Limud Torah
Gemara
The goals of our Gemara shiurim include; the development of the skills necessary for independent study of the Gemara and for basic evaluation of the process of p’sak and halakhic argumentation. These goals are facilitated by students’ ability to think and express themselves in the “language” of the Gemara. A primary focus of our ninth and tenth-grade classes, accordingly, is to give students a large working vocabulary of the most common and significant terms found in the Gemara
and mefarshim. The selection of Gemara texts at YTA is done along criteria of practicality, interest to the student,
applicability to daily Shmirat Mitzvot: its details and rationales.
In the 11th and 12th grade, we use the skills acquired to begin a more in depth study of the text, while at the same time
solidifying our students vocabulary and “derech Halimud”. All Y.T.A. students will learn 5 Yechidot of Gemara (each Yechida
is approximately 10-15 blatt) and will be-ezrat Hashem be prepared to continue their learning after high school in a Yeshiva
environment (Hesder or Mechina)
At Y.T.A., we formulate our Gemara study to offer wholesome and uplifting values for our students to understand and
emulate.
Toshba
Toshba Track – 11th and 12th grade
The Toshba Track at YTA allows a junior and senior to continue his Gemara learning while pursuing a broader range of
limudei kodesh. The track consists of the following:
• Seven periods a week of Gemara (instead of 11 in the Talmud Track), spread over three days a week
• Four periods a week of Jewish studies electives, spread over the remaining two days. Electives include classes in practical Halacha (Shabbat, Kashrut, or Shemitta), philosophy of mitzvot, and the Jewish perspective on relationships (Bayit Chinuch U’Mishpacha). These Toshba classes form part of the bagrut curriculum.
The Toshba track student will have a well-rounded knowledge of practical Halacha, Hashkafa and Gemara while learning the skills necessary to continue his learning in the future.
Machshevet Israel
In this course students get the opportunity to meet some of the classic Jewish thinkers and study excerpts of their writings
pertaining to topics such as Faith and Redemption, Prayer, and Reward and Punishment. The course is designed to challenge the students to start to ponder these issues and introduce them to the various strains of thought that very much influence the contemporary community.
This course is part of the bagrut syllabus and students take an internal bagrut examination at the conclusion of the term.
Tanach
GENERAL GOALS
The Written Torah and its interpretations in the Oral Torah were given to the Jewish People by Hashem. This, the Word of
Hashem, is described and developed in the Prophets and Writings which are recorded in the TANACH and written with
Divine Inspiration רוח הקדש. These writings provide us with a general code of conduct as individuals and a society. They also serve as the foundation of Jewish Culture.
The holiness of the Bible applies to all 24 books of the Tanach according to the Masoretic text.
The continued existence and peace of our people in Eretz Yisrael are intricately tied to our fulfillment of Hashem’s Torah
and Mitzvot. This is the meaning of the Pasuk:
ו“ושמרת את חקתיו ואת מצותיו אשר אני מצוך היום, אשר ייטב לך ולבניך אחריך, ולמען תאריך ימים על האדמה אשר ד’ אלקיך נותך לך כל הימים”. דברים. ד. מ.
The Ingathering of the Exiles and the Establishment of the State of Israel in our day mark the beginning of the fulfillment of
the words of the Torah and the vision of the prophets regarding the redemption of Israel.
There are 70 facets to the Torah, however:
Our aim is generally to understand the “P’shat” of the text according to the classical commentaries (e.g., Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Ramban, Radak, etc.)
The Halachic Midrashim reveal the meaning of the Biblical text according to the Oral Torah, thereby bridging between the
text and the Halachah and directing us toward the fulfillment of Mitzvot.
The Aggadic Midrashim were written to express ideas, opinions, ethics and ideologies as they rely upon the Biblical text and
direct us toward Jewish values and ideals.
When studying the Halachik material in the Torah, we place extra emphasis on the sources expounding on the Halachah (especially the Halachik Midrashim) and Rashi’s gloss, as the Halachik interpretations are generally explicated by Rashi.
Accordingly, the methodology we use to teach the non-Halachik material is different from the Halachik material in two
ways:
Difference 1: When teaching the non-Halachik sections, we emphasize understanding the P’shat of the text, while when
learning the Halachik sections we emphasize the Rabbinic commentaries that help us understand and live a Halachik
lifestyle.
Difference 2: When teaching the non-Halachik sections, we tend to focus our interpretations and ideas on the Biblical text itself and its message. When teaching the Halachik material, however, we often include topics of Halachik importance that
may be only tangentially related to the text itself, even as the text may be clear without these inclusions.
The study of Tanach in our school marks the beginning of a life-long pursuit of Torah study that should be ever-expanding.
Dinim
An overview of selected laws of Kashrut, Shabbat and Laws of Daily Living. Students will also be introduced to the development of Torah Shbeal Peh and learn how this development relates to Halacha.