OU Torah is pleased to announce a new addition to our line-up of Daf Yomi shiurim. In addition to the daily daf shiurim delivered by Rabbi Moshe Elefant and Rabbi Shalom Rosner, OU Torah now presents Daf Yomi B’iyun from Real Clear Daf. The maggid shiur is Rabbi Shmuel Wise, director of Real Clear Daf, a daf yomi web site and app that Rabbi Wise founded in memory of his brother, Aryeh Wise z’’l.
So what’s the meaning of “The Eiffel Tower and Daf Yomi” (the title of this blog)? It’s Rabbi Wise’s mashal (metaphor). Introducing the Daf Yomi B’Iyun program. Rabbi Wise writes:
Daf Yomi is like a hyper-planned trip across Europe where sightseeing is timed to the nanosecond to get through a packed itinerary.
“Saw the Eiffel Tower? Check! Next: to the Royal Chapel!”
As Daf Yomi flies through Shas, there are so many beautiful sites to take in and absorb, but, alas, there’s no time. As a new Daf begins, we continue our march to the grand finish line, and celebrate together (iy”H in Yerushalayim) come January 2020.
So what to do?
Of course one can decide to forgo the Daf Yomi and learn slowly with a chavrusa through each topic with all of the major commentaries. Arguably, that is the ideal way to learn.
But for those of us who relish the thrill of finishing the whole thing together with the klal (as exhilarating as it truly is), something is missing: in-depth study, or iyun. Iyun is really the life force of learning; it’s what makes learning so vibrant and alive for us. It’s one thing when you have worked through all the steps of a page of Gemara. It is something very different and special when you have reconstructed your entire understanding of a Gemara after challenging the basic premises beneath that page of Gemara. When you do that, you’re making the Gemara yours.
As of this writing, three Daf Yomi B’Iyun shiurim have been posted: The Fight Over The Wall (Bava Basra 2), “A Good” Shiur (Baba Basra 13), and Dig This (Baba Basra 25). Check back regularly, at OU Torah online or using the OU Torah app for iOS and Android, for more updates on major topics as we continue our journey through Shas!