ized ▁the ▁exact ▁layout ▁of ▁words ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁pages ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 2 ▁books ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁Bab yl onian ▁Tal m ud . ▁Str at ton ' s ▁report ▁consists ▁of ▁accounts ▁of ▁and ▁comments ▁on ▁test imon ial s ▁of ▁three ▁e y ew it ness es . ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁e y ew it ness es ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁memor izing ▁was ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁Tal m ud ▁part , ▁printed ▁in ▁the ▁cent ers ▁of ▁the ▁pages , ▁and ▁not ▁the ▁surrounding ▁comment ary . ▁ ▁" Sh as " ▁is ▁a ▁Heb rew ▁ac ron ym ▁for ▁the ▁words ▁sh ish ah ▁sed ar im , ▁" six ▁orders ", ▁or ▁M ish nah ; ▁" sh as " ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁col lo qu ial ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Tal m ud . ▁" Pol lak " ▁means ▁" P ole " ▁in ▁Y idd ish , ▁referring ▁to ▁a ▁Polish ▁Jew , ▁so ▁the ▁term ▁literally ▁means ▁" The ▁Tal m ud - P ole " ▁or ▁the ▁" Pol ish ▁Tal m ud ist ." ▁ ▁G . M . ▁Str at ton ▁quotes ▁a ▁letter ▁from ▁a ▁Re ver end ▁Dr . ▁David ▁Phill ips on ▁of ▁C inc inn ati ▁who ▁described ▁the ▁so - called ▁" pin ▁test ": ▁... A ▁pin ▁would ▁be ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁word , ▁let ▁us ▁say , ▁the ▁fourth ▁word ▁in ▁line ▁eight ; ▁the ▁memory