Title: Myth-O-Logical: Grappling with Halacha and Aggadah in the Talmud
Yudi Levine
Shikey Press
In discussions about the quality of Talmudic study, there is the common sentiment that halacha, the processes and decisions that come together to form Jewish law, is the more “hardcore” concentration, whereas aggadah, the anecdotal components throughout the Talmud, connotes a “softer” focus. However, upon integration of the two categories into the same learning experience, one can find both a deeper meaning to the aggadah and a new dimension to the halacha. This is the experience that Yudi Levine leads us through, and encourages us to pursue, in his new book, “Myth-O-Logical: Grappling with Halacha and Aggadah in the Talmud.” Through a synthesis of pop culture references and Talmudic discussions that mirrors the very subject of the book, Levine teaches the reader a new way to view both the Judaic texts in front of us and the world that exists around us.
When I first began reading this book, I was wary. Coming from a background of strictly textual Jewish study, I was not sure how to approach Levine’s frequent peppering-in of popular culture references, such as discussing the band Dire Straits as a lead-in to a discussion about the dichotomy of kabbalah and halacha. Why was this book giving me information about pop culture on its way to teaching me about the Talmud? How could that bring me new and useful knowledge?
Not long after I started the book, however, it hit me: this type of dichotomy is exactly what “Myth-O-Logical” seeks to explore. In the book, pop culture is woven between profound insights into Talmudic study; in Talmudic study, aggadah is woven into discussions of halachic rulings. And in both cases, the two halves of the binary come to enhance one another in a mutually symbiotic relationship.
For example, within a chapter toward the beginning of the book, Levine discusses a portion of Tractate Megillah (7b). The halacha stated in the portion is that a person should drink on Purim to the point of not knowing the difference between “cursed is Haman” and “blessed is Mordechai.” The accompanying aggadah describes a Purim encounter in which Rabbah drunkenly killed Rabbi Zeira. While Rabbi Zeira was revived, he did not accept Rabbah’s invitation the following year.
In this case in Megillah, the halacha provides context for the aggadah, and the aggadah perhaps sets a boundary on the halacha that the drunken lack of da’at (understanding) should not reach the point of Rabbah’s drunkenness. Additionally, through this source, and several other sources Levine expands upon in the chapter, we learn about the relationship between Rabbi Zeira’s behaviors in various aggadot and his statements in halachic rulings. Ultimately, Levine reaches the conclusion that Rabbi Zeira’s roles in aggadot and halachot speak to Rabbi Zeira having a strong value of da’at, and a strong disdain for a lack thereof. By understanding the way Rabbi Zeira’s aggadot frame his halachot, we can further understand Rabbi Zeira’s halachic statements.
Similarly, later on in the book, Levine discusses the topic of exaggeration in the Talmud, but he frames it with juxtaposition to the controversial musical legacy of Eminem. Eminem is known for recording songs with very exaggerated, often violent lyrics. The Talmud, however, is not widely known for its exaggerations. Nonetheless, Tractate Chullin (90b) overtly states that Talmudic statements are prone to being exaggerated – but commentators are often divided about which statements are intended to be read as exaggerations.
Levine adds dimension to the phenomenon of exaggeration in the Talmud by comparing it to the reason for many of Eminem’s exaggerated lyrics: shock factor in order to strengthen a statement. When Eminem expresses his devotion to his daughter in the song “When I’m Gone,” he states that he would “literally give an arm for” her. Meanwhile, in Tractate Pesachim (49b), the Talmud states that one can murder and cut open a person who is not learned in Torah study. Levine pairs these two sources in order to emphasize the fact that an exaggeration can be simply used as a tool for expressing a statement: Eminem would not necessarily give an arm for his daughter, but he is devoted to her; a person is not permitted to murder someone for not being learned in Torah study, but Torah study is meant to be considered an essential part of life. Through the unlikely pairing of Talmud and pop culture, Levine elucidates complex topics within Talmudic study.
In Yudi Levine’s “Myth-O-Logical: Grappling with Halacha and Aggadah in the Talmud,” readers will find a new way of approaching Talmud analysis that they may not have encountered in the past. While the subject matter is complex and the integration of pop culture into the writing may require some acclimation, Levine ultimately not only raises arguments that illuminate Talmud study, but he also frames them in a way that adds further dimension to them for the modern reader.
