Shiur
Encyclopedia
Shiur is a lesson on any Torah
topic, such as Gemara
, Mishnah
, halakha
, Tanakh
, etc.
ic passage, Rabbi Judah haNasi
averred that he gained his sharp mind from watching Rabbi Meir
deliver the shiur. However, since the lecture hall was so crowded, his seat was behind the lectern, so he only saw Rabbi Meir from the back. "Had I seen him from the front, how much greater would I have become!" he declared.
s and kollel
im, where students hear an in-depth lecture on the sugya (Gemara topic) the yeshiva is studying at the time.
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
. Before the shiur, a bibliography and a series of textual references are posted so that students may prepare for the lesson 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 chavruta
s (study pairs).
Shiurim may also offered in yeshiva on topics in mussar
, Chumash, and hashkafah (Jewish philosophy), depending on the yeshiva and the learning level of its students.
"; second-year students are in "Shiur Bet
"; third-year students are in "Shiur Gimmel, etc. In kollelim, the higher shiurim accommodate more advanced levels of learning.
rabbis and noted rabbis in the community also give shiurim to their constituencies. In shuls, the shiur given between Mincha and Maariv is usually geared to baalebatim (working men). Noted rabbis give more in-depth shiurim to attendees on Shabbat
or weekday evenings, usually in the local synagogue or beth midrash
(study hall).
or MP4
connection, or call-in telephone lines. Though by definition, a shiur is a comprehensive, structured lesson, some kiruv
organizations advertise "five-minute shiurim" to attract beginning listeners.
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
topic, such as Gemara
Gemara
The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...
, Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
, halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
, etc.
History
The shiur has been a primary method of teaching since Mishnaic times. In a famous TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic passage, Rabbi Judah haNasi
Judah haNasi
Judah the Prince, or Judah I, also known as Rebbi or Rabbeinu HaKadosh , was a 2nd-century CE rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He was a key leader of the Jewish community during the Roman occupation of Judea . He was of the Davidic line, the royal line of King David, hence the...
averred that he gained his sharp mind from watching Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Meir or Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishna. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation . According to legend , his father was a descendant of the Roman Emperor Nero who had converted to Judaism. His wife Bruriah is...
deliver the shiur. However, since the lecture hall was so crowded, his seat was behind the lectern, so he only saw Rabbi Meir from the back. "Had I seen him from the front, how much greater would I have become!" he declared.
Yeshiva learning
Traditionally, a shiur refers to the type of learning that takes place in yeshivaYeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s and kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
im, where students hear an in-depth lecture on the sugya (Gemara topic) the yeshiva is studying at the time.
Typically, yeshiva students attend a daily shiur yomi (daily lecture) given by a maggid shiur
Maggid shiur
The term Maggid Shiur literarly translates from Hebrew to mean "sayer of Shiur".This term is used to refer to the Rabbi that lectures in a Yeshiva or Kollel.A Maggid Shiur is generally a Rabbi who lectures on advanced and in-depth Talmudic studies....
(literally, "sayer of the shiur") and a weekly shiur klali (comprehensive lecture, which sums up the week's learning) given by the rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
. Before the shiur, a bibliography and a series of textual references are posted so that students may prepare for the lesson 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
Seder
Seder is a Hebrew word meaning "order" or "sequence", and can have any of the following meanings:For Jewish holidays*Passover Seder, a ritualized dinner observed during Passover...
, in which students study the lesson individually and/or in chavruta
Chavruta
Chavruta, also spelled chavrusa , is a traditional Rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a pair of students independently learn, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in yeshivas and kollels, where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge...
s (study pairs).
Shiurim may also offered in yeshiva on topics in mussar
Mussar movement
The Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
, Chumash, and hashkafah (Jewish philosophy), depending on the yeshiva and the learning level of its students.
Class levels
A shiur is also the name given to the different class-levels in a yeshiva. For example, first-year students are said to be in "Shiur AlephAleph
* Aleph or Alef is the first letter of the Semitic abjads descended from Proto-Canaanite, Arabic alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet-People:*Aleph , an Italo disco artist and alias of Dave Rodgers...
"; second-year students are in "Shiur Bet
Bet (letter)
Bet, Beth, Beh, or Vet is the second letter of many Semitic abjads, including Arabic alphabet , Aramaic, Hebrew , Phoenician and Syriac...
"; third-year students are in "Shiur Gimmel, etc. In kollelim, the higher shiurim accommodate more advanced levels of learning.
Public study sessions
SynagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
rabbis and noted rabbis in the community also give shiurim to their constituencies. In shuls, the shiur given between Mincha and Maariv is usually geared to baalebatim (working men). Noted rabbis give more in-depth shiurim to attendees on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
or weekday evenings, usually in the local synagogue or beth midrash
Beth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
(study hall).
Modern use
In modern parlance, the term "shiur" has been extended to include any kind of Torah lesson — including lectures to children, women, and baalebatim (non-scholarly audience), and taped lectures circulated via cassette tape, computer hookup, MP3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
or MP4
MPEG-4 Part 14
MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
connection, or call-in telephone lines. Though by definition, a shiur is a comprehensive, structured lesson, some kiruv
Orthodox Judaism outreach
Orthodox Jewish outreach commonly referred to as Kiruv or Keruv , is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-Orthodox Jews to believe in God, engage in Torah study, and practice the Mitzvot in the hope that they will live according to Orthodox Jewish law...
organizations advertise "five-minute shiurim" to attract beginning listeners.