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Session Four
Jewish Chess: Talmud
TEXTS: Part I
Here is a passage of Talmud (Bava Metzia 33a) with no more punctuation than the original. The first exercise is to try to figure out what punctuation is needed, and fill in periods, question marks, quotation marks, etc. Don't worry if this is confusing. Part of the confusion comes from missing information which will be provided in the next exercise. Also, there is no one right answer any punctuation that makes sense may be right, just like with the sign on the beach.
(The '/' in the text marks the few spots where there is punctuation in the original text -- a colon or a dot or a letter indicating a footnote. )
You can print out this page to try and add punctuation.
MISH. Your own lost object and your father's lost object your
own lost object takes precedence your own lost object and your
teacher's lost object your own takes precedence / your father's
lost object and your teacher's lost object your teacher's takes
precedence because your father brought you into this world but
your teacher who taught you wisdom brings you into the life of
the world to come / but if your father is a person of wisdom your
father's takes precedence / your father and your teacher were
carrying a burden put down your teacher's and afterwards put down
your father's / your father and your teacher are in captivity
redeem your teacher and afterwards redeem your father / but if
your father is a person of wisdom redeem your father and afterwards
redeem your teacher. GEM. From where are these things / Rav Yehudah
said Rav said scripture says / only there shall be no poor with
you / yours comes before anyone's and Rav Yehudah said Rav said
/ whoever fulfills this for himself ultimately comes to this.
Your father and your teacher were carrying a burden etc. Our sages
taught your teacher which they said is your teacher who taught
you wisdom but not your teacher who taught you Bible or Mishnah
so says Rabbi Meir / Rabbi Yehudah says / anyone from whom most
of your wisdom comes Rabbi Yosé says even a person who enlightened
your eyes about only one Mishnah is your teacher Rava said like
Rav Sechorah who explained to me / zuhama listron Shmuel tore
his garment for a rabbi who explained to him / one goes down to
the armpit and one opens directly Ulla said / the disciples of
the wise in Babylon stand up one before the other and they tear
their garments one for the other / but on the subject of returning
a lost object instead of one's father's they do not return except
to one's foremost teacher Rav Chisda asked a question of Rav Huna
a disciple whose teacher needs him what he answered Chisda Chisda
I do not need you you need me for forty years they were angry
with each other and did not visit each other Rav Chisda fasted
forty times because Rav Huna had felt insulted Rav Huna fasted
forty times because he had suspected Rav Chisda it was said Rav
Yitzchak son of Yosef said Rabbi Yochanan the halakhah is in accordance
with Rabbi Yehudah Rav Acha son of Rav Huna said Rav Sheshet the
halakhah is in accordance with Rabbi Yosé but did Rabbi Yochanan
say this surely Rabbi Yochanan said / the halakhah is in accordance
with an anonymous Mishnah and we have learned your teacher who
taught you wisdom what is wisdom most of your wisdom
DISCUSSION
What was it like getting through this text and punctuating it? I know from experience that it can be head-splittingly frustrating
but it can also be exciting, watching the shape of the text emerge
like a statue being carved out of a shapeless rock. Don't worry
if some parts are still unclear or if it turns out later that
your punctuation was unconventional. This is all part of what
real Talmud study is like.
Now you're invited to look at a different version of the same text, with a little more information.
(c) Justin Lewis, instructor
course offered through the department of Interactive Technology
@Kolel