When I first started this project, the idea of actually reaching this point was by no means a goal. Firstly, I was not expecting to get here. I figured that eventually something would get in the way, whether it be school or something else entirely. Also, fifty-two books was more of a shorthand to say one book a week every week for a year, but that's merely semantics. So only after I realized that I was approaching the number fifty-two did it have significance for me. After asking a couple people I decided that it was worthwhile to spend one week (actually two) on one expansive work. One book that in its own way encapsulated an entire subject, it was in this way that I would try gain the general knowledge I was trying to get all year in one week. After briefly considering reading through Tanach, I decided to read through Horeb by Samson Rephael Hirsch. R Hirsch goes through tenets that he believes goes through all the mitzvot as they are applicable today, ending with 111, and gives both their practical application and the philosophy he believes is behind them. Horeb is usually read based on the time period it was in. Hirsch, in responding to the new Reform movement made it his mission to show the relevancy of the mitzvot. In this way, Horeb had a profound impact in the history of Judaism in Germany and beyond. Because of this, Horeb was not only an exhaustive work, but it was also a deeply important one. There are a couple things I should note. This was not a good read at all. It is very dense, spending only a couple pages on each mitzvah and hard to get through. Even though I did read it straight though, I would not tell anyone to do the same. Horeb is useful for reference on specific topics. Each chapter is not too long and gives lots of information on various issues in law and morality (if there's a difference). Since it was such a hard read, trying to read this book straight through gave me a glimpse to how I have been able to do this for over a year, and how I believe I can continue in the future.
I think it's very much like my father's weekly poker game. My father, and many of his closest friends from around Teaneck get together every Monday night for some light gambling and a BBQ where proceeds from every pot go towards charity. When I say every Monday night, I mean EVERY Monday night. There is rarely something that is important enough to override the sacred time he has around that table. Recently, one of the kids of one of the players got married on a Monday night. My father's initial response was: Really? On a Monday night? What about the card game? He, and others, thought about this enough, even joking about bringing a deck to the wedding. While certainly there are things more important than cards, what my father was always saying is that there will always be an excuse to miss the game, once I start allowing some of them to get in the way, who knows when it will end. This is a lesson I have taken to heart. Except for during my time in Camp Stone (where there really was no time for casual reading, although I did get through three in the summer), nothing got in the way of this project. In College, but especially at YU/Stern, there is always going to be an excuse for not doing what you want to do. Whether it be night seder, extra curricular activities, speakers, or just hanging out, there will always be something that needs to get done. What I have come to realize is that the only way to make sure that those things happen is to give up on some other things to make sure you achieve the things that you desire. (This is only to an extent obviously,as there were times where I didn't read one but read two the next week) I hope that we can all continue growing in this way, no matter what comes through our path.
