Spring 2021 Shiur Syllabus

Shiur with Benay
Thursdays, Mar 4 – May 27
11:30 AM ET – 1:20 PM ET

Chevrutot

This semester we have shuffled our chevruta matches and will be learning in the following pairs and trio.

Sarit, Lev, & Noah Ilana
Binya & Annie
Eliana & Noah RB
Jess & Arielle

Preparation

The chevruta relationship is an essential component of the Jewish sacred practice of text study. Chevruta learning is required prior to each shiur. The expectation is that approximately 1.5 – 2 hours of chevruta time will be required to complete each assignment (along with any additional adventures y’all want to take, like exploring comments from Rashi, diving into parallel texts, chasing down codes, etc.!). Each chevruta in the pair is responsible for their own learning and their partner’s learning. Recitation and articulation of material by one chevruta while the other listens and checks is an important part of the chevruta process. Good chevrutas do not move on until their partners “get it” and each chevruta is responsible for making sure that their partner does, in fact, “get it”—to the point of mastery and ownership.

Folks are expected to come to shiur having a) reviewed and mastered the material from all previous sessions (chazarah), and b) prepared the assignment for the current class to the best of their ability—all b’chevruta.

Weekly Breakdown/Assignments

In shiur this semester, we will trace the thread of svara through several sugyot and see where this exploration takes us. Benay will share new assignments each week.

Session 1, Mar. 4

For our March 4 session, prepare the text below from Berakhot 6b (it’s about half way down the daf) along with the two Rashis on this passage.

אמר רבי זירא אגרא דפרקא רהטא אמר אביי אגרא דכלה דוחקא

Session 2, Mar. 18

For our March 18 session, prepare the text below from Berakhot 6b (picking up where the previous text left off) along with all Rashis on this passage.

אמר רבא אגרא דשמעתא סברא אמר רב פפא אגרא דבי טמיא שתיקותא אמר מר זוטרא אגרא דתעניתא צדקתא

Session 4, Apr. 8

For our April 8 session, follow the masoret haShas from the Rashi d.h. ‘agra d’ta’anita tzidketa’ to Sanhedrin and the Rashi there (Sanhedrin 35a).

Supplementary Texts and Resources

Bava Metzia 84a
Ketubot 61b/62a
‘Svara’ from Otzar Lashon HaTalmud
Eliayu Zuta
Sanhedrin 35a
Maharsha on Berakhot

Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 9:4
Tur, Yoreh Deah, siman 256, se’if 2
Sulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah, siman 256, se’if 2

Sokoloff entry on Shmatta
Pnei Yehoshua

Steinsaltz Hebrew translation of Berakhot