Navigating the Sea of Talmud: A Memoir

By Steven Joseph

In a planet with a life-span of 6,000 years we are in year 5,767, leaving 233 years left on this earth. Man can achieve salvation or hasten destruction. This book offers insights into the universe and that have never been presented before. A finite definition of love and mans connection to God are all presented. A Linguistic approach is used to connote powerful ideas that will change your understanding of the universe. A new definition of wisdom is elaborated upon and the strength of the Rabbis to dictate nature is discussed. Striking Iraqs nuclear power plant was a military engagement coupled with a pre-consultation with a renowned Talmudic scholar. Corporate aspirations, business ethics and the ever-present desire to accummulate wealth are staples of this memoir. In addition, mathematical formulas are applied to shed light on Gods secrets. If you want an all-encompassing outlook on the universe and its impact on your existence then this is a must-read. The beauty of the Talmud will be illuminated through the eyes of one who lives with bipolar. There are 70 nations in the world, 70 faces to the Bible, 70 individuals that went down to Egypt and 70 secrets into Gods thinking process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 18, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469100166

Book preview

Navigating the Sea of Talmud

A Memoir

Steven Joseph

Copyright © 2007 by Steven Joseph.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

I     

The Backyard

II     

The Court

III     

Family

IV     

Conscience: Serious Ramifications

V     

Nonentity

VI     

Ideals—Various Manifestations

VII     

Realities—The Antithesis and Compilations in One

VIII     

Finally—A Creation with an Opinion

IX     

It’s a Small World After All

X     

A Train Ride to the End—It must be

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Heather R. Todd and all the editorial staff at FirstEditing.com. I would also like to recognize Rosalynd Friedman who provided continuous moral support throughout the project. Lastly, an ode to William Strunk Jr., the original author of The Elements of Style, for inspiring me to live by his words, Make every word count.

For my family

I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.

Albert Einstein

Preface

I set out on this endeavor after resigning from a mid-sized law firm that just didn’t mesh with my innocent views of life, namely, that man still has dignity in this world. In no way do I knock the law, in fact I embrace it just as I do film and the written word. My resignation was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the time to finish this memoir. After returning from a four year intense study of the Talmud in Israel nine years ago, I wrote this memoir when I was twenty-four. With the Talmud as a guiding force, I was able to plow through many of these pages and gain a perspective on life during my time there. During my years of study in Israel I contracted mononucleosis, which would weaken my body for the next six to seven years and continues to leave remnants.

Upon my return from Israel I was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For what seemed like an eternity, I experienced panic attacks for months on end. After all the attrition from the disease coupled with my Talmudic background, I was left with the age-old question of whether nature or nurture is the driving force of life.

Because I revisited this piece of work after nine years, I had to edit it a little, though none of the ideas have changed. I believe that real ideas don’t change; only time forges on. I tried to stay true to my original writing style in order to capture those times. In my opinion grace and style trump grammar, but I’m not here to take on the collegiate establishment.

I believe this memoir honestly reflects my essence and, and will not be Lost in Translation. Though not intended, I think this memoir addresses relevant topics of the day such as nature, religion, business, spirituality, war, and disease. Though the Talmud serves as the backdrop, the ideas cross all boundaries.

I am excited to embark upon this journey with you in this thing we call, Life.

Introduction

Thoughts inspire philosophers, numbers charm mathematicians and revolutions awaken socialists. Each teacher has a specific lighting rod that glides him through his own subject matter, while simultaneously shedding light on all others. The Talmudist achieves salvation via small Aramaic letters.

As each leader in his respective field, the Talmudist believes his systematic view embodies the absolute truth. It’s not only the key to the city but to the entire universe. Its scope and relativity is boundless. Its universality is stunning and piquant.

The Talmud could be taught in schools as a singular curriculum. Its depth and breadth penetrate all subject matter and teachings. Its ideas encompass and serve as a blueprint for all the happenings of the universe that have occurred from its inception.

I don’t stand here as a politician but rather as a self-obliged writer on a quest for the truth. This should preclude the manipulation of information in honor of self-interest. Ignoring my B.A. in political science will only help realize the necessity for substance over embellishment.

The new issue of globalization has awakened the writers of the age. For the first time in history the harmony and fluidity of the universe as a whole is being examined. Certainly the same universe existed many millennia ago.

The only difference is that our sight has broadened and reached further heights. By no means am I poking fun at or discrediting The World Is Flat, as I lack the prowess and arrogance to do so. I come only to stress that the Talmudist will view the internet age in a different light.

