alter set where he translates and comments on every book of the Bible. The Entire Talmud has been translated with commentary by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz and published online by Sefaria.org. One may purchase hardcopies by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz translation and commentary (this version has excellent visual aids to help in the comprehension) as well as the Art Scroll translation and commentary of the entire Talmud.

The Internet has a plethora of sites every imaginable Jewish topic. Right now there are so many classes taught by master teachers and scholars and every Jewish’s imaginable subject free to the public .Here are two sites of previous recorded classes that may catch your imagination https://www.emanuelnyc.org/streickercenter/virtual/ and https://schechter.edu/pre-shavuot-virtual-tikkun/?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SchechterAnalytics@gmail.com. Amongst the many different sites containing articles that might interest you, I recommend myjewishlearning.com and Thetorah.com.

Because we are self- sheltering, we all have plenty of time on our hands. I hope the holiday of Shavuot, the holiday of Revelation, inspires us all to learn Torah each day and experience what our ancestors felt meeting God at the top of Mount Sinai. Once you begin studying Torah each and every day, you won’t want to miss a day of study!