Produced by Jonah Peretz, Pardes Day School Educators Program ’16-’17, this study guide for Mishna Seder Zeraim is thoughtful, in-depth and timely. It combines text learning with teachings, reflections and questions that deepen our understanding of the impact of Coronavirus. This is a wonderful resource for self-study and for educators.
Download: Seder Zeraim in a Time of Isolation
Jonah writes:
This project was born as much of the world waits in dread, but it contains teachings that are, I hope, both heartening and honest. Before the world stopped, I had been learning Seder Zeraim, the rest of the six sedarim of the Mishna, as part of a personal project. I was approaching a siyyum when nearly all minyanim were canceled indefinitely. I decided to take advantage of extra free time to share my learning in a different format.
For the past few years, I have been reclaiming Mishna as the foundational learning text. Although Talmud has a reputation for “serious learning”, it is often just too damn hard for the average Jew to learn well and truly retain. I spent years learning Talmud and much of that time was frustrated with my own brain and learning limitations. Somewhere deep in the weeds of Hullin, I temporarily lost a love of text. Discovering the world of mishna rekindled it. By learning about 1.5 chapters a day of Mishna, I can complete the Six Orders once every year.
If you would like some encouragement on joining me in this cycle, see page 55. 🙂 Thank you for letting me share my learning with you. If you’d like to share any thoughts or point out any errors, it would make my day if you email me and let me know (jonah.naftali@gmail.com). Learn well!
