Yosef the Babylonian's Memory (Menachot 18a)

I hate to forget things. Today I had a text that was on the tip of my tongue. Sitting in class, I knew it was important to our discussion, but I just couldn't remember what it was. As an aside it turned out to be a reference to the mythical poop god, Baal Peor.

In the daf a few days ago, a similar thing happened to one of the rabbis. In a discussion about sacrifice, Yosef the Babylonian keeps asking his teacher, Elazar Ben Shamua, to repeat a certain legal decision. He asks him one day, then again the next. Each time his teacher gives him the same decision, the blood of a particular sacrifice is valid. However he keeps asking and finally after a while, Elazar gives a little more information, "Everyone declares the blood valid, except Rabbi Eliezer."

Although this information doesn't change much, Yosef jumps up in joy. It appears that he had known that someone did not agree with the "valid" ruling but couldn't recall who. It was on the tip of his tongue. Therefore he kept asking until he found out who. When he finally did learn the truth, he replied in joy "You have returned to me my lost [teaching]!"

When we can't remember something it can be very troubling. In fact because we treasure our own mental faculties it can be as if something precious has been lost. This week, I'm beginning to read Joshua Foer's book Moonwalking With Einstein: the Art and Science of Remembering Everything. I hope through reading the book, I might better understand how our ancient rabbis remembered things and how I might improve my recall as I study these complex texts.