Getting back to Daf Yomi

Stopping smoking is the easiest thing to do. I've done it many times.

Mark Twain.

So, I got back into Daf Yomi, at Sanhedrin, after stopping after Gittin, at the birth of yet another child. It is an easy thing to do for I've done it many time. About 5. Over 28 years, to be more exact.

There are many things I learned over the years, which I am ready to share. I had some successes along the way but failure is definitely the best teacher.

So here are my pointers on how to succeed at Daf Yomi.

1.Start early. Begin daf beis one ot two days before everyone else and stay ahead. It is inevitable that you will miss a day here and there. If you don't, you are not really living. It takes a lot to learn a set amount every day, and if you are involved in other activities, like earning a living, family and/or communal work, you WILL sometimes miss a day. You have to plan for failure and build into it the possibility of success. This way, if you miss a day you will not be discouraged and you will retain a realistic chance to catch up. Most daf yomi learners give it up after they ao far behind that they do not see a way to catch up. If you start ahead you are less likely to fall too far behind.

Of course, the same may be acomplished by just skipping the dafim that you miss, but that is not as good a solution. First, not everyone has the personality to give up dafim without regrets. Second, it is not really learning daf yomi, is it?

2. Know your style! If you go slowly and identify many important points at first reading, perhaps that's all you need, If you tend to run through the daf and get the gist of it and then return for review, you need a differetn strategy. In that case, you may, and I do, learn through the daf twice, so that every day you review the daf that everyone else is doing today but you did yesterday, and then go ahead with the first run-through of the daf that the others will do tommorow.

3.Plan the extent to which you want to get into this. Will you learn all Rashis, or only the important ones? How and which tosafos do you want to cover? Will you focus on the practical psak that arises out of the daf or on covering the main disagreements in rishonim. WIth the many sheets, shiurim and daf aids that are now available, you can tailor your goals very well, and the ongoing focus on the methodology will save you time and provide the sense of accomplishment that will sustain and keep up your motivation.

Above, all approach this as only a part of your learning. The Daf can never substitute for the lofty and very motivating goal of becoming a Talmid Chacham. If you settle for ltat is what you will achieve - no more. If you don't really believe that you can, you are not likely to accomplish. Yes, it takes years, sometimes lifetimes. Yet, settting high goals is the way one succeeds in everything and this is no less true of Talmud Torah.

Hatzlacha Rabbah!

Comments

[Neil Harris]

Great pointers, hatzlacha.

[steve mcqueen]

Thanks for this - am I right in thinking that you learn on your own, or am I drawing the wrong conclusion and you have a chavrusa/ shiur?