Sunday Mail: April 6, 2008

Posting a cartoon every weekday leaves no room for me to simply share news, ideas, and other stuff with you, so here's a Dry Bones feature called: 'Sunday Mail: Letters from Dry Bones'.

Are we living in the "End Times" ?
When I was a kid I heard that "our sages tell us" that the Messiah would come when Israel "had a government that was not a government", or that "our sages tell us" that the Messianic Age would dawn if/when one Shabbat were properly "observed by all Jews".

I don't remember where/when I first heard these statements, probably in some shul, long ago, in Brooklyn. As I grew up, I discovered the world of Bible Prophecy as presented by popular books. In English. By Christian theologians who had laboriously scrutinized the Bible for clues and hidden meanings.

Which brought me to ask what exactly do "our sages" tell us about the Bible texts? Well, thanks to two fabulous innovations, we can now find out.

The first innovation was a plan (concocted in 1923) for folks around the world to read the entire Talmud, page by page. one page each day. It was called "Daf Yomi". Daf is Hebrew for a sheet of paper, and Yomi is Hebrew for daily. Thousands of people around the world are currently following this Daf Yomi program.

The second innovation was the computer, which in theory, could free you from having to find a Yeshiva or study group to do the program.

And now, I just discovered the Wolfson Talmud. The Wolfson Talmud - Master Daf Project is an advanced electronic solution for studying Talmud. In an environment which most closely resembles the traditional methods of Talmud study. It's the perfect way to Learn and Review the Talmud, and a dream come true for Daf Yomi participants. you see the Daf... you hear Daf... you understand the Daf... as it is explained in simple, concise English. It's for anyone learning the Talmud, whether a beginner or scholar. Find out what the Jewish sages actually say about what the Bible means. Line by line. Word by word. I figure that there are also some Christian Theologians who should jump at this opportunity. Check it out by clicking on the words Wolfson Talmud - Master Daf Project.