VERY INTERESTING

 

Close to 50 million people live in South Korea and everyone learns Gemara (Talmud) in school. "We tried to understand why the Jews are geniuses and we came to the conclusion that it is because they study Talmud" said the Korean ambassador to Israel.  And this is how "Rav Papa" became a more well known scholar in Korea than in Israel.

 

It is doubtful if the Amoraic scholars Abbaye and Rava imagined their discussions

of Jewish law in the Beit Midrash in Babylon would be taught hundreds of years

later in East Asia. Yet it turns out that the laws of an "egg born on a holiday"

  is actually very interesting to the South Koreans who

have required that Talmud study be part of their compulsory school curriculum.

 

Almost every home in South Korea now contains a Korean-translated Talmud.

But unlike in Israel, the Korean mothers teach the Talmud to their children.

In a country of close to 49 million people who believe in Buddhism and

Christianity there are more people who read the Talmud – or at least own their

own copy at home – more than in the Jewish state. Much more.

 

"So we too will become geniuses"

 

"We were very curious about the high academic achievements of the Jews" explains Israel’s ambassador to South Korea, Young Sam Mahthat, who was a host on the program "culture today."

 

"Jews have a high percentage of Nobel laureates in all fields: literature, science

and economics. This is a remarkable achievement. We tried to understand what

is the secret of the Jewish people?  How they – more than other people – are able

to reach those impressive accomplishments? Why are Jews so intelligent?

The conclusion we arrived at is that one of your secrets is that you study the Talmud."

 

"Jews study the Talmud at a young age and it helps them in our opinion to develop

mental capabilities. This understanding led us to teach our children as