Shiur
Shiur (
History
The Hebrew term שיעור ("[designated] amount") is used originally in the Talmud [1] to refer to an allotted time or slot; it is applied in the above sense of "lecture", in that the instructor allots time for teaching, while the students, correspondingly, allot time for attending.
The term later came to refer also to a "portion of text" arranged for study on a particular occasion – such as a 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.[2] These shiurim would be attended by all classes of people;[3][4] it was traditional for learned attendees to engage the lecturer in continuous discussion, and for the larger lay audience to listen intently.[5]
Concurrently, in the
Yeshiva learning
"Shiur" will typically refer to the type of learning that takes place in
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.[9] 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
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
Shiurim may also be offered in yeshiva on topics in
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 Yeshiva § Talmud study.
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
In
Related structures
Some
A more senior study group in a Yeshiva is sometimes referred to as a "Kibbutz", especially in older usage, preceding the use of that term for an agricultural community. The members of the Kibbutz proceed independent of a shiur. See for example Sunderland Talmudical College § The Kibbutz and Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich § Style of learning.
Public study sessions
Synagogue rabbis and noted rabbis also give shiurim to their communities. In 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).[13][14]
(Public) shiurim range in length and depth: from a short "vort", or "
Commonly, the Rosh Yeshiva delivers a weekly shiur on the parashah (weekly Torah portion), exploring a particular question or theme. This is usually in-depth, of an hour in duration, and typically open to the public.
Many yeshivot,
A "Memorial Shiur" is often given to the entire yeshiva / community on the
"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,
Similarly, "Vort" and "Dvar Torah", may refer to any short Torah idea, (often linked to that week's parsha
References
- ^ See e.g. Shabbat 35:A
- ^ Wise, Isaac Mayer (1901). Reminiscences. L. Wise.
- ^ Lilienthal, Max E.; Philipson, David (1915). Max Lilienthal, American Rabbi: Life and Writings. Bloch publishing Company.
- ^ Jacob, Star of (1847). HBQOY BKVK. The Star of Jacob, ed. by M. Margoliouth.
- ^ Hebrew Union College Monthly. 1921.
- ^ Curländer, David Joseph (1846). Skizze meines Lebens: mit reiner Wahrheit in humoristischen Style geschrieben und mit Knittelversen versehen ... (in German). D. Curländer.
- ^ The Scattered Nation: Occasional Record of the Hebrew Christian Testimony to Israel. Hebrew Christian Testimony to Israel. 1898.
- ^ Bleichrode, Abraham Moses (1875). תולדות רבינו עקיבא איגר: זה ספר תולדות חיי ... (in Hebrew). בדפוס נ. שריפטגיססער.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Yeshivat Har Etzion. 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ Example marei mekomot - Halacha
- ^ Example marei mekomot - Gemara
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Derech HaTalmud. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ISBN 1-58330-708-7.
- ISBN 978-1-60280-011-3.
- ^ "The Chicago Community Kollel Five-Minute Hilchos Tefillah Shiur". Chicago Community Kollel. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ 1 minute vort on the parsha
- ^ vortfinder.com
- ^ shortvort.com
- ^ Vedibarta Bam - topic areas