Yeshiva: Encyclopedia - Yeshiva

Yeshiva

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. Females usually attend Bais Yaakov schools.

Yeshiva - History

Yeshiva - 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.

Yeshiva - 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 this institution 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.

Yeshiva - Types of yeshivot

There are four types of yeshivoth:

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. Beth medrash - For high school graduates, and is attended from one year to many years, dependant on the career plans and affiliation of the student.
4. 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.

One should distinguish between American and Israeli Yeshivot.

The American Yeshiva student typically attends Yeshiva Ketana locally. Afterwords he sometimes attends a local, but more often dorms at, a Yeshiva High School. This is often followed by 2-4 years in a Beth Medrash and then 2-5 years in Israel, after which he returns to America to attend an American Yeshiva, marry, and then often learn in Kollel.

Yeshiva - Prominent yeshivot

The largest yeshivot currently include:

Yeshiva - In the United States

• Beth Medrash Govoha, also known as "Lakewood yeshiva" (Lakewood, NJ)
• Yeshiva Ner Yisrael: Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Baltimore, MD)
• The Telshe yeshiva (Telz Cleveland, OH; Chicago, IL; Riverdale, NY)
• The Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University (New York, NY)
• Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem (Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, NY)
• Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (Brooklyn, NY)
• Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin (Brooklyn, NY)
• Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn, NY)
• The Rabbinical Seminary of America, also called Chofetz Chaim (Queens, NY)
• The Hebrew Theological College, Yeshivat Beit HaMidrash L'Torah (Chicago, IL)
• Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch (Brooklyn NY)
• Hebrew Academy of Tidewater (Virginia Beach VA)
• In Yeshivish world, there are some major Yesvhias which are known not by a name, but by the city they are in, example are: Edison, Passaic, Paterson, Woodlake, Scranton, Philadelpdia, Bayonne, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Calabasas, Mountaindale, Peekskill, South Fallsburg, and Staten Island.

There are a handful of other prestigous Yeshivas and dozens of smaller ones, including those affiliated with various Hasidic groups.

Yeshiva - In Israel

• The Mirrer Yeshiva of Jerusalem
• The Brisk Yeshiva of Jerusalem, with many branches elsewhere
• The Brisk yeshivas in Bnei Brak, a suburb of Tel Aviv
• The Ponovez Yeshiva in Bnei Barak
• The Chevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem (which moved from Hebron following the 1929 Massacre
• The Mercaz haRav Yeshiva of Jerusalem
• Lakewood East known officially as "Bais Medrash Gavoha D'America B'Eretz Yisrael" in Jerusalem.

The popular Yeshivos located in Israel that cater to the international English speaking community include:

• Yeshivas Ohr Somayach
• Yeshivas Aish HaTorah
• Yeshivas Ohr David
• Yeshivas Midrash Shmuel
• Yeshivas Toras Moshe
• Yeshivas Shaarai Chaim
• Yeshivas Toras Simcha (also known as Toras Simcha College of Talmudic Research)
• Yeshivas Bais Yisroel
• Yeshivas Netiv Aryeh (formerly known as Yeshivas HaKotel)

There are also many Hesder yeshivot, which combine study with military service; various Hasidic yeshivot; and dozens of others.

Yeshiva - 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 holydays 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.

Yeshiva - Typical schedule

They following is a typical daily schedule for Beis Medrash students

• 7:00 am- Optional seder (study session)
• 7:30 am- Morning prayers
• 8:30 am- Session on study of Jewish law
• 9:00 am- Breakfast
• 9:30 am- Morning Talmud study (first seder)
• 12:30 pm- Shiur ("lecture") - advanced students sometimes dispense with this lecture
• 13:30 - Lunch
• 14:45 - Mincha - afternoon prayers
• 15:00 - Mussar seder - Jewish ethics
• 15:30 - Talmud study (second seder)
• 19:00 - Dinner
• 20:00 - Night seder - Review of lecture, or study of choice.
• 21:25 - Mussar seder - Jewish Ethics
• 21:45 - Maariv - Evening prayers
• 22:00 - Optional seder

This schedule is generally maintained Sunday through Thursday with an extra long night seder on Thursday nights, sometimes lasting beyond 1:00. 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.

Yeshiva - Method of study

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

Yeshiva - 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 former is study in-depth (be-iyun) with an emphasis on analytical skills and close reference to the classical commentators; the latter emphasises general knowledge (bekiyuth) 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.

Yeshiva - 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.

Yeshiva - Ethics

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

• Orchos 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.
• Duties of the Heart Written by Bahya ibn Paquda.
• Maalos Hamidos ("Benefit [of 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.

Yeshiva - Weekly Torah portion

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

See also

• Rosh yeshiva
• Mashgiach ruchani
• Kollel
• Beth midrash
• Yeshivish
• Bais Yaakov

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Yeshiva", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki