ROBERT BROWN: I have been studying Talmud for approximately two years through the MAQOM website. I had always wanted to do it, and approximately two years ago, I was in my local Barnes & Noble bookstore, and purchased a volume of the Steinsaltz Talmud. While there, I also saw a book by Rabbi Abrams, and got the web address for MAQOM. I have no professional academic credentials; my interest has been motivated from curiosity about the Talmud, and the continuing role it plays in Judaism and Jewish culture I work at Carnegie Mellon University as a data entry person, and do some volunteer work at the Kane Regional Center on a monthly basis. This is my first article for MAQOM, and I am grateful to Rabbi Abrams for her oversight and personal encouragement throughout the project. Her faith and encouragement have been a blessing to me throughout the project