Daf Yomi as a symbol of haredi hegemony

[rhu]

I admire the idea of learning Talmud at the rate of one page every day, and I love the idea that people all over the world are doing so on the same page.

Yet I can't help but feel uncomfortable that Daf Yomi was started by and continues to be coordinated by Agudas Israel, an organization that represents an intolerant strain of Judaism that I do not wish to support. At the last Daf Yomi Siyyum ha-Shas, I am told that AI refused to seat Rabbi Lamm on the dais because YU allows for coed classes.

So I intend to resume daily Talmud study, but not on the official DY schedule. Anyone else want to join me? This is easier when it's not one person alone.

Comments

[sethg]

I'm not a big fan of Daf Yomi, but I don't think this is a good reason to give it up. You can follow the Daf Yomi schedule of Talmud study (which, if I understand correctly, was established when the Agudah was a less strident organization) without endorsing the Agudah's current hashkafah, giving it money, or attending any of its events.

Please resist the urge to turn into a mirror-image of those haredim who say "well, I can't give any technical halakhic reason why X is assur, but all those liberals are doing it and I want to distinguish myself from them".

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Your point is a good one.

Yet I do find myself increasingly appalled by the haredim, and at some level I want to distance myself from the strain of Judaism that they represent.

(And if my independent schedule were, say, 3 dapim a week instead of a daf a day, would you be interested?)

[sethg]

You help provide a salary and a pulpit for a very non-haredi rabbi who has enough respect from his Orthodox peers to be on the Va`ad. You send your children to Jewish schools where they will not be getting limudei kodesh from a haredi perspective. That's providing a lot of distance already.

I can't commit to doing any more Talmud study until I'm back to reading the parsha every week.

[autotruezone.livejournal.com]

I agree strongly with all that sethg_prime writes. In fact, I would like to put it in stronger terms, but after a few days of insufficient sleep, I'm afraid I might offend if I do so.

Up with Ahavat Hinam!

[cellio]

Are you looking to do a daf a day (but not the same ones), or something at a slower pace? Learning a whole daf every day is too much for me, but I might be interested in something less demanding.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

A daf a day is a bit aggressive (especially now that I can't listen to an entire shiur in the car on my way to work). Perhaps to start off aiming at an amud a day and being realistic that some days it won't work out?

I'd like to get back to Megillah, reviewing what I learned last spring and then proceeding forward from there.

[sethg]

I've heard of an "Amud Yomi" program, but I don't know how many people participate in it.