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A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
educational institution
An educational institution is a place where people of different ages gain an education, including preschools, childcare, primary-elementary schools, secondary-high schools, and universities. They provide a large variety of learning environments an ...
focused on the study of Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writ ...
, primarily the Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
and halacha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
(Jewish law), while Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
and Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcile ...
are studied in parallel. The studying is usually done through daily ''shiurim
Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc.
History
The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Ju ...
'' (lectures or classes) as well as in study pairs called ''chavrusa
''Chavrusa'', also spelled ''chavruta'' or ''ḥavruta'' (Aramaic: חַבְרוּתָא, lit. "fellowship" or "group of fellows"; pl. חַבְרָוָותָא), is a traditional rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a small group of stud ...
s'' (Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
for 'friendship' or 'companionship'). ''Chavrusa''-style learning is one of the unique features of the yeshiva.
In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, different levels of yeshiva education have different names. In the United States, elementary-school students enroll in a ''cheder'', post- bar mitzvah-age students learn in a ''metivta
''Mesivta'' (also metivta; Aramaic: מתיבתא, "academy") is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva secondary school for boys. The term is commonly used in the United States to describe a yeshiva that emphasizes Talmudic studies for boys in grades ...
'', and undergraduate-level students learn in a ''beit midrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knes ...
'' or ''yeshiva gedola'' ( he, ישיבה גדולה, , large yeshiva' or 'great yeshiva). In Israel, elementary-school students enroll in a ''Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educat ...
'' or ''cheder
A ''cheder'' ( he, חדר, lit. "room"; Yiddish pronunciation ''kheyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.
History
''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th ...
'', post-bar mitzvah-age students learn in a ''yeshiva ketana'' ( he, ישיבה קטנה, , small yeshiva' or 'minor yeshiva), and high-school-age students learn in a ''yeshiva gedola''. A kollel
A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...
is a yeshiva for married men, in which it is common to pay a token stipend to its students. Students of Lithuanian
Lithuanian may refer to:
* Lithuanians
* Lithuanian language
* The country of Lithuania
* Grand Duchy of Lithuania
* Culture of Lithuania
* Lithuanian cuisine
* Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
and Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
yeshivot gedolot (plural of yeshiva gedola) usually learn in yeshiva until they get married.
Historically, yeshivas were for men only. Today, all non-Orthodox yeshivas are open to females. Although there are separate schools for Orthodox women and girls, (''midrasha
A ' (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , pl. ') is an institute of Torah study for women, usually in Israel, and roughly the equivalent of a yeshiva for men.
A "seminary" (Hebrew ''seminar'', sometimes ''seminaria'')"seminary") these do not follow the same structure or curriculum as the traditional yeshiva for boys and men.
yeshiva
' is applied to the activity of learning in class, and hence to a learning "session." The transference in meaning of the term from the learning session to the institution itself appears to have occurred by the time of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia,
The Geonic period takes its name from ''Gaon'', the title given to the heads of the three yeshivas which existed from the third to the thirteenth century. The Geonim acted as the principals of their individual yeshivot, and as spiritual leaders and high judges for the wider communities tied to them. The yeshiva conducted all official business in the name of its Gaon, and all correspondence to or from the yeshiva was addressed directly to the Gaon.
Throughout the Geonic Period there were three yeshivot, each named for the cities in which they were located:
Organised
With the success of the yeshiva institution in Lithuanian Jewry, the
Although the yeshiva as an institution is in some ways a continuation of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, large scale educational institutions of this kind were not characteristic of the North African and Middle Eastern
In 1854, the
World War II and the Holocaust ended the yeshivot of Eastern and Central Europe – however many scholars and rabbinic students who survived the war, established yeshivot in a number of Western countries which had no or few yeshivot. (The Yeshiva of Nitra was the last surviving in occupied Europe. Many students and faculty of the Mir Yeshiva were able to escape to Siberia, with the Yeshiva ultimately Mir Yeshiva (Belarus)#Shanghai, continuing to operate in Shanghai.
See Yeshivas in World War II.)
From the mid-20th century"Yeshiva"
jewishvirtuallibrary.org the greatest number of yeshivot, and the most important were centered in Israel and in the United States; but they were also found in many other Western countries, prominent examples being Gateshead Talmudical College, Gateshead Yeshiva in England (one of the Novardok Yeshiva#Post World War II, descendants of Novardok) and the Yeshiva of Aix-les-Bains, France. The Chabad movement was particularly active in this direction, establishing yeshivot also in France, North Africa, Australia, and South Africa; this "network of institutions" is known as ''
The first Orthodox yeshiva in the United States was Etz Chaim Yeshiva (Manhattan), Etz Chaim of New York City, New York (1886), modeled after Volozhin. It developed into the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (1896; "RIETS") and eventually Yeshiva University in 1945. It was established in the wake of History of the Jews in the United States#Immigration of Ashkenazi Jews, the immigration of Central and Eastern European Jews (1880s – 1924). Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, founded in 1907, was led by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein from the 1940s through 1986; Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, est 1904, was headed by Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner from 1943 to 1980. :Hasidic Judaism in the United States, Many Hasidic dynasties have their main Yeshivot in America, typically established in the 1940s; 770 Eastern Parkway#Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva, the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva has over 1000 students.
The postwar establishment of Ashkenazi yeshivot and ''kollelim'' parallels that in Israel; as does the educational pattern in Haredi Judaism#United States, the American Haredi community, although more obtain a secular education at the college level (see #College credit, College credit below). Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Lakewood, New Jersey with 3,000 students in the early 2000s was founded in 1943 by R. Aaron Kotler on the "rigid Lithuanian model" that demanded full-time study; it now offers a Bachelor of Talmudic Law degree which allows students to go on to graduate school. The best known of the numerous Haredi yeshivas are, additional to "Lakewood", Telz, Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen, "Rabbinical Seminary of America", Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Ner Yisroel, Chaim Berlin, and Hebrew Theological College; ''Yeshivish'' (i.e. satellite) communities often maintain a Kollel#Community kollelim, community kollel.
Many Hasidic sects have their own yeshivas - see especially Satmar (Hasidic dynasty) #Institutions, Satmar and Bobov (Hasidic dynasty) #Institutions, Bobov - while Chabad, as mentioned, operates its ''Tomchei Temimim'' nationwide.
Regarding junior and high school - of which there are over 600 combined - see Torah Umesorah, Mesivta, and Bais Yaakov.
Modern Orthodox typically spend a year, often two, post-high school in a yeshiva (sometimes Hesder) or ''Midrasha'' in Israel. Many thereafter, or instead, attend Yeshiva University, undertaking a dual curriculum, combining academic education with Torah study; see ''Torah Umadda'' and Yeshiva University#S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program , S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program. (A percentage stay in Israel, “making ''Aliyah''”; many also go on to higher education in other American colleges.) Semikha is usually through RIETS, although many Modern Orthodox Rabbis study through ''Hesder'', or other Yeshivot in Israel such as Yeshivat HaMivtar, Mizrachi (religious Zionism), Mizrachi's ''Musmachim'' program, and Machon Ariel.
RIETS also houses several post-semikha kollelim, including one focused on ''Dayanut''. Dayanim also train through Kollel Eretz Hemda and Machon Ariel; while Mizrachi's post-semikha ''Manhigut Toranit'' program focuses on leadership and scholarship, with the advanced semikha of Chief_Rabbinate_of_Israel #Semikhah, “Rav Ir”. Communities will often host a :he:תורה מציון (ארגון), ''Torah MiTzion'' kollel, where ''Hesder'' graduates learn and teach, generally for one year.
There are numerous :Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools in the United States, Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools, typically offering a ''beit midrash'' / ''metivta'' program in parallel with the Secondary education in the United States#Curriculum, standard curriculum, (often) structured such that students are able to join the first ''shiur'' in an Israeli yeshiva.
The US educational pattern is to be found around the Jewish world, with regional differences; see :Orthodox yeshivas in Europe and :Orthodox yeshivas by country.
Yeshiva study is differentiated from, for example university study, by several features, apart from the curriculum. The year is structured into "''zmanim''"; the day is structured into "''seders''". The learning itself is delivered through a "''shiur''", a discursive-lecture with pre-specified sources, or "''marei mekomot''" (מראה מקומות; “bibliography”, lit. "indication of the (textual) locations");Example ''marei mekomot'' - Halacha
/ref>Example ''marei mekomot'' - Gemara
/ref> study in general, and particularly the preparation for ''shiur'', takes place in "" or paired-study. This study is in a common venue called the ''beth midrash, bet midrash'' (Yiddish, "zal" i.e. "hall"). The institution is headed by its ''rosh yeshiva'', while other senior rabbis are referred to as "Ram" (''rosh mesivta or reish metivta''); the Mashgiach ruchani, ''mashgiach'' assumes responsibility for students' spiritual development (''mashpia'', in Hasidic yeshivot). A ''kollel'' is headed by its ''Kollel#Leadership, rosh kollel'', even when it is part of a yeshiva. A ''sho'el u'meishiv'' ( he, שואל ומשיב; ask and he answers; often simply "''meishiv''", or alternately "''nosay v'notayn''") is available to consult to students on difficult points in their day's Talmudic studies. The rabbi responsible for the Talmudic ''shiur'' is known as a ''maggid shiur''. Students are known as ''talmidim'' (sing. ''talmid''). ''Rav muvhak'' is sometimes used in reference to one's primary teacher; correspondingly, ''talmid muvhak'' may refer to a primary, or outstanding, student.
# Yeshiva Ketana (junior yeshiva) or "Talmud Torah" – Many Haredi (non-Hasidic and Hasidic) yeshivot ketanot in Israel, and some (primarily Hasidic) in the Diaspora, do not have a secular course of studies, with all students learning Judaic Torah studies full-time.
# Yeshiva High School – also called ''Mesivta'' (Metivta) or ''Mechina'' or ''Yeshiva Ketana'', or in Israel, ''Yeshiva Tichonit'' – combines the intensive Jewish religious education with a secular high school education. The dual curriculum was pioneered by the Manhattan Talmudical Academy of Yeshiva University (now known as Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy) in 1916; :he: אלמה (ישיבה תיכונית), ALMA was established in Jerusalem in 1936, and :he: ישיבת היישוב החדש, "ha-Yishuv" in Tel Aviv in 1937.
# Mechina – For Israeli high-school graduates who wish to study for one year before entering the army. In Telshe yeshiva, Telshe yeshivas and in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, the Mesivtas/Yeshiva ketanas are known as Mechinas.
# Beth midrash – For high school graduates, and is attended from one year to many years, dependent on the career plans and affiliation of the student.
# Yeshivat Hesder – Yeshiva that has an arrangement with the Israel Defense Forces by which the students enlist together in the same unit and, as much as is possible serve in the same unit in the army. Over a period of about 5 years there will be a period of service starting in the second year of about 16 months. There are different variations. The rest of the time will be spent in compulsory study in the yeshiva. The Hesder Yeshiva concept is attributed to Rav Yehuda Amital. The first was Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, established in 1954; the largest is the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot with over 800 students.
# Kollel – Yeshiva for married men. The kollel idea has its intellectual roots in the Torah;
Etymology
Alternate spellings and names include ''yeshivah'' (; he, ישיבה, sitting (n.); ''metivta'' and ''mesivta
''Mesivta'' (also metivta; Aramaic: מתיבתא, "academy") is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva secondary school for boys. The term is commonly used in the United States to describe a yeshiva that emphasizes Talmudic studies for boys in grades ...
'' ( arc, מתיבתא ''methivta''); ''beth midrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...
''; Talmudical academy, rabbinical academy and rabbinical school. The word yeshiva
' is applied to the activity of learning in class, and hence to a learning "session." The transference in meaning of the term from the learning session to the institution itself appears to have occurred by the time of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia,
Sura
A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
and Pumbedita
Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
, which were known as ''shte ha-yeshivot'' (the two colleges).
History
Origins
TheMishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
tractate Megillah
Megillah ( he, מגילה, scroll) may refer to:
Bible
*The Book of Esther (''Megillat Esther''), read on the Jewish holiday of Purim
*The Five Megillot
*Megillat Antiochus
Rabbinic literature
*Tractate Megillah in the Talmud.
*Megillat Taanit, ...
contains the law that a town can only be called a "city" if it supports ten men (''batlanim'') to make up the required quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
for communal prayers. Similarly, every beth din
A beit din ( he, בית דין, Bet Din, house of judgment, , Ashkenazic: ''beis din'', plural: batei din) is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel. Today, it ...
("house of judgement") was attended by a number of pupils up to three times the size of the court (Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
, tractate Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence 'assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ap ...
). According to the Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
, adults generally took two months off every year to study. These being Elul
Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August ...
and Adar
Adar ( he, אֲדָר ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 d ...
the months preceding the pilgrimage festivals
The Three Pilgrimage Festivals, in Hebrew ''Shalosh Regalim'' (שלוש רגלים), are three major festivals in Judaism—Pesach (''Passover''), Shavuot (''Weeks'' or ''Pentecost''), and Sukkot (''Tabernacles'', ''Tents'' or ''Booths'')—when ...
of Sukkot
or ("Booths, Tabernacles")
, observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans
, type = Jewish, Samaritan
, begins = 15th day of Tishrei
, ends = 21st day of Tishre ...
and Pesach
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...
, called ''Yarḥei Kalla'' (Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
for " Months of Kallah"). The rest of the year, they worked.
Geonic Period
The Geonic period takes its name from ''Gaon'', the title given to the heads of the three yeshivas which existed from the third to the thirteenth century. The Geonim acted as the principals of their individual yeshivot, and as spiritual leaders and high judges for the wider communities tied to them. The yeshiva conducted all official business in the name of its Gaon, and all correspondence to or from the yeshiva was addressed directly to the Gaon.
Throughout the Geonic Period there were three yeshivot, each named for the cities in which they were located: Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, Sura
A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
, and Pumbedita
Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
; the yeshiva of Jerusalem would later relocate to Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, and the yeshivot of Sura and Pumbedita to Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, but retain their original names. Each Jewish community would associate itself with one of the three yeshivot; Jews living around the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
typically followed the yeshiva in Jerusalem, while those living in the Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
and modern-day Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
typically followed one of the two yeshivot in Baghdad. There was however, no requirement for this, and each community could choose to associate with any of the yeshivot.
The yeshiva served as the highest educational institution for the Rabbis
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
of this period. In addition to this, the yeshiva wielded great power as the principal body for interpreting Jewish law
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws which is derived from the Torah, written and Oral Tora ...
. The community regarded the Gaon of a yeshiva as the highest judge on all matters of Jewish law. Each yeshiva ruled differently on matters of ritual and law; the other yeshivot accepted these divisions, and all three ranked as equally orthodox. The yeshiva also served as an administrative authority, in conjunction with local communities, by appointing members to serve as the head of local congregations. These heads of a congregation served as a link between the congregation and the larger yeshiva it was attached to. These leaders would also submit questions to the yeshiva to obtain final rulings on issues of dogma, ritual, or law. Each congregation was expected to follow only one yeshiva to prevent conflict with different rulings issued by different yeshivot.
The yeshivot were financially supported by a number of means, including fixed voluntary, annual contributions; these contributions being collected and handled by local leaders appointed by the yeshiva. Private gifts and donations from individuals were also common, especially during holidays, consisting of money or goods.
The yeshiva of Jerusalem was finally forced into exile in Cairo in 1127, and eventually dispersed entirely. Likewise, the yeshivot of Sura and Pumbedita were dispersed following the Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
invasions of the 13th century. After this education in Jewish religious studies became the responsibility of individual synagogues
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
. No organization ever came to replace the three great yeshivot of Jerusalem, Sura and Pumbedita.
Post-Geonic Period to the 19th century
After the Geonic Period Jews established more Yeshiva academies in Europe and in Northern Africa, including the Kairuan yeshiva in Tunisia (Hebrew: ישיבת קאירואן) that was established by Chushiel Ben Elchanan (Hebrew: חושיאל בן אלחנן) in 974. Traditionally, every townrabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
had the right to maintain a number of full or part-time pupils in the town's beth midrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...
(study hall), which was usually adjacent to the synagogue. Their cost of living was covered by community taxation. After a number of years, the students who received ''semikha
Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...
'' (rabbinical ordination) would either take up a vacant rabbinical position elsewhere or join the workforce.
Lithuanian yeshivas
Organised Torah study
Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's Sifrei kodesh, religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mi ...
was revolutionised by Chaim Volozhin
Chaim of Volozhin (also known as Chaim ben Yitzchok of Volozhin or Chaim Ickovits; January 21, 1749 – June 14, 1821)Jewish Encyclopedia Bibliography: Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, pp. 347–349; idem, Kiryah Ne'emanah, pp. 156–158; Le ...
, an influential 18th-century Lithuanian leader of Judaism and disciple of the Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( he , ר' אליהו בן שלמה זלמן ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman'') known as the Vilna Gaon (Yiddish: דער װילנער גאון ''Der Vilner Gaon'', pl, Gaon z Wilna, lt, Vilniaus Gaonas) or Elijah of ...
. In his view, the traditional arrangement did not cater to those looking for more intensive study.
With the support of his teacher, Volozhin gathered interested students and started a yeshiva in the town of Valozhyn
Valozhyn, Vałožyn or Volozhin ( be, Вало́жын, , russian: Воло́жин, lt, Valažinas, pl, Wołożyn, yi, וואָלאָזשין ''Volozhin''; also written as Wolozin and Wolozhin) is a town in the Minsk Region of Belarus. The pop ...
, located in modern-day Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
. The Volozhin yeshiva
Yeshivas Etz Ḥayyim (), commonly called the Volozhin Yeshiva (), was a prestigious Lithuanian ''yeshiva'' located in the town of Volozhin, Russian Empire (now Valozhyn, Belarus). It was founded around 1803 by Rabbi Ḥayyim Volozhiner, a stude ...
was closed some 60 years later in 1892 following the Russian government's demands for the introduction of certain secular studies. Thereafter, a number of yeshivot opened in other towns and cities, most notably Slabodka, Panevėžys
Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...
, Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
, Brisk, and Telz. Many prominent contemporary ''yeshivot'' in the United States and Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
are continuations of these institutions, and often bear the same name.
In the 19th century, Israel Salanter
Yisrael ben Ze'ev Wolf Lipkin, also known as "Israel Salanter" or "Yisroel Salanter" (November 3, 1809, Zhagory – February 2, 1883, Königsberg), was the father of the Musar movement in Orthodox Judaism and a famed Rosh yeshiva and Talmudist. T ...
initiated the Mussar movement
The Musar movement (also Mussar movement) is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Lithuania, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term (), is adopted from the Book of Proverbs (1: ...
in non-Hasidic Lithuanian Jewry, which sought to encourage yeshiva students and the wider community to spend regular times devoted to the study of Jewish ethical works. Concerned by the new social and religious changes of the Haskalah
The ''Haskalah'', often termed Jewish Enlightenment ( he, השכלה; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Western Euro ...
(the Jewish Enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
), and other emerging political ideologies (such as Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
) that often opposed traditional Judaism, the masters of Mussar saw a need to augment Talmudic
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
study with more personal works. These comprised earlier classic Jewish ethical texts (mussar literature
Musar literature is didactic Jewish ethical literature which describes virtues and vices and the path towards character improvement. This literature gives the name to the Musar movement, in 19th century Lithuania, but this article considers such l ...
), as well as a new literature for the movement. After early opposition, the Lithuanian yeshiva world saw the need for this new component in their curriculum, and set aside times for individual mussar study and mussar talks ("mussar shmues"). A ''mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...
'' (spiritual mentor) encouraged the personal development of each student. To some degree, this Lithuanian movement arose in response, and as an alternative, to the separate mystical study of the Hasidic Judaism
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Judaism, Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory ...
world. Hasidism began in the previous century within traditional Jewish life in Ukraine, and spread to Hungary, Poland and Russia. As the 19th century brought upheavals and threats to traditional Judaism, the Mussar teachers saw the benefit of the new spiritual focus in Hasidism, and developed their alternative ethical approach to spirituality.
Some variety developed within Lithuanian yeshivas to methods of studying Talmud and ''mussar'', for example whether the emphasis would be placed on ''beki'ut'' (breadth) or ''iyyun'' (depth). ''Pilpul
''Pilpul'' ( he, פלפול, loosely meaning 'sharp analysis'; ) is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any appare ...
'', a type of in-depth analytical and casuistic argumentation popular from the 16th to 18th centuries that was traditionally reserved for investigative Talmudic study, was not always given a place. The new analytical approach of the Brisker method
The Brisker method, or Brisker ''derech'', is a reductionistic approach to Talmud study innovated by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk (Brest, Belarus), as opposed to the traditional approach which was rather holistic. It has since become popula ...
, developed by Chaim Soloveitchik
Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (Yiddish: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, pl, Chaim Sołowiejczyk), also known as Reb Chaim Brisker (1853 – 30 July 1918), was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar credited as the founder of the popular Brisker appr ...
, has become widely popular; however, there are other approaches such as those of Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
, Chofetz Chaim
The ''Sefer'' ''Chafetz Chaim'' (or ''Chofetz Chaim'' or ''Hafetz Hayim'') ( he, חָפֵץ חַיִּים, trans. "Desirer of Life") is a book by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, who is also called "the Chofetz Chaim" after it. The book deals with ...
, and Telz. In ''mussar'', different schools developed, such as Slabodka and Novhardok, though today, a decline in devoted spiritual self-development from its earlier intensity has to some extent levelled out the differences.
Hasidic yeshivas
With the success of the yeshiva institution in Lithuanian Jewry, the Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
world developed their own yeshivas, in their areas of Eastern Europe. These comprised the traditional Jewish focus on Talmudic literature that is central to Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian ...
, augmented by study of Hasidic philosophy
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism ( he, חסידות), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic ''rebbes'', often in the form of commentary on th ...
(Hasidism). Examples of these Hasidic yeshivas are the Chabad Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...
yeshiva system of Tomchei Temimim
Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...
, founded by Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn ( he, שלום דובער שניאורסאהן) was the fifth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is known as "the Rebbe Rashab" (for Reb Sholom Ber). His teachings represent the emerge ...
in Russia in 1897, and the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva
Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת חכמי לובלין, "Academy of the Sages of Lublin"; pl, Jeszywas Chachmej Lublin) was a Jewish educational institution (yeshiva) that operated in the city of Lublin, Poland from 1930 to 1939. At th ...
established in Poland in 1930 by Meir Shapiro
Yehuda Meir Shapiro ( pl, Majer Jehuda Szapira; March 3, 1887 – October 27, 1933), was a prominent Polish Hasidic rabbi and rosh yeshiva, also known as the Lubliner Rav. He is noted for his promotion of the Daf Yomi study program in 1923, a ...
, who is renowned in both Hasidic and Lithuanian Jewish circles for initiating the Daf Yomi
''Daf Yomi'' ( he, דף יומי, ''Daf Yomi'', "page of the day" or "daily folio") is a daily regimen of learning the Oral Torah and its commentaries (also known as the Gemara), in which each of the 2,711 pages of the Babylonian Talmud is covere ...
daily cycle of Talmud study.
(For contemporary ''yeshivas'', see, for example, under Satmar
Satmar (Yiddish: סאַטמאַר, Hebrew: סאטמר) is a Hasidic group founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum, in the city of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is an offshoot of the Sighet Hasidic dynast ...
, Belz
Belz ( uk, Белз; pl, Bełz; yi, בעלז ') is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administ ...
, Bobov
Bobov (or Bobover Hasidism) ( he, חסידות באבוב, yi, בּאָבּאָװ) is a Hasidic community within Haredi Judaism, originating in Bobowa, Galicia, in southern Poland, and now headquartered in the neighborhood of Borough Park, in B ...
, Breslov and Pupa
A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...
.)
In many Hasidic ''yeshivas'', study of Hasidic texts is a secondary activity, similar to the additional mussar curriculum in Lithuanian yeshivas. These paths see Hasidism as a means to the end of inspiring emotional ''devekut
Devekut, debekuth, deveikuth or deveikus ( Heb. דבקות; Mod. Heb. "dedication", traditionally "clinging on" to God) is a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God. It may refer to a deep, trance-like meditative state attained during Jewi ...
'' (spiritual attachment to God) and mystical enthusiasm. In this context, the personal pilgrimage of a Hasid to his Rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
is a central feature of spiritual life, in order to awaken spiritual fervour. Often, such paths will reserve the Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...
in the yeshiva for the sweeter teachings of the classic texts of Hasidism.
In contrast, Chabad and Breslov, in their different ways, place daily study of their dynasties' Hasidic texts in central focus; see below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
*Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
*Bottom (disambiguation)
Bottom may refer to:
Anatomy and sex
* Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
. Illustrative of this is Sholom Dovber Schneersohn's wish in establishing the Chabad yeshiva system, that the students should spend a part of the daily curriculum learning Chabad Hasidic texts "with ''pilpul''". The idea to learn Hasidic mystical texts with similar logical profundity, derives from the unique approach in the works of the Rebbes of Chabad, initiated by its founder Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( he, שניאור זלמן מליאדי, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe, O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) was an influential Lithuanian Jews, Li ...
, to systematically investigate and articulate the "Torah of the Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which ...
" in intellectual forms. Further illustrative of this is the differentiation in Chabad thought (such as the "Tract on Ecstasy" by Dovber Schneuri
Dovber Schneuri (13 November 1773 – 16 November 1827 OS) was the second Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi (in present-day Belarus), t ...
) between general Hasidism's emphasis on emotional enthusiasm and the Chabad ideal of intellectually reserved ecstasy. In the Breslov movement, in contrast, the daily study of works from the imaginative, creative radicalism of Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov ( he, רַבִּי נַחְמָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב ''Rabbī'' ''Naḥmān mīBreslev''), also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover ( yi, רבי נחמן ברעסלאווער ''Rebe Nakhmen Breslover'' ...
awakens the necessary soulfulness with which to approach other Jewish study and observance.
Sephardi yeshivas
:''See: :Sephardic yeshivas, as well the more complete, קטגוריה:ישיבות ספרדיות''
Although the yeshiva as an institution is in some ways a continuation of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, large scale educational institutions of this kind were not characteristic of the North African and Middle Eastern Sephardi
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
Jewish world in pre-modern times: education typically took place in a more informal setting in the synagogue or in the entourage of a famous rabbi. In medieval Spain, and immediately following the expulsion in 1492, there were some schools which combined Jewish studies with sciences such as logic and astronomy, similar to the contemporary Islamic madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s. In 19th century Jerusalem, a college was typically an endowment for supporting ten adult scholars rather than an educational institution in the modern sense; towards the end of the century a school for orphans was founded providing for some rabbinic studies. Early educational institutions on the European model were Midrash Bet Zilkha
Midrash Bet Zilkha (or Midrash Abu Menashi) was an important Bet Midrash in Baghdad which was renowned among Eastern Jewry from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. Many of the great Babylonian rabbis of modern times arose from its halls, and rabbi ...
founded in 1870s Iraq and Porat Yosef Yeshiva
Porat Yosef Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת פורת יוסף) is a Sephardic yeshiva in Jerusalem, with locations in both the Old City and the Geula neighborhood. The name Porat Yosef means "Joseph is a fruitful tree" after the biblical verse Genesi ...
founded in Jerusalem in 1914. Also notable is the Bet El yeshiva founded in 1737 in Jerusalem for advanced Kabbalistic studies. Later Sephardic yeshivot are usually on the model either of Porat Yosef or of the Ashkenazi institutions.
The Sephardic world has traditionally placed the study of Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
(esoteric Jewish mysticism) in a more mainstream position than in the European Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
world. This difference of emphasis arose as a result of the Sabbatean
The Sabbateans (or Sabbatians) were a variety of Jewish followers, disciples, and believers in Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676),
a Sephardic Jewish rabbi and Kabbalist who was proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah in 1666 by Nathan of Gaza.
Vast ...
heresy in the 17th century, that suppressed widespread study of Kabbalah in Europe in favour of Rabbinic Talmudic study. In Eastern European Lithuanian life, Kabbalah was reserved for an intellectual elite, while the mystical revival of Hasidism articulated Kabbalistic theology through Hasidic thought. These factors did not affect the Sephardi Jewish world, which retained a wider connection to Kabbalah in its traditionally observant communities. With the establishment of Sephardi yeshivas in Israel after the immigration of the Arabic Jewish communities there, some Sephardi yeshivas incorporated study of more accessible Kabbalistic texts into their curriculum. Nonetheless, the European prescriptions to reserve advanced Kabbalistic study to mature and elite students also influence the choice of texts in such yeshivas.
19th century to present
Conservative movement yeshivas
In 1854, the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau
The Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau (official name: ) was an institution in Breslau for the training of rabbis, founded under the will of Jonah Fränckel, and opened in 1854. The seminary, at what is now an empty building plot (used as a ...
was founded. It was headed by Zecharias Frankel
Zecharias Frankel, also known as Zacharias Frankel (30 September 1801 – 13 February 1875) was a Bohemian-German rabbi and a historian who studied the historical development of Judaism. He was born in Prague and died in Breslau. He was the foun ...
, and was viewed as the first educational institution associated with "positive-historical Judaism", the predecessor of Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...
. In subsequent years, Conservative Judaism established a number of other institutions of higher learning (such as the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
in New York City) that emulate the style of traditional yeshivas in significant ways. However, many do not officially refer to themselves as "yeshivas" (one exception is the Conservative Yeshiva
The Conservative Yeshiva is a co-educational institute for study of traditional Judaism, Jewish texts in Jerusalem. The yeshiva was founded in 1995, and is under the
academic auspices of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
The current R ...
in Jerusalem), and all are open to both women and men, who study in the same classrooms and follow the same curriculum. Students may study part-time, as in a kollel, or full-time, and they may study ''lishmah'' (for the sake of studying itself) or towards earning rabbinic ordination.
Nondenominational or mixed yeshivas
Non-denominational yeshivas and kollels with connections to Conservative Judaism includeYeshivat Hadar
Yeshivat Hadar is a traditional egalitarian yeshiva on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Yeshiva offers both summer and year-long fellowships for students to learn full-time in the yeshiva setting. Prominent rabbis associated with the Yeshiva i ...
in New York, the leaders of whom include Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, an ...
members Elie Kaunfer
Elie Kaunfer (b. 1973) is an American rabbi and serves as president and CEO of Yeshivat Hadar in Manhattan. Kaunfer has been named as a leading American rabbi by ''The Forward'' and ''Newsweek''.
Career
Elie Kaunfer received a doctorate from the ...
and Shai Held Shai Held (born July 2, 1971) is a rosh yeshiva (Rabbinic dean) and Chair in Jewish Thought at Mechon Hadar.
He founded Mechon Hadar in 2006 with Rabbis Elie Kaunfer and Ethan Tucker.
Education
Held attended Ramaz High School and studied ...
. The rabbinical school of the Academy for Jewish Religion in California
The Academy for Jewish Religion California (AJRCA), is a Jewish seminary in Los Angeles. It trains rabbis, cantors and chaplains to serve congregations and organizations of any Jewish denomination.Nancy Sokoler Steiner"Academy of Jewish Religion ...
(AJR-CA) is led by Conservative rabbi Mel Gottlieb. The faculty of the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York
The Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) is a rabbinical school in Yonkers, New York.
History
The Academy for Jewish Religion was founded in 1956 as a rabbinical school. Initially called the Academy for Liberal Judaism (and then the Academy for Highe ...
and of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College
Hebrew College is a private college of Jewish studies in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, Hebrew College is committed to Jewish scholarship in a pluralistic, trans-denominational academic environment. The president of the college i ...
in Newton Centre
Newton Centre is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The main commercial center of Newton Centre is a triangular area surrounding the intersections of Beacon Street, Centre Str ...
, Massachusetts also includes many Conservative rabbis.
See also Institute of Traditional Judaism
The Institute of Traditional Judaism, also known as The Metivta or the ITJ, was the rabbinical school sponsored by the Union for Traditional Judaism.
The Institute of Traditional Judaism was established in 1990. It was positioned to the left of ...
.
More recently, several non-traditional, and nondenominational (also called "transdenominational" or "postdenominational") seminaries have been established. These grant semikha in a shorter time, and with a modified curriculum, generally focusing on leadership and pastoral roles. These are JSLI, RSI, PRS and Ateret Tzvi. The Wolkowisk Mesifta is aimed at community professionals with significant knowledge and experience, and provides a tailored program to each candidate.
Rimmon
__NOTOC__
Rimmon ( he, רִמּוֹן, ''Rīmmōn'') or Remmon ( grc-gre, Ρεμμων, ''Remmōn'') is a name in the Hebrew Bible meaning "pomegranate".
Place-names
Rimmon may refer to:
* One of the "uttermost cities" of Judah, afterwards gi ...
, the most recently established, emphasizes halakhic decision making.
See under for further discussion.
Reform and Reconstructionist seminaries
Hebrew Union College
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
(HUC), affiliated with Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...
, was founded in 1875 under the leadership of Isaac Mayer Wise
Isaac Mayer Wise (29 March 1819, Lomnička – 26 March 1900, Cincinnati) was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author. At his death he was called "the foremost rabbi in America".
Early life
Wise was born on 29 March 1819 in Steingrub in B ...
in Cincinnati, Ohio. HUC later opened additional locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem. It is a rabbinical seminary or college mostly geared for the training of rabbis and clergy specifically. Similarly, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) is a Jewish seminary in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. It is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Associa ...
of Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a Jewish movement that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization rather than a religion, based on concepts developed by Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983). The movement originated as a semi-organized stream wi ...
, founded in Pennsylvania in 1968, functions to train its future clergy. Some Reform and Reconstructionist teachers also teach at the non-denominational seminaries mentioned above. In Europe, Reform Judaism trains rabbis at Leo Baeck College
Leo Baeck College is a privately funded rabbinical seminary and centre for the training of teachers in Jewish education. Based now at the Sternberg Centre, East End Road, Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet, it was founded by Werner van ...
in London, UK and Abraham-Geiger-Kolleg, Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Potsdam, Germany. None of these institutions describes itself as a "yeshiva".
Contemporary Orthodox yeshivas
World War II and the Holocaust ended the yeshivot of Eastern and Central Europe – however many scholars and rabbinic students who survived the war, established yeshivot in a number of Western countries which had no or few yeshivot. (The Yeshiva of Nitra was the last surviving in occupied Europe. Many students and faculty of the Mir Yeshiva were able to escape to Siberia, with the Yeshiva ultimately Mir Yeshiva (Belarus)#Shanghai, continuing to operate in Shanghai.
See Yeshivas in World War II.)
From the mid-20th century"Yeshiva"jewishvirtuallibrary.org the greatest number of yeshivot, and the most important were centered in Israel and in the United States; but they were also found in many other Western countries, prominent examples being Gateshead Talmudical College, Gateshead Yeshiva in England (one of the Novardok Yeshiva#Post World War II, descendants of Novardok) and the Yeshiva of Aix-les-Bains, France. The Chabad movement was particularly active in this direction, establishing yeshivot also in France, North Africa, Australia, and South Africa; this "network of institutions" is known as ''
Tomchei Temimim
Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...
''.
Many prominent contemporary yeshivot in the United States and Israel are continuations of European institutions, and often bear the same name.
=Israel
= Yeshivot in Israel have operated since Talmudic times; see Talmudic academies in Eretz Yisrael. Recent examples include the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue (since the mid 1500s); the Bet El yeshiva (operating since 1737); and Etz Chaim Yeshiva (since 1841). Various yeshivot were established in Israel in the early 20th century: Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, Shaar Hashamayim in 1906, Chabad's :he: ישיבת תורת אמת (חב"ד), Toras Emes in 1911, Hebron Yeshiva in 1924, Sfas Emes Yeshiva, Sfas Emes in 1925, Lomza Yeshiva, Lomza in 1926. After (and during) World War II, numerous other Haredi and Hasidic Yeshivot were re-established there by survivors. The Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem – today the largest Yeshiva in the world – was established in 1944, by Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (Poland and Jerusalem), Eliezer Yehuda Finkel who had traveled to Palestine to obtain visas for his students; Ponevezh similarly by Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman; and Knesses Chizkiyahu in 1949. The leading Sephardi Yeshiva, Porat Yosef, was founded in 1914; its predecessor, Yeshivat Ohel Moed was founded in 1904. From the 1940s and onward, especially following immigration of the Arabic Jewish communities, Sephardi leaders, such as Ovadia Yosef and Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, established various yeshivot to facilitate Torah education for Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews (and alternative to Lithuanian yeshivot). The Haredi community has grown with time – In 2016, 9% of Israel's population was Haredi, including Sephardic Haredim – supporting many yeshivot correspondingly (see ). Boys and girls here attend separate schools, and proceed to higher Torah study, in a yeshiva or seminary, respectively, starting anywhere between the ages of 13 and 18; see ''Chinuch Atzmai'' and ''Bais Yaakov''. A significant proportion of young men then remain in yeshiva until their marriage; thereafter many continue their Torah studies in a kollel. (In 2006, there were 80,000 in full-time learning .) Kollel studies usually focus on deep analysis of Talmud, and those Tractates not usually covered in the standard "undergraduate" program; see below. Some Kollels similarly focus on halacha in total, others specifically on those topics required for ''Semikha'' (Rabbinic ordination) or Dayan (rabbinic judge), ''Dayanut'' (qualification as a Rabbinic Judge). The certification in question is often conferred by the Rosh Yeshiva. Mercaz Harav, the foundational and leading Religious Zionism, Religious-Zionist yeshiva was established in 1924 by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. Many in the Religious Zionist community today attend a Hesder yeshiva (discussed #Types of yeshivot, below) during Religious Zionism#Military service, their national service; these offer a kollel for Rabbinical students. (Students generally prepare for the ''Semikha'' test of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel; until his recent passing (2020) commonly for that of the posek R. Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.) Training as a ''Dayan'' in this community is usually through :he:מכון אריאל, ''Machon Ariel'' (''Machon Harry Fischel''), also founded by Rav Kook, or :he:ארץ חמדה (כולל), ''Kollel Eretz Hemda''. Women in this community, as above, study in a Midrasha. High school students study at Education in Israel#Educational tracks, ''Mamlachti dati'' schools, often associated with ''Bnei Akiva''. Bar Ilan University allows students to combine Yeshiva studies with university study; Jerusalem College of Technology similarly, which also offers a Haredi track; there are List of Israeli universities and colleges#Colleges, several colleges of education associated with Hesder and the ''Midrashot'' (these often offer specializations in ''Tanakh'' and ''Machshavah'' – see #Curriculum, below). See .=United States
=
The first Orthodox yeshiva in the United States was Etz Chaim Yeshiva (Manhattan), Etz Chaim of New York City, New York (1886), modeled after Volozhin. It developed into the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (1896; "RIETS") and eventually Yeshiva University in 1945. It was established in the wake of History of the Jews in the United States#Immigration of Ashkenazi Jews, the immigration of Central and Eastern European Jews (1880s – 1924). Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, founded in 1907, was led by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein from the 1940s through 1986; Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, est 1904, was headed by Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner from 1943 to 1980. :Hasidic Judaism in the United States, Many Hasidic dynasties have their main Yeshivot in America, typically established in the 1940s; 770 Eastern Parkway#Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva, the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva has over 1000 students.
The postwar establishment of Ashkenazi yeshivot and ''kollelim'' parallels that in Israel; as does the educational pattern in Haredi Judaism#United States, the American Haredi community, although more obtain a secular education at the college level (see #College credit, College credit below). Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Lakewood, New Jersey with 3,000 students in the early 2000s was founded in 1943 by R. Aaron Kotler on the "rigid Lithuanian model" that demanded full-time study; it now offers a Bachelor of Talmudic Law degree which allows students to go on to graduate school. The best known of the numerous Haredi yeshivas are, additional to "Lakewood", Telz, Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen, "Rabbinical Seminary of America", Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Ner Yisroel, Chaim Berlin, and Hebrew Theological College; ''Yeshivish'' (i.e. satellite) communities often maintain a Kollel#Community kollelim, community kollel.
Many Hasidic sects have their own yeshivas - see especially Satmar (Hasidic dynasty) #Institutions, Satmar and Bobov (Hasidic dynasty) #Institutions, Bobov - while Chabad, as mentioned, operates its ''Tomchei Temimim'' nationwide.
Regarding junior and high school - of which there are over 600 combined - see Torah Umesorah, Mesivta, and Bais Yaakov.
Modern Orthodox typically spend a year, often two, post-high school in a yeshiva (sometimes Hesder) or ''Midrasha'' in Israel. Many thereafter, or instead, attend Yeshiva University, undertaking a dual curriculum, combining academic education with Torah study; see ''Torah Umadda'' and Yeshiva University#S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program , S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program. (A percentage stay in Israel, “making ''Aliyah''”; many also go on to higher education in other American colleges.) Semikha is usually through RIETS, although many Modern Orthodox Rabbis study through ''Hesder'', or other Yeshivot in Israel such as Yeshivat HaMivtar, Mizrachi (religious Zionism), Mizrachi's ''Musmachim'' program, and Machon Ariel.
RIETS also houses several post-semikha kollelim, including one focused on ''Dayanut''. Dayanim also train through Kollel Eretz Hemda and Machon Ariel; while Mizrachi's post-semikha ''Manhigut Toranit'' program focuses on leadership and scholarship, with the advanced semikha of Chief_Rabbinate_of_Israel #Semikhah, “Rav Ir”. Communities will often host a :he:תורה מציון (ארגון), ''Torah MiTzion'' kollel, where ''Hesder'' graduates learn and teach, generally for one year.
There are numerous :Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools in the United States, Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools, typically offering a ''beit midrash'' / ''metivta'' program in parallel with the Secondary education in the United States#Curriculum, standard curriculum, (often) structured such that students are able to join the first ''shiur'' in an Israeli yeshiva.
The US educational pattern is to be found around the Jewish world, with regional differences; see :Orthodox yeshivas in Europe and :Orthodox yeshivas by country.
Structure and features
Yeshiva study is differentiated from, for example university study, by several features, apart from the curriculum. The year is structured into "''zmanim''"; the day is structured into "''seders''". The learning itself is delivered through a "''shiur''", a discursive-lecture with pre-specified sources, or "''marei mekomot''" (מראה מקומות; “bibliography”, lit. "indication of the (textual) locations");Example ''marei mekomot'' - Halacha/ref>Example ''marei mekomot'' - Gemara
/ref> study in general, and particularly the preparation for ''shiur'', takes place in "" or paired-study. This study is in a common venue called the ''beth midrash, bet midrash'' (Yiddish, "zal" i.e. "hall"). The institution is headed by its ''rosh yeshiva'', while other senior rabbis are referred to as "Ram" (''rosh mesivta or reish metivta''); the Mashgiach ruchani, ''mashgiach'' assumes responsibility for students' spiritual development (''mashpia'', in Hasidic yeshivot). A ''kollel'' is headed by its ''Kollel#Leadership, rosh kollel'', even when it is part of a yeshiva. A ''sho'el u'meishiv'' ( he, שואל ומשיב; ask and he answers; often simply "''meishiv''", or alternately "''nosay v'notayn''") is available to consult to students on difficult points in their day's Talmudic studies. The rabbi responsible for the Talmudic ''shiur'' is known as a ''maggid shiur''. Students are known as ''talmidim'' (sing. ''talmid''). ''Rav muvhak'' is sometimes used in reference to one's primary teacher; correspondingly, ''talmid muvhak'' may refer to a primary, or outstanding, student.
Academic year
In most yeshivot, the year is divided into three periods (terms) called ''zmanim'' (lit. times; sing. ''zman''). ''Elul zman'' starts from the beginning of the Hebrew month ofElul
Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August ...
and extends until the end of Yom Kippur. The six-weeks-long semester is the shortest yet most intense session, as it comes before the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Winter ''zman'' starts after Sukkot
or ("Booths, Tabernacles")
, observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans
, type = Jewish, Samaritan
, begins = 15th day of Tishrei
, ends = 21st day of Tishre ...
and lasts until about two weeks before Passover, a duration of five months (six in a Jewish calendar, Jewish leap year). Summer ''zman'' starts after Passover and lasts until Rosh Chodesh Av or Tisha B'Av, a duration of about three months.
Chavruta-style learning
Yeshiva students prepare for and review the Shiur (Torah), ''shiur'' (lecture) with their ''chavruta'' during a study session known as a ''seder''. In contrast to conventional classroom learning, in which a teacher lectures to the student, ''chavruta''-style learning requires the student to analyze and explain the material, point out the errors in their partner's reasoning, and question and sharpen each other's ideas, often arriving at entirely new insights of the meaning of the text. A ''chavruta'' is intended to help a student keep their mind focused on the learning, sharpen their reasoning powers, develop their thoughts into words, organize their thoughts into logical arguments, and understand another person's viewpoint. The shiur-based system was Telshe Yeshiva#Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, innovated at the Telshe yeshiva, where there were five levels. Chavruta-style learning tends to be animated, as study partners read the Talmudic text and the commentaries aloud to each other, and then analyze, question, debate, and argue their points of view to arrive at an understanding of the text. In the heat of discussion, they may wave their hands, pound the table, or shout at each other. Depending on the size of the yeshiva, dozens or even hundreds of pairs of ''chavrutas'' can be heard discussing and debating each other's viewpoints. Students need to learn the ability to block out other discussions in order to focus on theirs.Types of yeshivot
# Yeshiva Ketana (junior yeshiva) or "Talmud Torah" – Many Haredi (non-Hasidic and Hasidic) yeshivot ketanot in Israel, and some (primarily Hasidic) in the Diaspora, do not have a secular course of studies, with all students learning Judaic Torah studies full-time.
# Yeshiva High School – also called ''Mesivta'' (Metivta) or ''Mechina'' or ''Yeshiva Ketana'', or in Israel, ''Yeshiva Tichonit'' – combines the intensive Jewish religious education with a secular high school education. The dual curriculum was pioneered by the Manhattan Talmudical Academy of Yeshiva University (now known as Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy) in 1916; :he: אלמה (ישיבה תיכונית), ALMA was established in Jerusalem in 1936, and :he: ישיבת היישוב החדש, "ha-Yishuv" in Tel Aviv in 1937.
# Mechina – For Israeli high-school graduates who wish to study for one year before entering the army. In Telshe yeshiva, Telshe yeshivas and in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, the Mesivtas/Yeshiva ketanas are known as Mechinas.
# Beth midrash – For high school graduates, and is attended from one year to many years, dependent on the career plans and affiliation of the student.
# Yeshivat Hesder – Yeshiva that has an arrangement with the Israel Defense Forces by which the students enlist together in the same unit and, as much as is possible serve in the same unit in the army. Over a period of about 5 years there will be a period of service starting in the second year of about 16 months. There are different variations. The rest of the time will be spent in compulsory study in the yeshiva. The Hesder Yeshiva concept is attributed to Rav Yehuda Amital. The first was Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, established in 1954; the largest is the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot with over 800 students.
# Kollel – Yeshiva for married men. The kollel idea has its intellectual roots in the Torah; Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
tractate Megillah
Megillah ( he, מגילה, scroll) may refer to:
Bible
*The Book of Esther (''Megillat Esther''), read on the Jewish holiday of Purim
*The Five Megillot
*Megillat Antiochus
Rabbinic literature
*Tractate Megillah in the Talmud.
*Megillat Taanit, ...
mentions the law that a town can only be called a "city" if it supports ten men (''batlanim'') to make up the required quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
for communal learning. However, it is mostly a modern innovation of 19th-century Europe. A kollel will often be in the same location as the yeshiva.
# Baal Teshuva yeshivot catering to the needs of the newly Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox.
A post-high school for women is generally called a "seminary", or ''midrasha
A ' (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , pl. ') is an institute of Torah study for women, usually in Israel, and roughly the equivalent of a yeshiva for men.
A "seminary" (Hebrew ''seminar'', sometimes ''seminaria'')''Midrashot''
science.co.il and not a yeshiva. (Although there are exceptions such as Prospect Park Yeshiva.) The Haredi Judaism, Haredi Bais Yaakov system was started in 1918 under the guidance of Sarah Schenirer. These institutions provide girls with a Torah education, using a curriculum that skews more toward practical ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and the study of Tanakh, rather than
"Ordination and Semicha"
jsli.net Rabbi#Conservative Judaism, Conservative Yeshivot occupy a position midway, in that their training places (significantly) more emphasis on Halakha and Talmud than other non-Orthodox programs; see Conservative halakha. The sections below discuss the Orthodox approach - but may be seen as overviews of the traditional-content; see also re the various approaches under List of rabbinical schools as well as under .
In a typical Orthodox yeshiva, the main emphasis is on Talmud study and analysis, or ''Gemara''. Generally, two parallel Talmud streams are covered during a (trimester).
The first is , or in-depth study (variants described below), often confined to selected legally focused tractates with an emphasis on analytical skills and close reference to the classical commentators;
see for a discussion of the ''shakla v'tarya'', the "back and forth" analytics entailed.
The second stream, ''beki'ut'' ("expertise"), seeks to build general knowledge of the Talmud. In some Hasidic yeshivas, ("text"), is the term used for , but may also incorporate an element of memorization.
In the yeshiva system of Talmudic study, the undergraduate yeshivot focus on the ''Masekhet, mesechtohs'' (tractates) that cover civil jurisprudence and monetary law (''Nezikin'') and those dealing with contract and marital law (''Nashim''); through them, the student can best master the Gemara#Argumentation and debate, proper technique of Talmudic analysis, and
''Catalog''
Rabbinical College Bobov (Hasidic dynasty), Bobover the halakhic application of :Talmud concepts and terminology, Talmudic principles. With these mastered, the student goes on to other areas of the Talmud (see, for example, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel #Cycle of Masechtos (Tractates of the Talmud), § Cycle of Masechtos (Tractates of the Talmud) under Yeshivas Ner Yisroel). Tractates Berakhot (tractate), ''Berachot'', Sukkah (Talmud), ''Sukkah'', Pesachim (Talmud), ''Pesachim'' and Shabbat (Talmud), ''Shabbat'' are often included.Programs
Talmudic University of Florida. Catalog
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz Sometimes tractates dealing with an upcoming Jewish holidays, religious holiday are studied before and during the holiday (e.g. ''Shabbat'' 21a-23b for Chanukah; Megillah (Talmud), Tractate ''Megilla'' for Purim; and so forth). Works initially studied to clarify the Talmudic text are the commentary by Rashi, and Rashi#Criticism_of_Rashi, the related work ''Tosafot'', a parallel analysis and Tosafot#Character, running critique. Se
''Kuntres Eitz HaChayim'' ch 28
for discussion of the interrelation between Rashi and Tosfot The integration of Talmud, Rashi and Tosafot, is considered as foundational – and prerequisite – to further analysis See for example the guidelines for Talmud study authored by
''Kuntres Eitz HaChayim'' ch 28
/ref> Through this, the study Brisker method#Controversy, builds and deepens the concepts and principles arising from the tractate. Throughout, an important simultaneous requirement is that the peshat, "simple interpretation" of the underlying ''sugyas'' Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich#Style of learning, must maintain. * Many Yeshivot proceed ''aliba dehilchasa''See the Hebrew article :he: אסוקי שמעתתא אליבא דהלכתא for detail and discussion. (אליבא דהלכתא, Seph. pronunciation, ''dehilchata''; lit. "according to the Law"), where the learning focuses more on the Halachik-rules that develop from the ''sugya'', delineating how the opinions of the rishonim and acharonim relate to practice. There are two sub-approaches: The first, often Talmud#Sephardic approaches, the approach taken at Sephardic Yeshivot, analyzes the ''sugya'' as the Oral Torah#The Gemara, source of the ''halacha'', understanding how it inheres in each ''rishon'', and is undertaken even for topics with limited application (prototypical are ''ir nidachat'' and ''ben sorer umoreh''). The second, often applied when the ''sugya'' is studied by ''semikha'' students - see below - focuses on the implication re practical-halacha, the "''nafka mina''", of each commentary, somewhat limiting theoretical and abstract discussion. * Some Yeshivot – such as Yeshivat Birkat Moshe, Birkat Moshe – particularly emphasize the Rambam, analyzing the ''sugya'' Mishneh Torah#Study, in light of the ''Mishneh Torah'' and List of commentaries on Mishneh Torah, its numerous commentaries. (''Brisker'' yeshivot invariably reference Rambam also: the ''Mishneh Torah'' covers all of halacha, and thus provides a consistent reference for the treatment of other ''rishonim''; see ''Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim''.) The ''Rosh Yeshiva'' gives the most senior ''shiur''. It is here that the student consolidates the yeshiva's approach to ''iyyun'', i.e. its ''derech ha-limud''; see . At many yeshivot, students are thus expected to learn in this ''shiur'' for at least two years before proceeding to ''Kollel'' or ''semikha'' study. The ''Rosh Yeshiva'' also delivers the weekly ''shiur klali'' (comprehensive lecture), which sums up the week's learning, and revisits a selected topic or concept in further detail; this is attended by all levels, and will often have its own ''marei mekomot''. Typically, boys begin their study of Talmud in middle school, initially studying
ch 5:21
as a guideline; where Mishna-study begins at age 10, and ''Gemara'' at 15. See Zilberman Method for further discussion.
Rabbinical College of America ''Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary - Semikhah Requirements''
/ref> invariably covers Kashrut (referred to as ''"Issur v'Heter"''), usually
Rabbinical Council of America Executive Committee, 2015. having spent at least four preceding years in Yeshiva; Kollel students likewise. (See and .) During the morning ''seder'', Semikha students continue their Talmud studies, learning the same ''masechet'' as the rest of the Yeshiva.
Haredi ''Yeshivot'' typically devote a ''seder'' to musar literature, ''mussar'' (ethics and character development). The preeminent text studied is the ''Mesillat Yesharim'' ("Path of the Just") of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. Rabbinic_literature#Musar_literature, Other works of
Topics in Hashkafa
at Har Etzion
Shiurim in Machsahava
at Yeshiva University (yutorah.org)
Hashkafa courses
at WebYeshiva with ''shiurim'' systematically covering the Jewish principles of faith, major topics and Rabbinic_literature#Jewish_philosophy, works (''Kuzari, The Guide for the Perplexed, Moreh Nevukhim, Sefer ha-Ikkarim , Emunoth ve-Deoth, Emunot ve-Deot, Derech Hashem, Chaim of Volozhin#Works, Nefesh Ha-Chaim, Kad ha-Kemach'' and others). Hesder yeshivot additionally devote specific time to the writings of Abraham Isaac Kook, "Rav Kook", who articulated a unique personal blend of mysticism, creative exegesis and philosophy (as well as to ''Torat Eretz Yisrael'' generally). The Modern Orthodox Judaism, Modern Orthodox, similarly, study the works of Joseph B. Soloveitchik, "Rav Soloveitchik". Hasidic philosophy and Mussar are also often taught; and ''Judah Loew ben Bezalel#Jewish philosophy, Maharal'' may have a dedicated ''shiur''. Machshava is also a focus-area of many ''Midrashot''. Some Haredi and Hasidic yeshivas also include formal study of ''Hashkafa'', especially at ''ba'al teshuva'' focused yeshivas; many ''Semikha'' programs likewise, particularly those with an outreach, or ''kiruv'', component. Regardless, students here typically study the major works independent of a ''shiur''.
Intensive study of ''Chumash'' (Torah) with the commentary of Rashi is stressed and taught in all elementary grades. In Haredi and Hasidic yeshivas, this is often done with Yiddish translations. The rest of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible; acronym: ''"Torah, Hebrew_Bible#Nevi'im, Nevi'im u'Hebrew_Bible#Ketuvim, Ketuvim"''; "Torah, Prophets and Writings") is usually taught through high school, although less intensively.
In Yeshivot, thereafter, ''Chumash'', and especially ''Nach (Bible acronym), Nach'', are studied less directly. Yeshiva students typically follow the practice of ''Shnayim mikra ve-echad targum'', independently studying the upcoming ''parashah'' (weekly Torah portion) twice in the original Hebrew and once in Targum Onkelos (an
science.co.il and not a yeshiva. (Although there are exceptions such as Prospect Park Yeshiva.) The Haredi Judaism, Haredi Bais Yaakov system was started in 1918 under the guidance of Sarah Schenirer. These institutions provide girls with a Torah education, using a curriculum that skews more toward practical ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and the study of Tanakh, rather than
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
. The curriculum at Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox ''midrashot'', however, often includes some study of Talmud: often Mishnah, sometimes ''Gemara''; in further distinction, curricula generally entail ''chavruta''-based study of the texts of Jewish philosophy, and likewise Tanakh is studied with commentaries. See for further discussion.
Languages
Classes in mostLithuanian
Lithuanian may refer to:
* Lithuanians
* Lithuanian language
* The country of Lithuania
* Grand Duchy of Lithuania
* Culture of Lithuania
* Lithuanian cuisine
* Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
and Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
yeshivot (throughout the world) are taught in Yiddish; Kol Torah, established in 1939 in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
and headed by Shlomo Zalman Auerbach for over 40 years, was the first mainstream Haredi yeshiva to teach in Hebrew, as opposed to Yiddish. Sephardi Jews, Sephardi, Modern Orthodox, Zionism, Zionist, and ''baal teshuvah'' yeshivot use Modern Hebrew or the local language. In many American non-Hassidic Yeshivos, the language generally used is English.
Students learn with each other in whatever language they are most proficient, with Hasidic students usually learning in Yiddish, Israeli Lithuanian students in Hebrew, and American Lithuanian students in English.
College credit
Some yeshivas permit students to attend college. Often there are arrangements for the student to receive credit towards a college degree for their yeshiva studies. Yeshiva University in New York provides a year's worth of credit for yeshiva studies. Haredi institutions with similar arrangements in place include Lander College for Men, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel and Hebrew Theological College. See also . #United_States, As above, some American ''yeshivot'' in fact ''award'' the degrees Bachelor of Talmudic Law (4 years cumulative study), Master of Rabbinic Studies / Master of Talmudic Law (six years), and (at ''Ner Yisroel'') the Doctorate in Talmudic Law (10 years). These degrees are Higher education accreditation in the United States, nationally accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, and may then grant access to graduate programs such as law school. For further discussion on the integration of secular education, see re the contemporary situation and . For historical context see: ; Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary; ; ; Vilna Rabbinical School and Teachers' Seminary; ; ; Kelm Talmud Torah; .Curriculum
Torah study
Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's Sifrei kodesh, religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mi ...
at an Orthodox yeshiva comprises the study of rabbinic literature, principally the Talmud, along with the study of ''halacha'' (Jewish law); Musar literature, Musar and Hasidic philosophy
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism ( he, חסידות), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic ''rebbes'', often in the form of commentary on th ...
are often studied also. In some institutions, classical Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcile ...
or Kabbalah are formally studied, or the works of individual thinkers (such as Abraham Isaac Kook).
Rabbi#Non-Orthodox Judaism, Non-Orthodox institutions offer a synthesis of traditional and critical methods, allowing Jewish texts and tradition to encounter social change and modern scholarship. The curriculum is thus also focused on classical Jewish subjects - Talmud, Tanakh, Midrash, ''halacha'', and Philosophy -
but differs from Orthodox yeshivot in that the subject-weights are more even (correspondingly, Talmud and halacha are less emphasized), and the approach entails an Biblical_criticism#Twentieth_century, openness to modern scholarship;
the curriculum also emphasizes "the other functions of a modern rabbi such as preaching, counseling, and pastoral work".
Note that as mentioned, often, in these institutions less emphasis is placed on Talmud and Jewish law, "but rather on sociology, cultural studies, and modern Jewish philosophy".Rabbi Steven Blane (N.D.)"Ordination and Semicha"
jsli.net Rabbi#Conservative Judaism, Conservative Yeshivot occupy a position midway, in that their training places (significantly) more emphasis on Halakha and Talmud than other non-Orthodox programs; see Conservative halakha. The sections below discuss the Orthodox approach - but may be seen as overviews of the traditional-content; see also re the various approaches under List of rabbinical schools as well as under .
Talmud study
In a typical Orthodox yeshiva, the main emphasis is on Talmud study and analysis, or ''Gemara''. Generally, two parallel Talmud streams are covered during a (trimester).
The first is , or in-depth study (variants described below), often confined to selected legally focused tractates with an emphasis on analytical skills and close reference to the classical commentators;
see for a discussion of the ''shakla v'tarya'', the "back and forth" analytics entailed.
The second stream, ''beki'ut'' ("expertise"), seeks to build general knowledge of the Talmud. In some Hasidic yeshivas, ("text"), is the term used for , but may also incorporate an element of memorization.
In the yeshiva system of Talmudic study, the undergraduate yeshivot focus on the ''Masekhet, mesechtohs'' (tractates) that cover civil jurisprudence and monetary law (''Nezikin'') and those dealing with contract and marital law (''Nashim''); through them, the student can best master the Gemara#Argumentation and debate, proper technique of Talmudic analysis, and
''Catalog''Rabbinical College Bobov (Hasidic dynasty), Bobover the halakhic application of :Talmud concepts and terminology, Talmudic principles. With these mastered, the student goes on to other areas of the Talmud (see, for example, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel #Cycle of Masechtos (Tractates of the Talmud), § Cycle of Masechtos (Tractates of the Talmud) under Yeshivas Ner Yisroel). Tractates Berakhot (tractate), ''Berachot'', Sukkah (Talmud), ''Sukkah'', Pesachim (Talmud), ''Pesachim'' and Shabbat (Talmud), ''Shabbat'' are often included.Programs
Talmudic University of Florida. Catalog
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz Sometimes tractates dealing with an upcoming Jewish holidays, religious holiday are studied before and during the holiday (e.g. ''Shabbat'' 21a-23b for Chanukah; Megillah (Talmud), Tractate ''Megilla'' for Purim; and so forth). Works initially studied to clarify the Talmudic text are the commentary by Rashi, and Rashi#Criticism_of_Rashi, the related work ''Tosafot'', a parallel analysis and Tosafot#Character, running critique. Se
''Kuntres Eitz HaChayim'' ch 28
for discussion of the interrelation between Rashi and Tosfot The integration of Talmud, Rashi and Tosafot, is considered as foundational – and prerequisite – to further analysis See for example the guidelines for Talmud study authored by
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn ( he, שלום דובער שניאורסאהן) was the fifth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is known as "the Rebbe Rashab" (for Reb Sholom Ber). His teachings represent the emerge ...
in 1897 on the founding of ''Tomchei Tmimim''''Kuntres Eitz HaChayim'' ch 28
Brisker method
The Brisker method, or Brisker ''derech'', is a reductionistic approach to Talmud study innovated by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk (Brest, Belarus), as opposed to the traditional approach which was rather holistic. It has since become popula ...
" is employed, #Lithuanian yeshivas, as mentioned; the method - often referred to simply as ''lomdus'' - seeks to identify the principles underlying each commentator's approach, abstracting beyond the context of the specific ''sugya'', Talmud#Brisker method, by placing each within a categorical structure.
* Elsewhere, and generally, the approach is more traditional: Students work through each ''sugya'' in light of the various rishonim, Chaim Rabinowitz#Telshe, successively specifying and understanding - and if possible, Gemara#Legal, reconciling - differences (legal and conceptual) between these, such that "every particular contributes to the clarification of the others."''Kuntres Eitz HaChayim'' ch 29/ref> Through this, the study Brisker method#Controversy, builds and deepens the concepts and principles arising from the tractate. Throughout, an important simultaneous requirement is that the peshat, "simple interpretation" of the underlying ''sugyas'' Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich#Style of learning, must maintain. * Many Yeshivot proceed ''aliba dehilchasa''See the Hebrew article :he: אסוקי שמעתתא אליבא דהלכתא for detail and discussion. (אליבא דהלכתא, Seph. pronunciation, ''dehilchata''; lit. "according to the Law"), where the learning focuses more on the Halachik-rules that develop from the ''sugya'', delineating how the opinions of the rishonim and acharonim relate to practice. There are two sub-approaches: The first, often Talmud#Sephardic approaches, the approach taken at Sephardic Yeshivot, analyzes the ''sugya'' as the Oral Torah#The Gemara, source of the ''halacha'', understanding how it inheres in each ''rishon'', and is undertaken even for topics with limited application (prototypical are ''ir nidachat'' and ''ben sorer umoreh''). The second, often applied when the ''sugya'' is studied by ''semikha'' students - see below - focuses on the implication re practical-halacha, the "''nafka mina''", of each commentary, somewhat limiting theoretical and abstract discussion. * Some Yeshivot – such as Yeshivat Birkat Moshe, Birkat Moshe – particularly emphasize the Rambam, analyzing the ''sugya'' Mishneh Torah#Study, in light of the ''Mishneh Torah'' and List of commentaries on Mishneh Torah, its numerous commentaries. (''Brisker'' yeshivot invariably reference Rambam also: the ''Mishneh Torah'' covers all of halacha, and thus provides a consistent reference for the treatment of other ''rishonim''; see ''Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim''.) The ''Rosh Yeshiva'' gives the most senior ''shiur''. It is here that the student consolidates the yeshiva's approach to ''iyyun'', i.e. its ''derech ha-limud''; see . At many yeshivot, students are thus expected to learn in this ''shiur'' for at least two years before proceeding to ''Kollel'' or ''semikha'' study. The ''Rosh Yeshiva'' also delivers the weekly ''shiur klali'' (comprehensive lecture), which sums up the week's learning, and revisits a selected topic or concept in further detail; this is attended by all levels, and will often have its own ''marei mekomot''. Typically, boys begin their study of Talmud in middle school, initially studying
Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
, the component of Talmud where the Mishnah#Content and purpose, underlying "cases" are presented. (At this stage, they have completed their survey of ''Chumash (Judaism), Chumash'', with these cases expanding on the mitzvah, legal precepts there; see #Torah_and_Bible_study, below.) In early high school, ''gemara'', the analytic component, is introduced; by late high school some are able to work with ''Tosafot''. Some systems more closely follow ''Pirkei Avot'ch 5:21
as a guideline; where Mishna-study begins at age 10, and ''Gemara'' at 15. See Zilberman Method for further discussion.
