Currently, those who learn or teach a Daf Yomi shiur are entrenched in studying Yevamos. This tractate discusses many intricate cases that involve cases of Yibum and Chalitza. Many find that the cases are best understood only after drawing charts and illustrations to visualize each case theGemara discusses. And so, we are pleased to let our readership
I first fell in love with Gemara Berura a dozen years ago. I had just finished my most ambitious project-based learning assignment I had ever attempted with my 9th grade class. We designed a “How To Learn Gemara” website. In this project, my students culminated a year of a careful skills-based approach to learning Gemara by summarizing the various Sugiyot they had learned complete with keywords and color coding. They
Seder night overflows with excitement and meaning as we journey through the fifteen steps of the Seder. The four cups of wine feature as one of the key defining aspects of reliving the Exodus from Egypt. The seemingly straightforward practice of drinking the four cups of wine on Seder night is the subject of great Talmudic discussion and debate. This shiur analyzes sections of the Talmud, along with commentaries of
There is certainly much hype and excitement about drinking on Purim. On the one hand, drunkenness is condemned, forbidden, and admonished against – to varying degrees – in the Torah, Prophets, Writings, Talmud, and Jewish ethical literature. Intoxication can lead to loss of self-control, alcohol addiction, transgression, weakened morality, and crime. In contrast, we are surprised to read an offbeat line
Rabbi Mordechai Smolarcik is the Project Director for the Torah iTextbook Project. He has written previously written here about this project for NLEResources.com. The staff of the Torah iTextbook Project at Hillel Day School of Boca Raton has been hard at work creating outstanding iTextbooks for the study of various Shas sugyot. Thanks to the work... Read more »
NLE Thinking Gemara Series – already a popular teaching tool in the hands of Outreach rabbis and school teachers everywhere – is proud to announce a brand new set of source materials exploring the history and depth of the custom to light increasing candles on each night of Chanukah. The shiur focuses on the famous Gemara
Ten days ago, 850,000 Jews converged on the streets of Jerusalem for the biggest funeral in Israel’s history -- the funeral of Rav Ovadia Yosef. News agencies around the world covered Rav Ovadia’s passing, and recorded the highlights of the life of this great rabbi, political leader and social revolutionary.
A while ago, I had a remarkable conversation with a remarkable teacher about the remarkable things he and his remarkable students are doing with remarkable tools
The Professionals Beis Medrash (PBM) is a carefully constructed Gemara study that we have designed. Baruch Hashem, it is already being enjoyed in many professional communities throughout the world! It is designed for thos
