I goofed and owe all my readers a big apology. My last post concerned Berakhot 30. In The Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud I am using, Berakhot 30 spans the…
Author: Beastman
I am a corporate attorney. I was raised Jewish in a slightly observant household. Although I was bar mitzvahed in an Orthodox synagogue, I have never kept kosher or Shomer Shabbos. I love history and particularly Jewish history. I am happily married to a Catholic woman. Our children were raised in a reform synagogue and consider themselves Jewish - in some ways, they are more observant than me.
Rules, Rules and More Rules – Berakhot 30
With the last Daf of Chapter Four, we get a lot of rules about prayer. Why so many rules? We get one clue today when we discuss why we pray…
Prayer, Ritual & Meaning and the Talmud – Berakhot 29
Several times in the course of this Blog, I have been concerned with the nature of prayer as envisioned by the Talmud. We have already seen rules governing every aspect…
Politics and the Talmud – Berakhot 28
I am well aware that we ended yesterday on a cliffhanger and we all want to know what happens with Rabbi Elazar ben Azarayh. Does he depose Rabbi Gamliel? What…
Impeachment and the Talmud – Berakhot 27
Although apparently a foregone conclusion, as I write this we are in the midst of President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. One group believes President Trump has abused his…
A New Prayer and the Talmud – Berakhot 26
In the middle of today's Daf, we end chapter three and begin chapter four. Unlike the previous chapters, where I could not really understand what the division signified, today we…
Cheech and Chong and the Talmud – Berakhot 25
With today's Daf and half of tomorrow's we conclude our review of how the basest, most scatological of our bodily functions affects our ability to pray. The reading can be…
Women’s Sexuality and the Talmud – Berakhot 24
In order to recite the Shema, we must concentrate on the words of the prayer. The Rabbis are concerned about behaviors and circumstances that will distract us while we (men)…
The Toilet and the Talmud – Berakhot 23
If I am in synagogue and I need to go to the bathroom, I walk out of the sanctuary and go to a clean bathroom with indoor plumbing and then…
Confessions – Talmud Berakhot 22
I have had to start and stop a post on this Daf several times. I am uncertain what to say and that has caused me to fall behind. As I…