Thursday, October 6, 2011

The value of bekius [broad but superficial study]

Hi,

"I heard regarding the Gaon, Light of the Diaspora, our Master Rav Chaim, that a certain man in his city was expert in Shas [the Talmud], and the Gaon would honor him, standing before him. His students were surprised at this.

"He told them, with his customary clarity: Is a Sudilkov edition of Shas not a Shas? True, the Amsterdam edition is checked and without errors, and so it is finer, but this is also a Shas."

(Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Shem Olam II, Chapter 5, final footnote)

[I am not sure who "Rav Chaim" is - perhaps it is Rav Chaim Ozer?]

Gmar tov,
Mordechai

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