Three men and a page of Talmud a day

JORDAN MOSHE

They all made a serious commitment to Jewish learning by studying a page of Talmud every single day for seven and a half years. In this time, they covered 37 volumes of the Babylonian Talmud (or Gemara), the equivalent of 2 711 double-sided pages.

They were among thousands of Jewish scholars around the world who recently celebrated the conclusion of the thirteenth cycle of Daf Yomi. This is an international programme in which all participants study a page of the Gemara a day. The participants studied consistently in spite of work and family commitments.

Each page features extensive commentary and conversation among the rabbis of the first few centuries of the Common Era. Their discussions are frequently complicated and digressive, shifting between topics as varied as paying damages, betrothing a woman, even the existence of mermaids.

These men were among more than 60 individuals who were recognised for this at the Dirshu World Siyum held last week.

In spite of initial apprehension, Raichlin took up the challenge after repeatedly being encouraged by a friend who had completed the cycle before. “I was reluctant, as it’s an enormous commitment over such a long period,” says Raichlin. “I joined the shiur initially at Ohr Sameach Glenhazel in the early mornings, at 05:15, and thereafter at Yeshiva College, altogether for about five years. Thereafter, I learnt on my own with the Art Scroll Talmud which has an English translation and excellent explanatory notes.”

Zagnoev got involved after reading a newspaper advert. Although he had spent time at a yeshiva overseas, it took him 10 years to find the right forum to resume his religious studies.

“My wife, Joanne, saw an announcement placed by Ohr Somayach in the Star Classifieds advising that they were intending to start a Daf Yomi shiur,” he says. “With her encouragement, and with a certain intrigue and reticence, I attended the first shiur, and that put me on a path that I have now stayed on for many years. Later, I started learning by myself at times that suited me.”

Given the scope and depth of the Talmudic discussions, regular study came with certain challenges, says deputy chief executive of Vitality Group, Matisonn.

“There are definitely parts that are more interesting than others, and there are days when your time is really limited,” he says, “but knowing that you are part of a global programme creates a real commitment.

“In the beginning, I would miss days, and I quickly realised that you can’t afford to fall behind, so I would use whatever free time I had to learn, even if it meant doing the daf (page) in fits and starts over the day. In the worst case, I would complete it at the end of the day before I went to bed.”

Zagnoev and Raichlin had similar experiences. “A difficult daf can take between one and two hours to learn,” says Zagnoev. “The programme offers no respite – a new page needs to be learnt every day. There were often times when I had work deadlines or family commitments which conflicted with the time available to complete the daf. Also, there were certain sections that were extremely difficult to understand.”

Says Raichlin, “The main challenge was never to miss a day, and to ensure that if I did fall behind – such as when I was unable to learn during shiva for both my parents – I caught up as soon as possible. I learnt early in the morning and gave up sleep rather than miss time in the office. Sometimes I would learn at night to catch up.”

However, they agree that the benefits certainly outweighed any difficulties.

“There was a surprise nearly every day with some of the most incredible, mind-bending cases and scenarios a human being can contemplate,” says Raichlin “The rabbis gave us the tools to work out any number of other possible scenarios that we might come up against in every generation.”

Says Zagnoev, “The Gemara contains historical information, ethical teachings, biblical analysis, and Jewish law which is presented in an engaging and challenging format.

“Learning one page of Gemara a day over an extended period has given me the unique opportunity to gain exposure to this magnificent and fascinating work. It’s also an intellectually challenging document which cannot simply be read. It needs to be studied with a high level of intensity.”

The men paid tribute to their families for being extremely supportive and understanding of their commitment. Matisonn says that he pulled out his Talmud at different times, whether on a plane or while travelling, and his family always gave him the necessary space to learn.

Says Raichlin, “My wife was the most understanding when my alarm went off before 05:00 in the morning! She also sat next to me for many hours on aeroplanes, airport terminals, trains, and buses all over the world as I learnt my daily daf.”

Raichlin and Zagnoev have renewed their commitment and undertaken the fourteenth cycle, whereas Matisonn will be devoting himself to studying other areas of Torah. However, they unanimously champion the programme, encouraging those who can take it up to do so.