I don’t think Shai Secunda will mind if I crib an open letter he recently sent out on email about a new website, “thegemara,” which you can find here. It’s a sister-site to thetorah, which he is helping edit. The aim of thegemara is to publish accessible pieces on rabbinic literature informed by academic methods. The site is a work-in-progress with projected series that follow the daf-yomi schedule, Torah reading cycle, and Jewish calendar, and also pieces that introduce  rabbinic works and academic Talmud methods geared towards the general reader.

He hopes that you find the site interesting, and, where appropriate, that you consider publishing with us as well (some of you I have already contacted about this, and some have even already committed pieces!). For more details on the latter front, please drop him a line and he’ll be thrilled to give you more information. And if you have any ideas, feedback, etc., he’d love to hear from you.

So far so good. The most recent post is a general introduction to tractate Nazir. “If someone said, “This cow said I will be a Nazirite if I stand up,” or “This door says I will be a Nazirite if I am opened” – the School of Shammai say: He becomes a Nazirite. And the School of Hillel say: He does not become a Nazirite” (m.Nazir 2:2) You can sign up to receive email notifications, which I gladly did, hoping that they make the site as attractive as Talmud Blog.