Why are some people so smart?

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  • #611130
    streekgeek
    Participant

    I’ve noticed that some people regularly quote tanach, gemara and what not here. Do you actually sit there with these seforim in front of you as reference, or are you all that smart? Has anyone taken the old fashioned pin test? You know the one that someone pokes apin through a sefer and the smart guy know which word the pin pierces on each page?

    How can I get that smart?

    gavra_at_work, Sam2, frumnotyeshivish, DaasYochid, HaLeiVi (and anyone else who is insulted I inadvertently forgot about him/her) care to enlighten me?

    #1043562
    WIY
    Member

    Streekgeek

    The people you mentioned are a lot older than you. Some may be twice your age or more. I don’t know if any of them are smarter than you. It really has to do with using your time and learning properly and in an involved manner so that you remember. It could be they have above average intelligence but I don’t think anyone here is a genius. Just well learned. Spend less time on your gadgets and more time with your head in a sefer and you could do it too.

    #1043563
    Little Froggie
    Participant

    I’m not talking for those smart, bright personalities that frequent here. Yes, they are probably walking encyclopedias of Torah – Tanach, Mishnah, Talmud, Halacha, Medrash, Kabalah etc. When they engage in conversation I could barely follow along, I sit and study each line (and between the line) for hours. “Oh! Now I chapped what this one said…” “Said Sam2 in the name of DaasYochid…”

    If I ever quote any Chazal, Passuk or saying, as I wrote earlier, it’s b’shem omro – it’s in the name of my untiring, ever faithful Rebbi, Rabbeinu Google. Such a baki – he knows EVERYTHING.

    #1043564
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Just make it all up. Nobody will catch you, and even if someone does, you can just strenuously insist that you are correct and nobody will know who is correct. And even if they post real sources against you, nobody will care to look it up or even know how.

    #1043565

    WIY- a select few the posters here show a familiarity with gemaras all over shas, rishonim, and poskim that is quite impressive and shows they’ve learned seriously for a while, and remember a lot of it. No easy feat.

    #1043566
    BoruchSchwartz
    Participant

    PBA- why do you say that?

    #1043567
    BoruchSchwartz
    Participant

    on a different note, I wrote up a small poem and I would like to share it with you folks. let me know what you think. it goes a little something like this

    He said my life is schmulik

    I can’t recall the bullick

    If I only had a brain

    If you can’t dance the hora

    Then please give me a torah

    If I only had a braainn

    I clap and sing for hours

    Like secondary powers

    If I only had a brain

    If you can give me soda

    Then I can give you yoda

    If I only had a brain

    I’d look to be a gadget

    Who cannot practice magic

    If I only had a brain

    I’d pop the pimple two times

    With all sorts of new crimes

    If I only had a brain

    I am not for the flowers

    For 14 different hours

    If I only had a brain

    To pick up a big scooter

    And swim with a nice looter

    If I only had a what a brain

    #1043568
    streekgeek
    Participant

    So you’re saying that the image in my head of a an old man with a long white beard, open seforim all over his desk posting his findings on any halachik arguments here, are unfounded? Shoots.

    @WIY – First of all, I’m female. Just had to say that. So if people are so well learned, why not use their talents elsewhere? They’re not getting the recognition they deserve here, that’s for sure…

    @Little Froggie – LOL! I was wondering how you knew so much. It didn’t make sense that you would chose such a demeaning name if you have that much torah under your belt… I knew something was fishy, uh froggie, about you.

    @PBA – but it says in gemara, daf kuf tes amud daled that it is assur to insist on something if you did not double check the source!

    And I’m thinking, none of the posters I mentioned by name responded here. Are they too busy learning to respond to my narishkeit? So maybe my imagination isn’t that far off.

    #1043569
    HaLeiVi
    Participant

    And Canada.

    #1043570
    jewishdude
    Member

    boruch-i enjoyed your poem

    do you have any more?

    i can tell from your writing skills that you are a very smart individual

    #1043571

    Streetgeek: you can learn a lot of Torah whatever your gender.. What’s the shaichus?

