Chavrusa, also spelled chavruta or ḥavruta (, lit. "fellowship"; : חַבְרָוָותָא, ḥāḇrāwāṯā), is a traditional Rabbinic Judaism approach to study in which a small group of students (usually 2–5) analyze, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in and , where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge and ability, and is also practiced by those outside the yeshiva setting, in work, home, and vacation settings. The traditional phrase is to learn b'chavrusa (בְחַבְרוּתָא bəḥāḇruṯā "in partnership"); the word has come by metonymy to refer to the study partner as an individual, though it would more logically describe the pair.
Unlike a teacher-student relationship, in which the student memorizes and repeats the material back in tests, chavrusa-style learning puts each student in the position of analyzing the text, organizing their thoughts into logical arguments, explaining their reasoning to their partner, hearing out their partner's reasoning, and questioning and sharpening each other's ideas, often arriving at entirely new insights into the meaning of the text.
A chavrusa usually refers to two students learning one on one. When three or more students learn together, they are called a chavurah (, group; also chabura). In some communities, the idea of chavrusa can include two, three, four or even five individuals studying together. The Reform and Conservative movements have extended the idea of chavura to modern scholarship and poetry (note that a chavura (Ashkenazic pronunciation: chevra) can also refer to a group of individuals or families which is part study or prayer group, part social club).
A (more formal) study group in a Yeshiva is sometimes referred to as a "Kibbutz" – see for example – especially in older usage, preceding the use of that term for an kibbutz.
While an individual may choose to study Talmud alone, it is strongly discouraged. In the Talmud, Jose bar Hanina is quoted as saying that "scholars who sit alone to study the Torah . . . become stupid" (Berakhot, 63b). Nevertheless, there is evidence that learning in pairs was not always a universal norm in yeshivas, for example in the famous Volozhin Yeshiva of 19th century Lithuania, there is evidence that individual study rather than studying in pairs was the norm.Shaul Stampfer, Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century, (Oxford: Littman, 2012) pp. 144-147
Chavrusa-style learning is particularly suited to Talmud study, as the latter is a text filled with conflicting opinions and seemingly contradictory statements on principles of Jewish law. Besides tracking the back-and-forth debates, a student of Talmud must be able to analyze each opinion and present hypotheses to reconcile it in light of the others. The chavrusa relationship gives each student a platform to clarify and explain their position to a partner; then the two go on to question, defend, convince, amend, fine-tune, and even arrive at new conclusions through rigorous intellectual collaboration.
A chavrusa helps the student stay awake, keep his mind focused on the learning, sharpen his reasoning powers, develop his thoughts into words, and organize his thoughts into logical arguments. This type of learning also imparts precision and clarity into ideas that would otherwise remain vague. Having to listen to, analyze and respond to another's opinion inculcates respect for others. It is considered poor manners to interrupt one's chavrusa. The chavrusa relationship also strengthens the student's personal commitment to his studies, as he is loath to disappoint or cancel on his chavrusa.
Some early research has shown that the use of this study modality within a traditional Yeshiva Jewish education can aid students later succeed in law school -- although it remains an open question as to whether that relationship is causal or merely correlative.
In the yeshiva setting, students prepare for and review the shiur (lecture) with their chavrusas during morning, afternoon, and evening study sessions known as sedarim. On average, a yeshiva student spends ten hours per day learning in chavrusa.Helmreich, The World of the Yeshiva, p. 112. Since having the right chavrusa makes all the difference between having a good year and a bad year, class rabbis may switch chavrusas eight or nine times in a class of 20 boys until the partnerships work for both sides. If a chavrusa gets stuck on a difficult point or needs further clarification, they can turn to the rabbis, lecturers, or a sho'el u'mashiv (literally, "ask and answer", a rabbi who is intimately familiar with the Talmudic text being studied) who are available to them in the study hall during sedarim. In women's yeshiva programs, teachers are on hand to guide the chavrusas.
Chavrusa learning tends to be loud and animated, as the study partners read the Talmudic text and the commentaries aloud to each other and then analyze, question, debate, and defend their points of view to arrive at a mutual understanding of the text. In the heat of discussion, they may wave their hands or even shout at each other. Depending on the size of the yeshiva, dozens or even hundreds of chavrusas can be heard discussing and debating each other's opinions. One of the skills of chavrusa learning is the ability to block out all other discussions in the study hall and focus on one's study partner alone.
In the yeshiva world, the brightest students are highly desirable as chavrusas. However, there are pros and cons to learning with chavrusas who are stronger, weaker, or equal in knowledge and ability to the student. A stronger chavrusa will correct and fill in the student's knowledge and help them improve their learning techniques, acting more like a teacher. With a chavrusa who is equal in knowledge and ability, the student is forced to prove their point with logic rather than by right of seniority, which improves their ability to think logically, analyze other people's opinions objectively, and accept criticism. With a weaker chavrusa, who often worries over and questions each step, the student is forced to understand the material thoroughly, refine and organize their thoughts in a logical structure, present their viewpoint clearly, and be ready to justify each and every point. The stronger chavrusa helps the student acquire a great deal of information, but the weaker chavrusa helps the student learn how to learn. Yeshiva students are usually advised to have one of each of these three types of chavrusas in order to develop on all three levels.
Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey is known for its "tumult day" at the beginning of each z'man (semester), when thousands of students mingle outdoors with the goal of choosing a chavrusa for the new term. A similar "tumult day" takes place among the hundreds of students at the main Brisk yeshiva in Jerusalem, and at the Mir in Jerusalem.
Chavrusas often develop into lasting friendships. The shared commitment to scholarship and intellectual growth creates a close bond between study partners Second, revised edition that has been said to be closer than that of many married couples.
In recent years, telephone study partnerships for women have been promoted as a kiruv (Orthodox Judaism outreach) tool in Israel and as an option for busy homemakers.
Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, reportedly had a regular half-hour chavrusa with his wife, during which they studied Orach Chayim.
Origin
Educational benefits
Practice
Choosing a chavrusa
Women's chavrusas
Telephone and online chavrusas
Telephone chavrusas
Online chavrusas
Limmud Chavruta Project
Other uses
Zionist ideal
Chavrusa magazine
Havruta magazine
See also
Further reading
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> "Can Havruta Style Learning Be a Best Practice in Law School?" by Barbara Pinkerton Blumenfeld. Willamette Journal of International Law & Dispute Resolution, 2010
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