The past six weeks have been monumental for my wonderful wife, Noa Jeselsohn. On the first day of Hanukkah, she altruistically donated a kidney to a 67-year-old man from Tel Aviv she had never met before. Two weeks later, she completed a seven and a half year Talmudic marathon by finishing a full Daf Yomi cycle. I was telling everyone that she was the first person to accomplish both feats in the same month until we discovered that Devora Steinmetz had already done this at the conclusion of the previous cycle. It turns out that Erica Brown has also done both, though not in the same month.
At first glance, it seems that we are talking about two great achievements sharing no connection. Many learned Talmudists do not dream of donating a kidney while many donors have never opened a Talmudic page. One act exemplifies benevolence and courage whereas the other reflects dedication and love of learning. Nonetheless, I think we can locate a common theme.
