Yeshiva

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Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. yeshivot or yeshivos) is an institution for Torah study and the study of Talmud primarily within Orthodox Judaism attended by males. Yeshiva is the "generic" name for the entire system of schools that teach Torah, Mishnah and Talmud, to all ages.

Today, yeshiva gedolah ("greater/higher yeshiva") refers to the post-high school level while yeshiva katana (minor/lesser yeshiva") refers to the elementary grades in the United States or high school-level in Israel. In the United States, high school-level yeshiva is also called mesivta or metivta, the Aramaic translation for yeshiva. A yeshiva for male married students is known as a kollel ("gathering").

Traditionally, females did not learn Torah in a yeshiva setting, but in recent years Modern Orthodox institutions have provided females with a Yeshiva-system education.

History

See also Torah study

Pre-1800s

Traditionally, every town rabbi had the right to maintain a number of full-time or part-time pupils in the town's study hall (beis midrash, usually adjacent to the synagogue). Their cost of living was covered by community taxation. After a number of years, these young people would either take up a vacant rabbinical position elsewhere (after obtaining semicha, rabbinical ordination) or join the workforce.

The Mishna (tractate Megilla) mentions the law that a town can only be called a "city" if it supports ten men (batlanim) to make up the required quorum for communal prayers. Likewise, every rabbinical court (beth din) was attended by a number of pupils up to three times the size of the court (Mishna, tractate Sanhedrin). These might be indications of the historicity of the classical yeshiva.

As indicated by the Talmud, adults generally took off two months a year (Ellul and Adar, the months preceding the harvest) to pursue full-time Torah study.

Chaim Volozhin

Organised Torah study was revolutionised by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, a disciple of the Vilna Gaon (an influential 18th century leader of Orthodox Judaism). In his view, the traditional arrangement did not cater for those who were looking for more intensive study.

With the support of his teacher, Reb Chaim gathered a large number of interested students and started a yeshiva in the (now Belarusian) town of Volozhin. Although the Volozhin Yeshiva was closed some 60 years later by the Russian government, a number of yeshivot opened in other towns and cities, most notably Ponovezh, Mir, Brisk and Telz (note: these are the Yiddish names of the Lithuanian and Polish towns). Many prominent contemporary yeshivot in the USA and Israel are continuations of these institutions and often bear the same name.

Types of yeshivot

There are four types of yeshivot:

Yeshiva Ketana ("small yeshiva") - Also called Cheder, for elementary school students. Many Yeshivot Ketana in Israel and some in the diaspora do not have a secular course of studies and all students learn Judaic Torah studies full time.
Yeshiva High School - Also called Mesivta or Mechina, 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.
Beth medrash - For high school graduates, and is attended from one year to many years, dependent on the career plans and affiliation of the student.
Kollel - Yeshiva for married adults. The kollel idea, though having its intellectual roots traced to the Torah, is a relatively modern innovation of 19th century Europe. Often, a Kollel will be in the same location as the yeshiva.

Prominent yeshivot

Main article: List of yeshivas

Academic year

The year is divided into three periods called zmanim ("times" or "semesters"). Elul zman starts from the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul and extends until the end of Yom Kippur. This is the shortest (approx. six weeks), but most intense semester as it comes before the high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Winter zman starts after Sukkot ("Tabernacles") and lasts until just before Passover, a duration of six months (seven in a Jewish leap year).

Summer semester starts after Passover and lasts until either the middle of the month of Tammuz or the beginning of the Jewish month of Av, a duration of about three months.

Typical schedule

The following is a typical daily schedule for Beis Medrash students:

7:00 a.m. - Optional seder (study session)
7:30 a.m. - Morning prayers
8:30 a.m. - Session on study of Jewish law
9:00 a.m. - Breakfast
9:30 a.m. - Morning Talmud study (first seder)
12:30 p.m. - Shiur ("lecture") - advanced students sometimes dispense with this lecture
1:30 p.m. - Lunch
2:45 p.m. - Mincha - afternoon prayers
3:00 p.m. - Mussar seder - Jewish ethics
3:30 p.m. - Talmud study (second seder)
7:00 p.m. - Dinner
8:00 p.m. - Night seder - Review of lecture, or study of choice.
9:25 p.m. - Mussar seder - Jewish Ethics
9:45 p.m. - Maariv - Evening prayers
10:00 p.m. - Optional seder

This schedule is generally maintained Sunday through Thursday with an extra long night seder on Thursday nights, sometimes lasting beyond 1:00 am. On Fridays there is usually at least one seder in the morning and the afternoons are free. Saturdays have a special Sabbath schedule which includes some sedarim but usually no shiur.

Method of study

Studying is usually done together with a study-partner called a chavrusa (Aramaic: "friend"), or in a shiur ("lecture").

Talmud study

In the typical yeshiva, the main emphasis is on Talmud study and analysis. Generally, two parallel Talmud streams are covered during a zman (trimester). The first is study in-depth (be-iyun) with an emphasis on analytical skills and close reference to the classical commentators; the latter seeks to cover ground more speedily, to build general knowledge (bekiyut) of the Talmud; see The Talmud in modern-day Judaism.

Works generally studied to clarify the Talmudic text are the commentary by Rashi and the analyses of the Tosafists. Various other meforshim (commentators) are used as well.

Jewish law

Generally, a period is devoted to the study of practical halakha (Jewish law). The text most commonly studied is the Mishnah Berurah written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan. The Mishnah Berurah is a compilation of halakhic opinions rendered after the time of the writing of the Shulkhan Arukh.

Ethics

The preeminent ethical text studied in yeshivot is the Mesillat Yesharim ("Path the Just") by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. Other works studied include:

Orchos Tzaddikim ("Paths 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 Written by Bahya ibn Paquda.
Maalos Hamidos ("Benefit good character traits")
Mishnas R' Aharon Mussar Lectures on many topics by Rabbi Aharon Kotler.
Mikhtav me-Eliyahu, the works of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler.

Chasidic Yeshivot will study Chasidic thought, such as Tanya, and Likutei Torah.

Weekly Torah portion

The weekly Torah portion is usually read together with Rashi's commentary and the Targum Onkelos.

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