
During the Talmud dedication, Cedars-Sinai Chief Rabbi Jason Weiner, left and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik hold the replica Ten Commandments tablets. (photo courtesy of Cedars-Sinai)
Prominent Orthodox rabbi Meir Soloveichik made a pilgrimage of sorts Tuesday when he visited Cedars-Sinai for the dedication of a complete set of the Talmud, the Jewish books of law and commentary.
“They told me that if I came, I could hold the tablets,” Soloveichik said, referring to the tablets used in Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” (1956), starring Charlton Heston.
Donated to Mount Sinai Hospital, Cedars-Sinai’s predecessor, by DeMille’s wife, Constance Adams DeMille, the tablets were on display alongside the colorful new English translation Noé Edition Talmud Bavli, a gift to Cedars-Sinai from Koren Publishers of Jerusalem.
“We’re very grateful to Koren Publishers for this gift,” said Rabbi Jason Weiner, director of the spiritual care department at Cedars-Sinai, “It’s an incredible feat to translate the entire Talmud, and this is not just any translation,” Weiner said.
The translation uses modern language, along with charts, color photos, historical background information and archeological diagrams to give perspective on the text.
The gift coincides with the Jan. 4 completion of a 7.5-year cycle of daily Talmud study, known as Daf Yomi. During this cycle, scholars study one page a day of the Talmud, in sequence. The completion of one cycle and the beginning of another is cause for celebration around the world.
Cedars-Sinai patients and their family members, as well as employees who are participating in Daf Yomi, will have access to the books to continue their studies while at the hospital.
For information, visit cedars-sinai.org.
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