Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any

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 ...

topic, such as Gemara,

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 Tor ...

Halakha ''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),

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' yartzeit, the dedication of a new home, or the evening of a holiday, and then to a public reading and explanation of the same. The act of teaching and studying these texts at the designated time was known in Yiddish as ''schiur lernen''. These shiurim would be attended by all classes of people; it was traditional for learned attendees to engage the lecturer in continuous discussion, and for the larger lay audience to listen intently. Concurrently, the word came to refer to the daily study quotient for students of a

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy a ...

, and then to the lecture given thereon. Akiva Eger, for example,

would not miss learning a single ''shiur'' with the yeshiva. His ''shiurim'' with them were always three per day: there was a session of Talmud and Tosafot, a session of exhaustive
Halakha ''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 ...
, and a session of
Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך , literally: "Set Table"), sometimes dubbed in English as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed (today in ...
and Magen Avraham, and these were aside from the session of Tur and SA Yoreh De'ah he would learn with his children and some students, and with these he would learn a further ''shiur'' of exhaustive Talmud and Tosafot at night.

Yeshiva learning

Shiur may refer to the type of learning that takes place in yeshivot and

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); ...

im, where students hear an in-depth lecture on the

sugya The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...

( Gemara topic) they are studying at the time. Typically, yeshiva students attend a daily ''shiur yomi'' (daily lecture) given by a maggid shiur (literally, "sayer of the shiur") and a weekly ''shiur klali'' (comprehensive lecture, which sums up the week's learning) given by the rosh yeshiva. The rosh yeshiva usually also gives the senior shiur - see below - on a daily basis. Before the shiur, a bibliography and a series of textual references, or '' mar'e mekomot'', Example ''marei mekomot'' - Halacha
Example ''marei mekomot'' - Gemara
/ref> are posted so that students may prepare for the lecture in advance. Students typically spend several hours preparing for the ''shiur yomi''. After the shiur, students spend additional time reviewing and clarifying the lesson that they have just heard. These preparation and review periods take place in a special time period called a ''seder'', in which students study the lesson individually and/or in '' chavrutot'' (study pairs). Shiurim may also be offered in yeshiva on topics in mussar, Chumash, and ''

hashkafah ''Hashkafa'' ( he, השקפה, lit., "outlook"; plural ''hashkafot'', ''hashkafos'', ''hashkafas'') is the Hebrew term for worldview and guiding philosophy, used almost exclusively within Orthodox Judaism. A ''hashkafa'' is a perspective that ...

'' (Jewish philosophy), depending on the yeshiva and the learning level of its students. The shiur is likewise the typical format for classes at women's seminaries and ''midrashot''.

Class levels

For Talmud-study, the level of complexity and understanding expected from students increases each year, successively incorporating additional layers of commentary and perspectives, and with the analysis compounding correspondingly; see . Thus, following on from the practice of the Telz Yeshiva, studies are typically organized by level. The term "''shiur''" is then used to differentiate different classes, so that first-year students are typically said to be in "Shiur '' Aleph''"; second-year students in "Shiur ''Bet''"; and third-year students in "Shiur ''Gimmel''", etc. Strong students may be "promoted", but it is less common for a student to be held back. Commonly the fourth ''Shiur'' is that of the '' Rosh Yeshiva'', head of the institution. Here students consolidate the approach to study, or "''derech ha-limud''", emphasized by their yeshiva. See . In ''

im'' ("post-graduate" institutions), the ''shiurim'' address a yet more advanced level of study, with students learning independently, although under guidance of the '' rosh kollel''; Rabbinic ordination, '' Semicha'', programs similarly require that students have attained a high level in Talmud, this being the base for their advanced study of ''Halacha''. Typically, then, before joining a ''kollel'' or pursuing ordination, students are required to have learned in the "Rosh Yeshiva's Shiur" for at least two years.

Related structures

Some Orthodox yeshivot - such as Ner Yisroel and Kollel Etz Chaim - organize learning (at senior levels) in ''"chaburahs"''. Here, the members of the ''chaburah'' all focus on the same specific area or work of Torah study, informally lead by the rosh-chaburah. A (more structured) study group in a Yeshiva is sometimes referred to as a "Kibbutz" - see for example - especially in older usage, preceding the use of that term for an agricultural community.

Public study sessions

Synagogue rabbis and noted rabbis also give ''shiurim'' to their communities. In '' shuls'', the shiur given between the '' Mincha'' and '' Maariv'' services is usually geared to ''baalebatim'' (laymen). Noted rabbis give more in-depth ''shiurim'' to attendees on Shabbat or weekday evenings, usually in the local synagogue or beth midrash (study hall). (Public) ''shiurim'' range in length and depth: from a short "''vort''", or "''

Dvar Torah Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mitzvah'' ("comm ...

''" ("word (of Torah)", in Yiddish and Hebrew respectively), to a detailed "''drasha''" ("study", from the Aramaic; see

midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

); the former above, ''baalebatim'' focused, is a ''vort'', while the latter is a ''drosha''. Especially in

Chasidic 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 ...

settings, a less formal - often inspirational - shiur may be termed "''sicha''" (שיחה, lit. "speech"); see also Maamor and Maamarim (Chabad). Commonly, the ''Rosh Yeshiva'' delivers a weekly ''shiur'' on the ''parashah'' (

weekly Torah portion It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is p ...

), exploring a particular question or theme. This is usually in-depth, of an hour in duration, and typically open to the public. Many yeshivot, midrashot, and "community ''kollels''" host ''yemei iyun'' ("days of in-depth learning", sing. ''yom iyun''), where community members study a specific topic. These are often held before religious holidays - especially Pesach and the New Year period - preparing the spiritual and ''halakhik'' elements of the upcoming festival. A "Memorial Shiur" is often given to the entire yeshiva / community on the '' Yahrzeit'' of a (founding) Rosh Yeshiva or

Rabbi 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 ...

; usually exploring a specific topic of general interest. "Shiur" may include any kind of Torah lesson — including lectures to children, women, and ''baalebatim'' (lay audience), and taped lectures circulated via cassette tape, computer, MP3 or MP4 file, or call-in telephone lines. Some

kiruv Orthodox Jewish outreach, often referred to as ''Kiruv'' or ''Qiruv'' ( he, קירוב "bringing close"), is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-observant Jews to encourage belief in God and life accord ...

organizations advertise "five-minute shiurim" to attract new listeners. Similarly, "Vort" and "Dvar Torah", may refer to any short Torah idea, (often linked to that week’s parsha ) delivered on various occasions, ''Vedibarta Bam'' - topic areas
/ref> and not necessarily by a Rabbi; for example: by the host at their Shabbat table, by the leader before "''Benching''" (grace after meals), or by a guest at '' sheva brachot'', or any '' Seudat mitzvah''.

References

External links

"How to Review Shiur: A Practical Guide""Video Shiurim"
{{Orthodox Judaism Torah Orthodox yeshivas Hebrew words and phrases Jewish education