    #1043572
    PBT
    Member

    Two possibilities:

    1. They’ve given themselves Smicha without doing the work for it.

    2. They’ve forgotten that shailos need to be asked of an established Torah Rov, and not of the man-on-the-street people who are most of those who frequent the CR.

    #1043573
    streekgeek
    Participant

    @rationalfrummie – that wasn’t my point. I just mentioned it cuz WIY said “Spend less time on your gadgets and more time with your head in a sefer and you could do it too. ” I would never be able to do that cuz quite frankly I don’t learn gemara and probably never will. Okay maybe for my 5th grade son’s homework but that’s the extent.

    #1043574

    Torah isn’t limited to Gemara at all. Bais yaakovs teach Chumash, tanach, meforshim, Halacha, and machshava- right? All those areas are more than enough to learn.

    #1043575
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    HaLeiVi, nice.

    #1043576
    SaysMe
    Member

    some posters have been learning for years and are familiar with shas, perhaps through daf yomi. They dont come here to use their ‘talent’, they come to unwind n shmooze. Some look up sources, some quote correctly, some quote incorrectly! And some google. But anyhow, there are different types of smarts. Some people are very good at remember quotes, psukim, etc. Some ppl are smart in other fields but weak in that. Like some people can remember historical facts-names, places, dates, be it history, geography, or biography related. Some people are great at puzzles but terrible at memorizing things. Etc etc etc :). I have a friend who didnt do great in school in general, but knows everything about past gedolim and knows neviim inside out. Another is genius in concepts but not books. Yet another, an A student who cant tell you if the Chofetz Chaim lived in the 1700s or 1900s

    #1043577
    BoruchSchwartz
    Participant

    @ says me- I understand, but what’s that got to do with my poem?

    #1043578
    streekgeek
    Participant

    @saysme – That was the most coherent normal answer to-date. Thanks 😉

    @Daasyochid – Mind explaining HaLeiVi? You guys are so cryptic sometimes it drives me nuts!

    #1043579
    charliehall
    Participant

    ” some people regularly quote tanach, gemara and what not here”

    Tanakh, Mishnayot, and the Bavli are all online in both Hebrew and English.

    #1043580
    streekgeek
    Participant

    @rationalfrummie – I did learn all that stuff, but not enough that I can quote it. And not recently either. So if I quote something, it’s almost guaranteed I made it up. Unless I right the source and you could double check for me.

    #1043581
    WIY
    Member

    BoruchSchwartz

    What poem?

    #1043582
    Sam2
    Participant

    HaLeiVi: Are you saying you’re R’ Eliezer Silver? Do you bentch after having cookies at Kiddush Shabbos morning?

    #1043583
    Little Froggie
    Participant

    StreekGeek:

    See, I told you there are literately geniuses here that frequent this place. Look for yourself. This fine poster (probably ?????) HaLeiVi writes TWO (cryptic) words. I have sat on it for five hours, cannot fathom what he meant, what it’s all about. Yet two others here seem to know what he’s referring to.

    Wow. And imagine, I share the same hallowed place as them here. They’re so humble, they lower themselves to us little creatures. WOW!

    #1043584
    yitayningwut
    Participant

    Bais yaakovs teach Chumash, tanach, meforshim, Halacha, and machshava- right? All those areas are more than enough to learn.

    Ah, so that’s why the general frum world values the study of Chumash, Tanach, Halacha, and Machshava as much as Gemara b’iyun. Wait, what?

    #1043585
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    If you Google “is there a chief rabbi of the United States”, here’s what “rabeinu” will say:

    Legend has it Rabbi Eliezer Silver was being driven someplace when the car was pulled over for speeding. The chauffeur tried to explain to the cop “but this is the chief rabbi of the whole United States!” — and from the back of the car, Rabbi Silver shouted — “and Canada!” (Mi Yodeya)

    #1043586
    FriendInFlatbush
    Participant

    Some people aren’t so smart.

    Ever meet those guys who know every random sports fact and statistic and who follow every game and know it inside and out?

    Just change that to “ever meet those guys who know every random chazal and dvar torah who constantly learn torah and know it inside and out?”

    You would be amazed at the mind’s ability to remember things.

    #1043587
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    PBT, I don’t think any of us have claimed to have smicha, or that anybody should rely on us for psak halacha.

