I just ate three huge slices of cheese pizza, and, for some reason, remembered that I need to update this blog. I am not exactly sure what one has to do with the other, though I speculate that increase in cheese in my system created a balance of geometery and theology. Either that, or my arteries are too clogged to do anything but sit in front of this computer and update whoever-it-is-that-reads-this as to what is going on here.

Actually, I have decided to write about what it is I am doing on a day-to-day basis here, instead of the funny little trips I take on the weekends.

I learn Torah. I am using the word "Torah" here liberally, to encompass everything from the 5 Books of Moses, to the Talmud, to the commentaries on the commentaries that are still being written today [note: Judaism is, contrary to Ahad Haam's opinion, a living, organic conversation.] I came here primarily to brush up on my Hebrew and Aramaic skills, as well as to pick up a little philosophy and have a few interesting discussions on the side.

Every morning here in the beautiful Judean Hills, we have a Gemara (Talmud) class at 9 am taught by Rabbi Yitchak Blau, of "Torah U'Madah" fame. He gives us a source sheet that we (my "study group", or chevrusah) pour over for 2 hours, trying to translate the (many) words we don't understand, and come up with any questions we might have during lecture. At 11, we have lecture, where Rabbi Blau stands in front of us and we begin a discussion about the topic at hand. We are currently finishing up the first chapter of "Makot" (pronounced "Mah-coat"), which is a tractate in the Talmud that deals with crimes that should incur either lashes or capital punishment. Up until now, we have mostly dealt with the case of lying witnesses ("eidim zommemim"), who are to be punished with whatever punishment their false testimony would have brought upon the defendant about whom they were testifying. This, naturally, becomes interesting when they were testifying in a capital case. The chapter works its way up to the end, in which there is the famous discussion between the Rabbis about the philosophy behind the death penalty; basically, the argument revolves around two ideas: Should the death penalty ever, really, be carried out, or is it just a theoretical construct that the insanely strict laws regarding how to get a kosher testimony in a capital case technically rule out? And, more importantly, what is the point of capital punishment? Is it for deterence, retributive justice, or for theoretical justice? Though the Talmud doesn't phrase it in exactly this language, much of these questions (and Rabbi's interesting thoughts on them) are found in Rabbinical exegesis, commentary, etc.

After this, we have lunch, and then about an hour break before Mincha, the afternoon prayer.

After Mincha, I usually learn with one of the school's rabbinical students-cum-Rabbi, Rabbi Gabe, in the Or HaChaim's commentary on the Weekly Torah portion. The Or HaChaim was a 18th century Rabbi and mystic who was born (I think) in Spain, moved around different Mediterranean countries, until finally ending up in Israel (where he died). He was famous for many things besides his very poetic commentary on the Torah, such as his correspondence with the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of the Chasidic movement, also a mystic), and their attempt to meet up in Israel (which the Baal Shem Tov failed to do). Anyway, his commentary is famously poetic, and, thus, both beautiful and famously difficult to understand. It is a commentary that has not been properly translated into English (that I know of), and probably shouldn't be (since most of it would be lost in translation). Which is why I am having Rabbi Gabe help me through the basic grammer and vocabulary of it, in the hopes that I will be able to continue studying it either on my own, or with a bit of help when I am back in Boston.

Also, in the afternoon, I have an assortment of classes, depending on the day of the week. They range from classes on Halacha to classes on Torah to classes on Jewish Philosophy (which is my favorite, taught by Rabbi Brovender). In the philosophy class, we are reading Rambam's (Maimonedes) introduction to the Mishna, which is fascinating both for its rugged simplicity, and well as still-radical-today ideas (ie no miracles ever "break" the laws of Nature, the way to get closest to G-d is through study of Philosophy, including non-Jewish philosophers (he was a huge fan of Aristotle)).

At night, I usually review some of the vocabulary I had learned that day, and then go and study MCATs. Before I hurt my leg, I would also play soccer or basketball before dinner. That's about it.

Tomorrow, I am going with one of my friends at the Yeshiva (a very interesting kid who seems to have an intensely deep knowledge of Jewish texts, secular philosophy, literature, American pop-culture, and Japanase animae) to see Matthew Barney's (Bjork's husband) movie called "Drawing Restraint 9". I have heard both that it is amazingly wonderful and the worst movie ever. There is apparently almost no dialogue, and the entire film takes place on the last whaling ship in the world, and it stars....Matthew Barney and Bjork, with a soundtrack by Bjork. So....yeah. I am sure I will have something to write about that.

Thursday is 17th of Tammuz, which is a minor fast day on the Jewish calender that commemorate the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the first temple at the hands of the Babylonians under the rule of Nebechanezzer. Thursday morning is also the bris of my friend Jake Solomon's new baby boy. And Friday is the bris of Rabbi Gabe's first born son. A lot of happiness and sadness in the course of a few days!

It's great hearing from those of you who have written. I hope all of you have having a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing those of you that I will see once I return to the states.

All the best,

Michael