Read The Talmud and the Internet by Jonathan Rosen over the weekend. Generally, we’re more slackers than scholars, but this slim jewel (130 pages or so) weaves effortlessly from torah to cyberspace, helping us see that the “unknowableness” of God is mirrored in the astoundingly vastness of the universe inside these glowing screens. Just as a Web page contains words that link to other pages, each section of the Talmud leads one deeper and deeper into the ongoing discussion on the nature of God.
The Talmud, with its commentary on the law, the 613 mitzvahs and what to do if your neighbor steals your goat, made God portable after the Second Temple burned. That’s when we became like bag ladies, fanning out around the globe, schlepping everything, including our religion. The words replaced the actual place of worship, enabling us to survive. The Internet, though not exactly a holy place (we’re pretty sure there’s no porn in the Talmud,) is a place where everyone, even us wandering Jews, has a voice and a home. Rosen brings us back to what is knowable and true in perfectly wielded prose, combining history with deeply personal feelings about family and Judaism without getting too deep.
An excellent before-bed meditation or a two-afternoon beach book if you’ve already finished the Da Vinci Code.