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.

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:See also Torah study

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Pre-1800s

Traditionally, every town rabbi had the right to maintain a number of full-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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Hebrew: The word Hebrew can variously mean:...

Torah study: Torah study is the study of Jewish religious texts by Jews for religious (as opposed to academic) purposes. This practice is present to an extent in all religious branches of Judaism and is considered of paramount importance. Torah study evolved over the generations, as lifestyles changed and new te...

Talmud: The Talmud (תלמוד) is considered an authoritative record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories. It is a fundamental source of legislation, customs, case histories and moral exhortations. The Talmud has two components, the Mis...