Study

 The Practice of Study (Talmud Torah)

One way we connect with each other is by studying some of the same things together at roughly the same times. This study can include Jewish texts, wisdom, history or other sources of truth. These may be in the form of a traditional classical text associated with a particular season, or a contemporary book which we read and gather online to discuss. We may gather in a number of separate study partnerships by phone or other remote technology, or in one group viewing webinars together.

This may also include learning from each other about each others’ experience or particular sets of expertise.

One particularly symbolic act of study for our Fellowship is the Seven-Year Torah Cycle.

Seven-Year Cycle of Torah Study:

The Torah (Deuteronomy 31) describes how the Children of Israel were to come together every seven years during the Festival of Sukkot around the time of the Sabbatical year to hear a reading of the Torah. In later times it became the practice to read Torah in the synagogue each week on Shabbat so that the entire Torah is read in the course of a year.

A signature practice of our Fellowship is that each week we look at one seventh of the weekly Torah portion so that in the course of seven years we have read, recited or studied through the entire Torah. One year we may read the first aliyah of each portion, the next year we read the second aliyah of each portion, the next year the third aliyahand so forth so that during Sukkot following the Sabbatical year we can all read the last aliyah of the last portion of the Torah. The depth or extent of our reading or study can depend entirely on how much time and energy we have that week. But wherever we are, all of us know that each of us is connected to that section of the Torah in some way that week.

Shared Seasonal Reading of Books of TaNaKh (Jewish Bible):

Some of us may take up a practice of reading sections from a common Biblical book during certain seasons of the Jewish year. In this way, even if we cannot be living closely in direct contact with each other, we can be living together in shared contact with stories and teachings of our core Jewish teachings and heritage wherever we are. We may study these books on our own, or in partnership with someone else over the phone or by video call.

Some particular examples of Shared Learning that may connect directly to traditional rhythms of Jewish life or with specific months or holidays of the Jewish year might include:

Nisan/Pesach – Shir HaShirim/Song of Songs

Yom HaShoah/Omer – Job

[Note, that the Omer period is 49 days, with Shavuot being the 50th day. Shir HaShirim has eight chapters, and Job has 42. Together they total to 50 chapters. It does not seem appropriate to be studying a discomforting book such as Job in the midst of a hopeful time such as Passover. But if we read through one chapter an evening (or day) as a way of counting of the Omer beginning on the 2nd day of Passover, we will read through Shir HaShirim on Passover and then continue with Job throughout the rest of the Omer. We would conclude with the last chapter of Job as part of our Tikkun L’eil Shavuot, a study-celebration on the Evening of Shavuot.]

Yom HaAtzma’ut: Possibly read the first chapter of the Book of Ezra, and Israel’s Declaration of Independence

Shavuot/Sivan – The Book of Ruth

Tammuz/Av – Chronicles (I &II) 

Tisha B’Av – Lamentations

[Suggestion: Study the last part of Chronicles II, describing the return from the Babylonian Exile, only after Tisha B’Av]

Elul through Sukkot – The Book of Ecclesiastes

Heshvan & Kislev/Hanukkah – The Book of Daniel

[Suggestion: On Sigd – an Ethiopian Jewish holiday 50 days after Yom Kippur (29th of Cheshvan) - read the first chapter of the Book of Nehemiah]

Tevet-Shvat/Tu B’Shvat – Proverbs

[Suggestion: Read the reference to Tree of Life (Proverbs 3) on Tu B’Shvat]

Adar/Purim – The Book of Esther