Mishna

Our Rabbis teach that the word “mishna” contains the same letters as “neshama” (the Hebrew word for soul) and the study of mishna awakens the neshama. We will spend a short period of each day studying Mishna, which focuses on basic aspects of the Torah information. In addition to being a self-contained course of study, the Mishna is also the foundation block to the study of Gemora, which is essentially a running commentary on mishnaot. The language of the Mishna is relatively simple, making it easier for a beginner to master and thereby begin to acquire the basic Talmudic terminology.

Talmud* Bavli- The Babylonian Talmud

If the Written Torah, the 5 Books of Moses, constitute G!D’s spoken words as recorded by Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher), the Gemora (or Oral Torah) constitutes G!D’s thought process, so to speak. The body of Gemora was evolved over centuries by the collective brain trust of the greatest Tzaddikim and Rabbinical scholars of the Jewish people both in Eretz Yisrael and in Babylon. It was only reluctantly written down (along with the Mishna) as a last resort, aimed to keep the precious oral knowledge from being lost as a result of terrible privations — massacres, persecutions and mass expulsions suffered by the Jewish people over centuries. Contained within the pages of the Gemora are discussions about virtually everything that could happen in life, from the momentous to the mundane. However, Gemora is written and presented in a style unique unto itself, largely impenetrable to the casual observer.

Our goal is to provide students with skills that will prove invaluable for deciphering, decoding and ultimately comprehending a page of Gemora on their own. We do this by jumping right into the thick of it: the complex world of Talmudic discussion. Though it may seem foreign at first (Gemora switches between Hebrew and Aramaic freely throughout the discussions), the Gemora style of discussion begins to become more familiar as key words and logical constructs become increasingly distinguishable. Gradually, we come to inhabit the pages ourselves and no longer feel like outside spectators.

An integral part of Gemora learning is chavruta study: learning in pairs. Students will engage in chavruta study daily, reviewing Gemora texts we’ve learned and preparing new ones, so that everyone is active in the learning process.

The Gemora class will include a beginner level, for those who are totally or nearly new to this world. A more advanced level is available for students with some previous Gemora learning.

*The term Talmud, which means learning, includes the Mishna and Gemora.

Chumash: Bible

A weekly class to review the Parshat Hashavoua (the weekly Torah portion) along with selections from the classical and Chassidic Torah commentators. We will also offer a weekly in-depth class focused on learning how to learn Chumash and Rashi.

Halacha

This class focuses on the traditional halachas/laws of Shabbat within a contemporary context. We will work with a text (Hilchot Shabbat), written by a scholar living in Eretz Yisrael today. We will learn practical halacha, such as how to prepare, warm and serve food and drinks on Shabbat and Yom Tov. A conceptual framework will be provided in order that we “get” why it is we do what we do on Shabbat. In the process, we will build both our Mishnaic and modern Hebrew vocabulary. During this class we will also prepare for upcoming chagim, familiarizing ourselves with their particular mitzvot.

In-Depth Halachic Tours:

Once a week, Rabbi Yona Rothman takes his students on an in-depth tour on halachic topics and their inner meaning. The flow of the halachic process is explored by first examining the root of each topic in the Torah, and following the Talmudic discussions on it. From there the tour moves on to Maimonides/Rambam’s commentary, and finally delves into Chassidic and Kabbalistic insights.

Every halacha, no matter how dry it seems, has within it a hidden light. Through studying these sources in-depth, we draw the spiritual significance of the mitzvah and feel its connection with our Creator. These teachings reveal the inner beauty of the Torah and give us greater strength and excitement in performing mitzvot.

Chassidut

The Deepest of the Deep: The Chassidic Teachings of Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt”l

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo is very proud to offer this new daily class in which we will explore major Chassidic schools of thought and their teachings, as given over by Reb Shlomo Carlebach.

Ishbitz, Slonim, Rizhin, Ropshitz, Pshischa, Breslov, Kotzk, Lublin and many more are not just names that come up in beautiful stories. They are the wellsprings from Reb Shlomo drank from and disseminated to the world.

Join Reb Sholom Brodt in exploring these Chassidic dynasties themselves as well as their Torahs, together with Reb Shlomo’s own unique and heartwarming style, which only he knew how to give over.

Participants in this course will need to be part of Men’s Beit Midrash for at least an additional hour each day, either studying in chevruta or by joining one of our existing Talmud classes.

Reb Sholom Brodt. Sunday – Thursday, 12:30 – 1:15 PM