Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 2, 2010 by Eryn
Rabbi Steinsaltz’s great siyyum teaches a wonderful lesson. Siyyum means completion. We are often accustomed to think of learning as some endless process which leads to more learning. But siyyum means that we are to learn something so well that we are able to say – we have “completed” it. This is the notion of Kinyan Torah – acquiring Torah knowledge and making sure we understand it and remember it. This is what Rabbi Steinsaltz has done in his learning all teaching, all within his wonderful Talmud. You can learn “the Steinsaltz” and you can acquire the Talmud and know it. And then, of course, you can begin again and understand it anew and fully. And then – again. Mazal Tov to the Rabbi and to us, his students, who have merited to see this miracle.