    #1043588
    SaysMe
    Member

    boruchschwartz- i was responding to the OP

    streekgeek- thanks 🙂 and your welcome!

    #1043589
    Sam2
    Participant

    DY: Doesn’t Popa say he has Smicha?

    #1043590
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Sam, yes, but that’s only a kasha on me if Popa was one of the people the OP insulted by inadvertently leaving out. And as smart as I may be, I’m not a navi. 🙂

    I should tell streekgeek: thanks for the compliment. To respond honestly, when I quote specific sources, I usually look them up before quoting.

    #1043591
    Sam2
    Participant

    I usually don’t look up sources before quoting (which is why I usually say “I think” or “I believe”), which is probably why I’m usually off by a Daf/Siman or 2.

    #1043592
    Yonatan75
    Member

    I’m not smarter, just a little taller.

    #1043593
    streekgeek
    Participant

    @Sam2 and DaasYochid – Thanks. I asked this question in all seriousness. I was really wondering if you guys post with a sefer in your hands or not… But I’m still a bit confused. What does R’ Silver and Canada have to do this???

    @Little Froggie – and you’re even rubbing shoulders with me! Now that ought to make your day! Yeh yeh, I’m modest and I know it…

    And I apologize to PBA for leaving him out of my list. I quoted those names of the top of my head so I was pretty sure I left some out. Sorry!

    #1043594
    justsayin
    Member

    Some people are smarter,

    Some people are not.

    If you think you’re smarter,

    Then …..dot, dot, dot……..

    #1043595
    Little Froggie
    Participant

    StreekGeek:

    I don’t rub any humans’ shoulders. Remember, I’ll just little froggie. I hop on the same earth as you.

    #1043596
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Yes, I definitely have smicha. But, you folks know how much I don’t know and know, so not sure why it should matter to you.

    #1043597
    justsayin
    Member

    Anyone have any good IQ tests?

    That way we could clearly see who is above average here.

    #1043598
    justsayin
    Member

    There are many different smarts.

    Street smart, book smart, number smart, dumb smart, etc. 😉

    Torah smart probably falls under all smarts together…

    #1043599
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    It doesn’t. I was just nitpicking Sam’s nitpick.

    #1043602

    Yitayningwut: speak for yourself. If you don’t value halacha l’ma’aseh, you have a problem. If you are saying only Gemara b’iyun is valuable, you also have a problem.

    #1043603
    BoruchSchwartz
    Participant

    “It doesn’t. I was just nitpicking Sam’s nitpick.”

    For those who don’t understand this means that DaasYochid is a sofer

    #1043604
    streekgeek
    Participant

    reread CR posting rules. No external links allowed.

    #1043605
    jewishdude
    Member

    you shouldnt nitpicks another nitpick as one who nitpicks anothers nitpick gets nitpicked

    #1043606
    streekgeek
    Participant

    OK OK!!! so post my post without the link.

    @DaasYochid – Ok. Whatever. I think I am hopelessly lost. Even with all of my own smarts… Oh well.

    @Little Froggie – If you were my pet, I’d let you sit on my shoulder. I’m nice like that sometimes.

    @justsayin – Welcome to the CR 🙂 I, for one, am enjoying your posts! You’re not going by unnoticed…

    And I tried posting a link to a good IQ test but unfortunately the mods noticed I snuck it in. Oh well.

    This mod would like to not see you banned, and suggests that you reread the CR posting rules immediately.

    http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/rules-of-the-ywn-coffee-room-please-read

    #1043607
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Jewishdude, im kein ein l’dovor sof. 🙂

    #1043608
    jewishdude
    Member

    @boruchschwartz

    I wonder if daasyochid is the one who checked my tfillin last week

    #1043609
    jbaldy22
    Member

    I too have been very impressed with the breadth of knowledge exhibited by many of the posters here. Its probably the primary reason I keep on coming back to the CR.

    #1043610
    Little Froggie
    Participant

    Are we allowed to post a link to a post about a mod who posted a link?

    #1043611
    BoruchSchwartz
    Participant

    @jewish dude

    i dont know about you, but i dont shower in my tefillin

    #1043612
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Those were the black ones, right?

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