<HTML>The discussion regarding teaching gemara has for the most part
differentiated between skills and analysis. While the distinction is
true, it is exacerbated if we think of skills as memorizing the
definitions of words. Teaching key phrases should not be limited to what a given word means but should extend to:
a) how it is used in the talmudic argumentation
b) which other words it goes together with and
c) how it helps us to punctuate a sentence.
Knowing the meanings of "hacha" and "hatam" is less important than realizing the gemara refers to the local topic and the topic brought from the outside as a means of comparison. Knowing the translation of "bishlama" is less important than knowing it is followed by "ela" and indicates an argument that only works for one of two possibilities.Students should be trained to expect a "ka mashma lan" following a "ma hu d'teima". Students should understand that if they keep reading through an "amar lei" they missed a stop sign/period.
I realize that this does not guarantee a fabulously exciting class.
However, it does help to integrate the skills with analysis (talmudic
analysis, not brisker analysis). The teacher does not only ask what does word x mean. The teacher also asks where the period is to be placed (which demands literary analysis), what type of argumentation is happening (conceptual analysis) etc.
Yitzie Blau
Yeshivat Hamivtar
nyz@netvision.net.il</HTML>
