How do you get your news, and how do you process it?

We all know the problem, excess options and information coming at us from all sides.

As Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks would have said, in his booming voice:  “We have been here before!”

Following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jews worried that knowledge about their culture would be lost if they did not write it down. But how do you write down all the information, mostly known orally, in an accessible form?

This was the birth of the Talmud. Today, the Talmud is six volumes, which takes seven years to read if you read one page daily. It took six centuries to compile.

How did they do it?

First, they recorded the conversations and the names of those talking. Then, they organized the material into six tractates that covered everything you may have wanted to know but had no idea how to ask. As a result, the voices of many, both elite and commoner, are captured.

I have dipped into it here and there. For example, we studied a page in my Jewish history course at Hebrew University back in the day. I remember the first line of the page we learned: “Where do the rains come from?”. So, yes, they deal with all kinds of issues.

During the pandemic, I have participated in a weekly Talmud class on Zoom with my niece, Ilana Fodiman Silverman, living in Israel, who teaches students from around the world. The other day, when studying the conversation on “What type of prayer should be said after a meal and whom you should or shouldn’t invite to join you in the prayer?” (Berachot 47 A), she mentioned that the Talmudic discussion reminded her of Dr. Seuss’ whimsical world of exploration. She says, “Sometimes, the Talmud tests the breadth and depth of an idea by pushing the edges of possibility, by using our most imaginative selves to suggest scenarios and uncover its design.”

The Talmud is an acquired taste, and it is almost impossible to study without a knowledgeable guide. Some have described it as a “sea of knowledge” that you dip into from time to time. It reminds me of the internet today. Due to the internet, and another brilliant teacher, Rav Adin Steinsaltz, Z’l, who passed away very recently, anyone can now have daily access to the Talmud in English by subscribing to his website, www.steinsaltz-center.org, and there are many Talmudic study groups, on Zoom. So no one has to do this alone.

So how do I get my news during Covid-19?

Well, I am a regular listener of CBC Radio One – anytime I am eating or taking a break. My favourite programs are IDEAS with Nahlah Ayed, which explores “social issues, culture and the arts, geopolitics, history, science and technology, biology and the humanities.” But, in truth, I will listen to anything that’s on when I feel like a break, including The Doc Project by Acey Rowe, Tapestry with Mary Hines, Writers and Company with Eleanor Wachtel, The current with Matt Galloway and q with Tom Power.

 I also subscribe to online Jewish media, including The Tablet, Commentary, The Jerusalem Post, The Forward, The Jewish Journal (California), Honest Reporting, Algemeiner, Mosaic, Tikvah, CIJR BESA, ISGAP, and sites from Rabbinic scholars. These are some of my favourite Rabbinic sites which send regular email offerings:

• Rabbi David Fohrman: Aleph Beta

Rabbi Fohrman illustrates his teachings with animation, making them very palatable even for the youngest among us.

• Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: Covenant and Conversation

His weekly explanations regarding the Torah portion – Parsha – of the week, with special editions for family conversation, speak to all of us, young and old, Jew and non-Jew, integrating religious and secular knowledge of all kinds.

Along with Canadian television, I am also subscribed to Cable TV, which offers many US channels, including PBS, Fox, and CBS. I reserve these for evenings when my energy is low.

I also participate in regular Zoom classes with my Israeli Yeshiva Group Shiviti and offerings by the Jewish Public Library, Segal Centre, and local Rabbis, Poupko,  Whitman, and Schier.

But as Shabbat nears, I stop all electronic inputs from Friday evening to Saturday night. Instead, I enjoy my festive meals, attend synagogue (that meets all the pandemic protocols), visit a friend living alone after the service, and read books I have had on my shelves for years but never managed to get to.

We all want to be well informed. But today, there’s considerably more of it than we can ever absorb. So I try to diversify my media diet to inform me about what’s happening. Still, in the end, I need to turn to someone like Rabbi Sacks to articulate the values that will keep me grounded, as he illustrates in this white-board animation, which puts it all into perspective, explaining how and why science and religion necessarily need to work together.