Let My People Know

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz: “I Don’t Understand.”

The story is told of a new student at a certain yeshiva who attended the lectures of the rosh yeshiva.

The rosh yeshiva would address Rashi’s commentary, saying, “I don’t understand Rashi!” and explain why his commentary was puzzling.

Then he would turn to Tosafot and say that he doesn’t understand Tosafot.

Then he would turn to the Talmud and say that he doesn’t understand the Talmud, and so forth.

After a while, the new student wrote home: “Thank God, I already don’t understand ten pages of Talmud!”

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz