Jewish Scene
Why Koreans study Talmud
Tzofia Hirschfeld
Published: 12.05.11, 08:10
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31. In a few years....
Ram ,   London   (05.12.11)
the SK will be more than the Jews of Israel?
32. why don't Israelis learn Torah?
yoni ,   tel aviv   (05.12.11)
why are there sooooo many ignorant Jews who know nothing about the Torah ? so many who spend no time learning our awesome wisdom that God gave us? Why are there so many heretics and ignoramuses in this country?
33. #25 Salma - Demographic problem
Yaniv ,   Israel   (05.12.11)
Yes, indeed 80% of historical Palestine being occupied by Arabs who constitutes a demographical problem, especially since Palestine is rooted in the Hebrew root verb Palash, which means invader.
34. Genius is such a pretentious word
Yaniv ,   Israel   (05.12.11)
35. Its G-D's Blessing
andyprigge ,   orangeville canada   (05.12.11)
Its G-D's Blessing upon the Jewish People. There are lots of smart people all over the world. But the Jews are G-D 's chosen People so they are more Blessed than the rest of the people of the world.
36. #14 Salma - it would be even funnier
BEN JABO ,   ISRAEL   (05.12.11)
if the South Koreans had been reading the Koran, they weren't/aren't and it doesn't look like they intend to South Korea is thriving, just like Israel, the Arab countries are mostly in a revolutionary flux You know, If I had asked the South Koreans some simple questions as I did you, they would have had the wits to come up with the answers
37. Jews smart Koreans in Torah mode
David ,   N.Y   (05.12.11)
Ynet Ynet Ynet You made my day with this one, LMAO. Will it be or is there an illustrated Torah for the Korean kids, like the Xtians got with pictures of the Jews in color. And what about the North you think they need Torah study to smarter and at peace with their neighbors the South? Yes Jews are Geniuses, but can't live in PEACE with their neighbors just a few feet away, wheres the big Einstein solution for this.
38. 20+ years ago...
Michele ,   Minneapolis USA   (05.12.11)
I tutored English to foreign student from Korea when I was a college student over 20 years ago and he told me THEN that the Talmud was the best selling book in Korea! I was not religiously observant at that point, but I can see today in my own husband and children, how their learning of talmud has helped develop very analytical minds :)
39. 100% true!
Talmudist ,   Jerusalem   (05.12.11)
I have become a genious only thanks to the Holy Talmud. You should all do so as well!!!
40. Israel has terrible school system
Dawn ,   Raanana   (05.12.11)
If this is true then why does Israel have one of the worst education systems in the world. I would never send my child to an Israeli school. Teachers are grossly underpaid and the children are Obnoxious.
41. #39 Talmudist
David ,   America   (05.12.11)
If you are such a genius, why can't you spell it?
42. This article is quite relevant actually
Avner ,   Tel Aviv   (05.12.11)
Given that S.Korea and Israel are at very similar levels of economic development. Note that, following current trajectories, both countries are set to overtake a quite a few Western European countries, on per capita GDP, within the next 5-10 years. We should learn from each other, to understand the drivers for this economic development.
43. #39 Tough spelling isnt one of your strong points?
Sammy ,   Newcastle   (05.12.11)
44. #27 mabsurfing, #37 david, et al
solomon ,   bklyn   (05.12.11)
#27- Thank you for injecting some civility and respect of 'the other', in this case; Koreans. It is much needed, and appreciated, as it would not be proper to make fun of people who consider Israel, and Jews, their friend. #37- When I was young, there was a comic book version of the "Old" Testament; a very thick edition. A great read as a kid. I think it's still published. et al- One of my closest friends in college was from South Korea. I may not agree with their conclusions about Jews and the Talmud, but they are wonderful people. The article points to similarities I hadn't realized. We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water.
45. SK is right
Alex ,   USA   (05.12.11)
However anybody wants to turn it and twist it. The fact remains. The 63 years of development of the State of Israel speaks in itself, laud and clear. The Koreans have a sensitive ear.
