Odd Jews

T

hose few who scale the summit of Mt. Everest invariably experience profound exhilaration at reaching the top. The difficulties of the climb, the obstacles to overcome, the discipline and courage that were required — all combine to make this moment the summit of one’s life.

Similar emotions swept through the 100,000 people who crowded the huge stadium in New Jersey to mark the completion of seven years of daily, rigorous Talmud study — a spiritual and intellectual summit.

Of course, not everyone who began the climb seven years ago made it to the top. It is a difficult trek, and some disappeared in the crevasses of discouragement and fatigue. But most persevered, overcame hazards, and dug deep into themselves for discipline and courage. They were rewarded with exhilaration and joy when they reached the summit of the grand Siyum celebration. The memories of arising at 5 a.m. to attend the daily shiur, of slogging relentlessly through snow and rain storms, numbing cold and stifling heat, only increased their sense of achievement. To paraphrase the old postal service meme, neither rain no snow nor gloom of night could stay these carriers of Torah from the completion of their appointed rounds.

One wonders: How many Greeks spend seven years, day in and day out, studying Plato? Are there daily study groups in Athens that read Socrates? Do the Chinese spend hours every single day in the study of Laozi? Are there chavrusas in Peking poring over his words? Would Londoners arise every morning and trudge through rain and fog to study the collected works of Shakespeare? Not very many, because Greeks and Chinese and Britons are quite normal. But Jews do not fit the mold. We are beyond normal, blessed with a Divine holy madness that enables us to do un-normal things, like continuing to mourn the ancient Bais, like maintaining hallowed practices of Shabbos, kashrus, taharas hamishpachah, bris milah — and like arising from a deep sleep every morning for seven straight years to attend sessions on oxen goring calves, or the differences between oaths and vows, or to plumb the depths of Love Thy Neighbor, or to learn about mikveh water emanating from mountain streams versus those from rainwater, or to discover how late the daily Shema Yisrael may be recited, plus thousands of other facets of Torah that seem totally irrelevant to daily life. As a famous couplet puts it: “How odd of G-d / To choose the Jews.”