After 45 years of effort, Adin Steinsaltz has finally completed his commentary on the Talmud.

After 45 years, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s monumental Hebrew translation and commentary on the Babylonian Talmud has finally reached its end with the completion of the work on its 45th volume, Tractate Hulin, and hundreds of Jewish communities worldwide will be participating in a day of study celebrating the colossal achievement on Sunday November 7, 2010.

Steinsaltz’s revolution is to democratize the accessibility of this knowledge. Since knowledge means power, once the knowledge is more accessible, a certain elite lost some of its power. This has some implications. Making the Talmud more accessible enables new learners to join the learning, like secular batei midrash or women – it’s hard to imagine this revolution of Jewish study that we’re experiencing in the last 40 years without Steinsaltz’s project.

“Part of helping is to know what is happening; synagogues are full, but you only see those attending them. The state didn’t become more of a Jewish state after establishment, perhaps less,” he said, noting his connection and ties with every segment of Israeli society. Incidentally and contrary to the widespread belief that he immigrated from Romania or France, Steinsaltz was born in Israel a self-defined WASP – white Ashkenazi sabra with pioneer parents, he said earlier in the conversation with a twinkle in his bright eyes.

“You can’t force people to do things, but you can keep the roads and gates open,” he said.

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