46. To #40: Children being obnoxious has to do with parenting!!!
EST ,   Miami USA   (05.12.11)
47. OLD, DISTORTED coverage - shame on the author
jk   (05.12.11)
This story has been flying around the Internet for months if not years. The Koreans hardly study or own collections of the Talmud in the sense that it is used in Judaism. They have a thin translated book of certain Talmud stories vs. the 60+ volumes of the actual Talmud. They read the Aggadic stories vs. the detailed Socratic-method (pilpul) of learning Talmud in Yeshiva. Shame on the reporter and shame on YNet for reporting such old, rehashed, and distorted news...
48. Small percentage of nobel winners were talmud learners...
AtlantaJew ,   Atlanta,GA   (05.12.11)
I unfortunately the person writing this article and the person interviewed did not do a good job expounding on the fact our "genius' level has a lot to do with the fact that we have been and heavily promote not just being literate for thousands of years but how we think which is what the Talmud is..it is not sufficient to just read it but how you study it and the way you should analyze a situation
49. Talmud yes but Tanakh first!
Eliyahu Konn ,   Powell, OH   (05.12.11)
Why isn't the Tanakh mentioned? Because then they would want to convert and not be Buddhists and Xtians. Talk about the cart ahead of the horse!
50. Re #19 ORA has the correct answer
John ,   Alaska   (05.12.11)
Much like the craze a few years back of listening to classical music because smart people do, it looks like the Korean people are confusing correlastion with causation (and yes, it is a continuum, but I believe falls more on the correlation side). If they wish to have the blessings of the Covenant, they should look into becoming Jews. This might sound a bit mercenary, but the first Psalm says ... O the happiness of that one, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat; But -- in the law of [HaShem] his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night: And he hath been as a tree, Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper. Which looks to me like He expects people to be motivated by the results of their actions.
51. Geniuses because of the Talmud
Mauro Landau ,   Jerusalem   (05.12.11)
Anyone who is able to learn the Talmud himself and appreciate the depth and precision of its commentators, will testify that indeed, there were and there are today GREAT geniuses, beyond all Nobel Prizes in the sciences, that were orthodox Jews. Does anyone know Rab Chaim of Brisk, for instance?
52. 50Thanks,John,for your appreciation
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.13.11)
53. 51 , Mauro . This rav did'nt contribute anything
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (05.13.11)
to humanity . There were only , as far as known to me , two religious Jewish nobel prize winners [ out of around 160] Prof Aumann , in economy and Shai Agnon in litterature .
54. 51Everybody with a minimum Jewish
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.15.11)
culture knows this great Rav and his important contribution to humanity.
55. 48 Talmud learners ...
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.15.11)
the serious ones ,are not interested in any Prizes or prestige.Quiet the opposite,they are very humble.
56. 54 . What was this Rav's contribution
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (05.16.11)
to Humanity . He contributed to talmud studies , yes . But that's NOT Humanity , that's only for a very small portion of world's population .
57. the chosen people
sjk ,   usa and israel   (05.16.11)
sad but true the people that study the bible in Israel are geniuses, they are so smart that we( the working ) work to support this way of life for them. maybe the other half are just stupid??? me 2 :(
58. 56 Charles
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.16.11)
The small talmud population is growing prodigiously and spread in the whole world.Each of those who learned the Rav s way of analyzing situations and taking the right conclusions,has in him the capacity ,when entering in the modern world,to contribute into the profession he chose ,by new inventive ideas.
59. Inovative Ideas?
Sarah.B ,   Israel/USA   (05.16.11)
@58 Just wondering, couldn't peace be one of these inovative ideas? Shouldn't peace be one of these inovative ideas, you know PEACE should be able to be marketed just as WAR is marketed and I know it will be a better sell, Talmud study indeed is very profitable in many ways. We have a city founded in PEACE it's called JERUSALEM. KUDOS to the Korean people.
60. 59 Sarah.B
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.16.11)
To achieve peace,we do not need inventive ideas.We need to follow the same rules.In a household were father and mother teach different rules to their children ,there can not be peace.Israel before looking for peace with Arab countries,must first have peace at home. Our leaders must find an agreement with the religious authorities,and all the Israeli citizens must have the same laws. When there will be unity in Israel,we might consider to achieve peace in the world,with G-Ds help.
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