As conveyed by one of our post-modern sages who internally felt the flame of the Holocaust ten years before its inception, the Industrial Revolution’s sole purpose was to help man reach study halls and prayer groups faster and easier, streamlining the process of serving one’s creator.

Ford was God’s messenger in delivering an automobile that would facilitate a speedy drive to places of worship. Perhaps the father of the automobile is riding high in Chariots of Fire.

The Talmudist is looking through different lenses. The history book is comprised of the Oral and Written law. The Wealth of Nations is a great read but doesn’t necessarily symbolize the hand of fate.

The internet age might pose new questions; for instance, is the requirement that ten Jews physically pray beneath one roof satisfied if they are connected via cyber space? New debates fueled by new discoveries will force scholars to apply old law to new technologies. The reason that no technological advance can surpass the Bible is because its source exists in Scripture itself. I’m not a man of black magic or voodoo but rather a follower of the Talmud and its words.

As the Talmud poignantly points out, God looked into the Bible and created the universe. However metaphoric this sounds, it points out that the universe exists within the confines of Scripture. I apologize to the atheists and agnostics but we all breathe the same air.

Granted, everyone’s lenses are tinted. We see what we want to see. Based on our upbringing, the universe exists on a certain axis. This axis breathes from 365 vantage points and is constantly changing.

Man is the only hope for salvation in creating the most ingenious universe to date. We must unify all the tilts towards a collective compromise. There must be truth and logic that binds together any single position. It must be so seeped in truth that even a child can sense its innocence.

Children adore images. Borrowing Master Card’s slogan, Some things are priceless, namely imagery, for everything else there is Master Card. Adults have been equally swept away by the power of the image.

Any accomplished professor infuses his seminars with stunning imagery. Doing so not only prevents involuntary snoring but it also serves to leave an indelible imprint on the student’s mind. Advertisers rely on images to sell products. By means of association, we buy the products.

The Talmud has captured audiences throughout history by using such techniques as story telling, hyperbole and comparative tales. These have served to engage the audience and capture their attention.

Introductions are not the time to introduce Biblical and Talmudic imagery which might even sway the listening atheist (just working on imagery). However, to understand the thrust and drive for such a memoir, one parable needs to be told.

There was a well-known Talmudic genius known as the Vilna Gaon who perished just before the turn of the nineteenth century. He dissented with Chassidut, a movement that emphasized serving the creator through spiritual dedication rather than intellectual prowess. The Vilna Gaon was one of the leaders of the Misnagdim who espoused rigid practice in all areas of religion.

There was another starlight feature that separated the followers of the Vilna Gaon from the rest. They fervently believed in the necessity to study the Talmud for endless hours, day and night, in order to achieve a balanced stability and connection to God.

The leader of this movement is still alive and well. His words of Torah remain the last word in any argument. Talmudic chieftains continue to debate the essence and intent of his every word.

To illustrate his grasp over the Talmud, he was just as capable of repeating it backwards as forwards. This would be in vain though for someone who saw all sixty-three books of the Talmud as clear as a Monet on a sunny day. I fear to exaggerate, yet his scholarship remains unprecedented and a thing of legend.

It was once asked of this great man just how he maintained such a vivid grasp on all of the Talmud. It’s the greatest business plan to date.

He said it can be compared to a young child who goes to the fair for the first time. It is full of rides and games. The child is enthralled with all the rides and goes on each one of them until nightfall descends. The next day someone asks the child to describe his experiences of the previous day. The child recounts every single ride he went on along with the emotions felt at the time. This person was astounded by the child’s all-inclusive answer that covered every aspect and detail of the fair.

Similarly, the Vilna Gaon explains that the Talmud is like one long fair. Each tractate is another ride. Is it comprehensible to forget that which you have so much fun doing? Can the logic and the beauty of the Talmud possibly leave the heart with no regrets? Can such a beautiful picture ever be allowed to vanish into thin air?

This is the Talmud that I speak of and know; a book that touches upon all aspects of humanity and challenges the mind to arrive at the clearest and most logical conclusions. It provides direction on how to master any skill for any vocation.

After sending a short memo to Elie Wiesel requesting the rights to possibly portray his story in film format, he responded that, Some things are not meant for the screen. Perhaps the Talmud is also not meant to be screened by the public but destined to remain closed forever. Though literary in form and structure, it is not a book of literature but of study. It is comparable to the Holy Ark and inner chambers of the Temple which the common man was forbidden from entering.

There is a quote, however,