I know I am starting late but wanted to commence the new cycle. I am going to start at the beginning and try and catch up. I am a little confused about what it is I am supposed to read on a daily basis. I was under the impression that it was a page a day. I have the Schottenstein Edition. If it says in the calender Berachos 2, does that mean I should read the pages that are labeled both 2a and 2b? And then the same for subsequent days?
Craig Emanuel, Los Angeles, Ca USA
Craig - Congratulations on the challenge that you have taken upon yourself! We hope that you will make it through to the very end.
The Dafyomi program studies one folio (two sides of a page) per day. The folio is an entire page of Hebrew text, as printed in the sets of Talmud, which means both 2a and 2b.
(You may have noticed that while translating into English and adding explanatory footnotes, the Schottenstein Edition was not able to include all of the translations and notes on a single Hebrew folio on one page. Therefore, they translated the top of the page on one page, putting the full side of Hebrew opposite their translation and marking off which part of the text is translated on the facing English page. Then they translated the next part of the page, again including the full Hebrew page opposite the English and marking off which part of the Hebrew they were translating on this page, etc.)
You may find it easier to study the Daf with a study group, or study partner. You should be able to find one in your neighborhood. If you have trouble, try contacting the Agudath Israel Dafyomi Commission, 1 212 797 9000. You can also find tape recordings and video recordings of such Dafyomi groups online, see the links in our Dafyomi Central, http:///www.dayomi.co.il/central.htm .
Good luck!
Mordecai Kornfeld
Kollel Iyun Hadaf