More than 20,000 fervently Orthodox Jews are expected to pack Madison Square Garden here next September for a “Siyum Hashas,” a celebration completing the cycle of studying the entire Talmud.
There are 2,771 pages in the eight volumes that make up the commentaries of ancient rabbis on the text of the written Torah.
Tens of thousands of men study one page of Talmud each day, a process that takes 7 1/2 years to complete.
Agudath Israel of America wants to know who they are.
The organization, which represents the interests of the fervently Orthodox community, is asking the men who study “Daf Yomi,” or a daily page of the Talmud, to register with it so that it can determine how many people are engaged in the worldwide undertaking.
Those who register will get a certificate honoring their achievement and the chance to buy tickets for the Sept. 28 celebration, said Rabbi Avi Shafran, a spokesman for Agudath Israel.
No one really knows how many men study Daf Yomi, he said.
The organization is aware of about 600 small groups of between six and a dozen men who gather each day to learn together, but countless more study in private pairs with a friend or in yeshivas across the country.
Add to that the number of men on their way to work who can be seen on New York City’s subways and buses each day focused on the open volume of Talmud resting in their laps, and the more than 15,000 men around the world who study each day by calling “Dial-a-Daf,” and the number could surprise everyone.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
