HaShoneh Halachos for Fri, Oct 2, 2015

85. What to Study 85. What to StudyHaShoneh Halachos for Friday, October 2, 2015 Talmud Torah 1:11 A person is obligated to divide his study time into thirds. One-third should be devoted to studying the Written Torah, one-third to studying the Oral Law, and one-third to understanding how concepts are derived from their roots in the Torah, inferring and comparing concepts, and delving into the principles of exegesis, until one understands how prohibited and permitted decisions are derived. This process is what we call Gemara. Talmud Torah 1:12 Regarding dividing one’s Torah study into thirds, a craftsman might spend three hours per day at his work, and nine hours studying Torah. Of those nine hours, three should be spent studying the Written Torah, three studying the Oral Law, and three utilizing his intellect to understand how one concept is derived from another. Words of tradition transmitted to us by the Prophets are considered part of the Written Torah; the explanation of these words is part of the Oral Law. The things referred to as Pardes are considered part of Gemara. (See Yesodei HaTorah chapter 4, in particular Halacha 4:13.) This division into thirds applies when one first begins to study Torah. When a person becomes more knowledgeable, he does not need to spend as much time on the Written Torah and the Oral Law. At that point, he should study these things only at specific times so that he not forget these aspects of the Torah. Once a person is proficient in Torah study, he should focus on Gemara alone, according to his ability. By Rabbi Jack AbramowitzProvided for informational purposes only. Please contact your rabbi for guidance in matters of practical application.View HaShoneh Halachos 2: Mishneh Torah Index » “Anyone who studies Jewish laws every day can rest assured that he has earned a place in the Next World...”(Talmud Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a) “One who learns in order to teach will be given the ability to learn and to teach but one who learns in order to perform will be given the ability to learn, to teach, to observe and to perform.”(Avos 4:5)   OU.ORG  |  NCSY  |  NJCD  |  OU Kosher   |  JLIC  |  Jewish Action  |  Advocacy  |  OU Job BoardShabbat Shalom  |  OU Press  |  OU Torah  |  OU Israel  |  Synagogue Services   Share this on  Facebook   |   Forward to a friend   |   Unsubscribe