Jewish law
Generally, a period is devoted to the study of practical ''halakha'' ("''Halakha LeMaaseh''"), emphasizing outcome as opposed to derivation. The text most commonly studied in Ashkenazi yeshivot is the ''Mishnah Berurah'', a commentary on the ''Shulchan Aruch'' originally published between 1884 and 1907. In Sephardic yeshivot, the ''Shulchan Aruch'' itself is more commonly studied, along with the Beit Yosef (book), ''Bet Yosef'' commentary; the ''Yalkut Yosef'' and Yaakov Chaim Sofer#Works, ''Kaf Hachaim'' are also often studied, while Yosef Hayyim#Works, ''Ben Ish Hai'' is a standard reference. In Chabad yeshivot, emphasis is placed upon study of ''Shulchan Aruch HaRav''. Beginning students are encouraged to also work through the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (book), ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'', so as to survey all areas of applicable ''halacha'' and to consolidate their prior, high school, Torah knowledge (this is also often the practice outside of Chabad). More advanced students, additionally and similarly, review the ''Mishneh Torah'' through Daily Rambam Study, its daily study cycle (this is often outside of any ''seder''), here including ''halachot'' relating to, for example, the Temple. Students in ''Semikha'' (Rabbinic ordination) programs, and often those inkollel
A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...
, devote the largest portion of their schedule to ''halakha''. The focus is on in-depth,
source-based
study of those areas where (community) Rabbis will typically be asked ''"shaylas"'', i.e. halachic questions;
the testing
''CATALOG''Rabbinical College of America ''Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary - Semikhah Requirements''
/ref> invariably covers Kashrut (referred to as ''"Issur v'Heter"''), usually
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...
, often Niddah, sometimes Bereavement in Judaism, Avelut (mourning) and/or Jewish wedding, marriage. This study encompasses a detailed analysis of the ''halakha'' in the ''Arba'ah Turim'' and ''Bet Yosef'', through its final presentation in the ''Shulchan Aruch'', with Shulchan Aruch#Major commentaries, its major commentaries (especially Shabbatai HaKohen#The "Shakh", "''Shakh''" and David HaLevi Segal#Works, "''Taz''"), complemented by a survey of key History of responsa in Judaism, ''She'elot u-Teshuvot'' (responsa), recent and historical. The analysis, in turn, is built on a detailed knowledge of all relevant Talmudic ''sugyas'', which are studied accordingly within the schedule. (And emphasizing the legal commentaries mentioned.) Students in an Orthodox Semikha program will thus have a strong background in Talmud, typically''Semicha Standards''Rabbinical Council of America Executive Committee, 2015. having spent at least four preceding years in Yeshiva; Kollel students likewise. (See and .) During the morning ''seder'', Semikha students continue their Talmud studies, learning the same ''masechet'' as the rest of the Yeshiva.
Ethics, mysticism and philosophy
Haredi ''Yeshivot'' typically devote a ''seder'' to musar literature, ''mussar'' (ethics and character development). The preeminent text studied is the ''Mesillat Yesharim'' ("Path of the Just") of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. Rabbinic_literature#Musar_literature, Other works of mussar literature
Musar literature is didactic Jewish ethical literature which describes virtues and vices and the path towards character improvement. This literature gives the name to the Musar movement, in 19th century Lithuania, but this article considers such l ...
studied include:
*''Orchot Tzaddikim'' ("Paths of the Righteous"); its authorship and time of writing is uncertain, but as it quotes Maimonides, it was written some time after his works were disseminated.
*''Chovot ha-Levavot'' ("Duties of the Hearts") by Bahya ibn Paquda.
*''Ma'alot ha-Middot'' ("Benefit [of good character] traits") by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel Anav, Jehiel Anav
*''Mishnat R' Aharon'', Mussar Lectures on many topics by Aharon Kotler.
*''Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler#Michtav me-Eliyahu, Mikhtav me-Eliyahu'', the works of Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler.
*''Tomer Devorah'' by Moses Cordovero.
*Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz#Publications, ''Sichos Mussar'' by Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz.
*''Pele Yoetz'' by Eliezer Papo.
* ''Kav ha-Yashar'' by Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover.
As above, these sessions focus the student on self-understanding and introspection, internalizing the spiritual aims of Judaism, and developing the character-traits, or ''middos'', appropriately. Topics in Jewish ethics#Areas of applied Jewish ethics, applied Jewish ethics, such as lashon hara, the "laws of speech", are often studied separately.
Hasidic yeshivot study the mystical, spiritual Rabbinic literature #Hasidic thought , works of Hasidic philosophy (''Chassidus''). These draw on the earlier esoteric theology of ''Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
'', but articulates it in terms of inner psychological awareness and personal analogies. This study thus makes Jewish mysticism accessible and tangible, so that it inspires emotional ''dveikus'' (cleaving to God) and embeds a deep Hashkafa#Principles , spiritual element in daily Jewish life; it thereby serves a similar purpose to ''mussar'', but through different means and with different contributions to intellectual and emotional life. Chabad yeshivot, for example, study the Tanya (Judaism), Tanya, the Likutei Torah, and the voluminous works of the Chabad-Lubavitch#The leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rebbes of Chabad for an hour and a half each morning, before prayers, and an hour and a half in the evening. See #Hasidic yeshivas, above.
#Sephardi yeshivas, As mentioned, Sephardi ''yeshivot'' often incorporate study of selected Kabbalistic texts into their curriculum – Primary texts of Kabbalah, standard texts, as well as works by Yosef Hayyim, Yehuda Fatiyah and Yaakov Chaim Sofer. Kabbalistic sources are brought in ''halachik'' works such as ''Kaf Hachaim'' and ''Ben Ish Hai'' – see – and are then studied indirectly also.
In Hesder, Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox Judaism, Modern Orthodox yeshivot,
''Machshavah'' (Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcile ...
generalized / applied as "Jewish thought"; also ''Hashkafa'', "worldview") is taught formally,See for exampleTopics in Hashkafa
at Har Etzion
Shiurim in Machsahava
at Yeshiva University (yutorah.org)
Hashkafa courses
at WebYeshiva with ''shiurim'' systematically covering the Jewish principles of faith, major topics and Rabbinic_literature#Jewish_philosophy, works (''Kuzari, The Guide for the Perplexed, Moreh Nevukhim, Sefer ha-Ikkarim , Emunoth ve-Deoth, Emunot ve-Deot, Derech Hashem, Chaim of Volozhin#Works, Nefesh Ha-Chaim, Kad ha-Kemach'' and others). Hesder yeshivot additionally devote specific time to the writings of Abraham Isaac Kook, "Rav Kook", who articulated a unique personal blend of mysticism, creative exegesis and philosophy (as well as to ''Torat Eretz Yisrael'' generally). The Modern Orthodox Judaism, Modern Orthodox, similarly, study the works of Joseph B. Soloveitchik, "Rav Soloveitchik". Hasidic philosophy and Mussar are also often taught; and ''Judah Loew ben Bezalel#Jewish philosophy, Maharal'' may have a dedicated ''shiur''. Machshava is also a focus-area of many ''Midrashot''. Some Haredi and Hasidic yeshivas also include formal study of ''Hashkafa'', especially at ''ba'al teshuva'' focused yeshivas; many ''Semikha'' programs likewise, particularly those with an outreach, or ''kiruv'', component. Regardless, students here typically study the major works independent of a ''shiur''.
Torah and Bible study
Intensive study of ''Chumash'' (Torah) with the commentary of Rashi is stressed and taught in all elementary grades. In Haredi and Hasidic yeshivas, this is often done with Yiddish translations. The rest of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible; acronym: ''"Torah, Hebrew_Bible#Nevi'im, Nevi'im u'Hebrew_Bible#Ketuvim, Ketuvim"''; "Torah, Prophets and Writings") is usually taught through high school, although less intensively.
In Yeshivot, thereafter, ''Chumash'', and especially ''Nach (Bible acronym), Nach'', are studied less directly. Yeshiva students typically follow the practice of ''Shnayim mikra ve-echad targum'', independently studying the upcoming ''parashah'' (weekly Torah portion) twice in the original Hebrew and once in Targum Onkelos (an Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
translation), together with Rashi's commentary. Students often also study Nachmanides#Commentary on the Torah, Ramban's commentary (functioning in relation to Rashi here, somewhat as Tosafot above); less frequently, other commentaries from the ''Mikraot Gedolot'' edition are reviewed. Students may similarly study the Tanach independently, but it is not taught ''per se''; exceptions are the five Megilloth and Psalms, Tehillim. The ''Rosh Yeshiva'' usually delivers a weekly ''shiur'' on the ''parashah'', exploring a particular question or theme, which is often Shiur (Torah)#Public study sessions, open to the public.
At Hesder, Religious Zionism, Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox Judaism, Modern Orthodox yeshivot, the study of ''Chumash'' and ''Nach'' continues in parallel with Talmud study. These institutions offer formal ''shiurim'' in many, if not all, of the books of ''Nevi'im'' and ''Ketuvim''. These are often structured Shiur (Torah)#Class levels, by level, similar to Talmud study, where the text, and its overall structure, is then analyzed in light of the Jewish commentaries on the Bible, various commentaries and Midrash#Classical compilations, ''Midrashim'', typically complementing the ''Machshavah'' ''shiurim''.
(See further re this approach under .)
Oral Torah#In rabbinic literature and commentary, More recent commentaries especially studied are ''Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin#Bibliography, "Netziv"'' and ''Malbim#Methodology and style, "Malbim"''; as well as reference works such as ''Da'at Miqra'' by Mordechai Breuer and others.
The commentaries by Ramban, Isaac_Abarbanel#Exegesis, Abarbanel, Bahya_ben_Asher#Torah_commentary, "Rabbeinu Behaye", and Samson Raphael Hirsch#Commentary on the Torah, "Rav Hirsch" provide much philosophical content.
Intensive study of Tanach, as for Machshava, is similarly a feature of many ''Midrashot''.
See also
* Bais Yaakov * Jewish day school * List of rabbinical schools * Mesivta * Religious school * YeshivishReferences
{{Organized Jewish Life in the United States, Religious education Yeshivas, Jewish education Jewish religious occupations Jewish educational institutions Single-gender schools Hebrew words and phrases