Tractate Berachot - The Adventure Begins
After several abortive attempts to join Daf Yomi, I have abandoned (for now) the idea of following others' schedule. Much of my time is spent with my young children, and the opportunity to let a train of thought unfold for any length of time is such a novelty that I am loath to interrupt it with considerations of daily or weekly quotas. Instead, I am simply starting, on no particular timetable, dipping my toes in the great sea of Jewish scholarship and enjoying the process, whatever that may turn out to be. This blog will be a place to note down the main ideas that occur to me as I read and to review what has gone before. So where to start? Without the ties to the Daf Yomi or Daf haShavua schedule, I am beginning with the 'first' tractate, Berachot, the section of the Talmud that deals with blessings. Blessings are expressions of thanks, acknowledgements of God's works, reminders of the web of mitzvot that binds us together into a community and supports us in our everyd