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A belated siyum/daf yomi post

I've wanted to post about the Siyum Ha-Shas nearly 2 weeks ago. I took my two older sons to the Convention Center in downtown Baltimore. The whole idea of hooking up venues around the globe to participate in a single event such as this is quite impressive. (7 1/2 years ago New York magazine termed the tickets for the Siyum in MSG as the "hardest tickets to score" - or some similar language - at that time.)
Unlike last time though, I felt that I had a part in this Siyum. Unlike Cosmic X who's finishing the whole Shas - Talmud - a little late, I fell behind during Shabbos - the second tractate - and dropped out during Eruvin - the third. I just didn't have the dedication. Still I did participate in the process for a time.
Crossing the Rubicon has links to a variety of articles on the topic. via Destination Jerusalem we can find an excerpt of "From September 11 to the Daf Yomi" at Chareidi Wannabe. (The complete story was in the Siyum program and a recent issue of Jewish Observer.)
My Obiter Dicta expresses his conflict over learning Daf Yomi and concludes with beautiful thoughts from his brother. Biur Chametz has the goods on Halacha Yomi.
Point of Pinchas who took the famous "Siyum Hashas" photo from Route 3 in NJ links to his collection of photos.
I've started doing Daf with my 12 and 11 year old boys. Judith at Kesher Talk has started doing Daf too. In fact everyone seems to be doing Daf :-)!
For insights on the Daf don't miss Parshablog or A-Daf-A-Day.
UPDATE: For the past week, I've had the pleasure of doing Daf with my brother (as well as my two sons.) Some of my best learning I did with my brother 25 or so years ago. We learned the last three perakim of Berachos and the last perek of Pesachim with Rashi, Rash and Mishneh Brurah. It's wonderful to see the progression from opinions of the Tanaim and Amoraim to the eventual practical Halacha. To this day I insist on using Siddurim and Bentchers that have the special prayer for the host.
That prayer appears in many more publications now; but was still a novelty 25 years ago.
Also 25 years ago my brother kept asking me, "It's a beautiful possuk (passage from the Bible) where do we say it?" The answer, invariably was "V'Yitain Lecho", a prayer many, but not all, say after Shabbos. I didn't say it then. But on Wednesday night (I think) I proudly pointed to my brother the possuk from "V'Yitain Lecho."
Also thanks to Presence for Blogdigger. I found some of these sites by a Blogdigger search on "Daf Yomi."

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Haveil Havalim #13 Announcement

Haveil Havalim #13 is up at Israpundit. Please check it out and read fascinating posts from around the Jewish and Israel related blogosphere!

Multiple Menality plans to host Haveil Havlim #14, March 20, 2004. Pleast e-mail your (self) nominations to thelistener@gmail.com or, send them here to dhgerstman at hotmail dot com this week.

If you are a blogger and wish to host Haveil Havalim, please inform me at dhgerstman at hotmail dot com.
Continue reading to see previous editions.

#12 DovBear
#11 Kesher Talk
#10 Biur Chametz
#9 Soccer Dad
#8 It's Almost Supernatural
#7 Bloghead
#6 Willow Tree.
#5 Crossing the Rubicon2
#4 Dov Bear
#3 Biur Chametz

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Haveil Havalim #12 Announcement

This week's Haveil Havalim is up at DovBear. The host really dove into the Jewish blogosphere and his efforts bore quite a bit of fruit. (Hopefully none of it forbidden.)

Future Editions of Haveil Havalim
#13 March 13, 2005 - Israpundit has agreed to host Haveil Havlim #12 please forward (self) nominations to israpundit at yahoo dot com or to me at dhgerstman at hotmail dot com or for complete instructions go to Israpundit.
#14 March 20, 2005 - Multiple Menality plans to host Haveil Havlim #13. Pleast e-mail your (self) nominations to thelistener@gmail.com or, send them here to dhgerstman at hotmail dot com.

#11 Kesher Talk
#10 Biur Chametz
#9 Soccer Dad
#8 It's Almost Supernatural
#7 Bloghead
#6 Willow Tree.
#5 Crossing the Rubicon2
#4 Dov Bear
#3 Biur Chametz

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Haveil Havalim #11

Kesher Talk has put together a wonderful compendium of kesharim (links?) that will keep you talking for the next week with Haveil Havalim #11. I'm still looking for a nominee or volunteer to host next week's (3/6/05) Haveil Havalim (#12).

If you are a blogger and wish to host Haveil Havalim please e-mail me with a request at dhgerstman at hotmail dot com.

Previous Haveil Havalim:

#10 Biur Chametz
#9 Soccer Dad
#8 It's Almost Supernatural
#7 Bloghead
#6 Willow Tree.
#5 Crossing the Rubicon2
#4 Dov Bear
#3 Biur Chametz

If a tree falls ...

If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?
If a nation does a good deed that no one recognizes, is it still a good deed?
To read Joseph Norland's "Three tsunami stories, one lesson" the answer is "no" or at least "it's severely misguided."
I don't disagree with Joseph's evidence. The lack of gratitude and appreciation the world shows towards Israel's altruism is appalling. Especially when that same world readily embraces epithets such as "apartheid" and "holocaust" to describe Israel's war of self defense.

While it's true that Israel's altruism doesn't earn Israel friends the way it ought to, I still believe that doing good for good's sake is of benefit too. Israel, unfortunately has experience in disaster relief; Israeli experience can save lives. This account from the embassy bombing in Kenya in 1998 attests to this.
While Joseph says that it's more important that Israel help its own disadvantaged rather than those of the ungrateful nations of the world, I have to disagree. First of all, in many of these cases where Israel helps the effort is to save lives not quality of lives. Second of all, the rescue worker has a specialized skill of saving people from precarious situations that just isn't applicable to helping the poor.
One aspect of my pride in the Jewish nation is that it shows great mercy and kindness even to those who don't like it very much. I know that I am in the minority in recognizing that.
I think that rather than criticizing Israel for being too generous we, who support Israel, should be singing Israel's praises to even wider audiences. We should let the nations of the world know the benevolence of the Jewish state and never let them ignore, try as they might.
PS A few years ago a put together a list of Israeli humanitarian efforts around the globe. Alas nearly all of the links are out of date. The Israel Hasbara Committee hosts the list. Just reviewing the list today, I realized how much I'd forgotten. Perhaps I should update as many of the links as possible and try to include more recent examples of Israeli heroism.