(no subject)
Oct. 3rd, 2012 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seekingferretSomehow today is Page 63 of Berachos on my Daf Yomi schedule and I am on schedule. I've been at this for two whole months. Berachos only has 64 pages, so I'll be finishing tomorrow. Can we make an online siyum? One of my Rabbis told me that the yeshivish joke is "Bo Shabbos, Bo Menucha", though. He warned me that in general Masechet Shabbos, which follows Berachos in the Daf Yomi cycle, is a lot more technical, a lot more difficult, and a lot lighter in storytelling. So we'll see if I can still keep up.
Recently it's been particularly high on storytelling in comparison to legal debate, because the topic for the last few prakim of Berachos is miscellaneous blessings, and there isn't all that much detail to argue. I've mentioned before that I really love these miscellaneous blessings because they call attention to the sorts of amazing things in the world around us that are easy to take for granted. A blessing on thunder and lightning. A blessing on seeing a beautiful mountain. A blessing on smelling something nice. A blessing on seeing a friend again for the first time in a while. (Though I think this might be a joke. According to Rava, the blessing on seeing a friend for the first time in a year is "Baruch... mechias hamesim." - "Blesses is the one who raises the dead." Sometimes it's really hard to tell if the Talmud is punking you.)
Also, on Daf 62, the kabalah of the bathroom. And on Daf 61, Rav Sheshet and the disintegration rays shooting out of his eyes. I told one of my friends that the Gemara is like the best fantasy novel ever. I seriously am taking many notes for things to use in rpg adventures.
Recently it's been particularly high on storytelling in comparison to legal debate, because the topic for the last few prakim of Berachos is miscellaneous blessings, and there isn't all that much detail to argue. I've mentioned before that I really love these miscellaneous blessings because they call attention to the sorts of amazing things in the world around us that are easy to take for granted. A blessing on thunder and lightning. A blessing on seeing a beautiful mountain. A blessing on smelling something nice. A blessing on seeing a friend again for the first time in a while. (Though I think this might be a joke. According to Rava, the blessing on seeing a friend for the first time in a year is "Baruch... mechias hamesim." - "Blesses is the one who raises the dead." Sometimes it's really hard to tell if the Talmud is punking you.)
Also, on Daf 62, the kabalah of the bathroom. And on Daf 61, Rav Sheshet and the disintegration rays shooting out of his eyes. I told one of my friends that the Gemara is like the best fantasy novel ever. I seriously am taking many notes for things to use in rpg adventures.