Course Description: The Basic Building Blocks of Gemara – Berachot Chapter 4
Course Name: The Basic Building Blocks of Gemara
Course Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Course Details: Gemara Berachot Chapter 4 – Tefillat HaShachar
Pages: 26a – 28
For Grades: 6-8
General Course Description: The fourth chapter of Berachot is generally one of the first texts studied by beginning students as the enter the world of Gemara study. Through the study of the text of the Gemara, we will learn how Gemara study “works” – what questions does the Gemara ask, and how does it answer those questions. We will learn basic elements of the Amidah, as well as a very famous story that appears in this chapter.
The student will learn the following skills during this course:
- Text reading and comprehension
- Key Gemara concepts
- Differentiation between Tanaitic and Amoraic statements (i.e. when is the Gemara quoting a text, and when is it asking a question or giving an answer)
- Fundametal Gemara terms and basic vocabulary
The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge:
- Basic halachot about the Amidah for Shacharit, Minchah and Arvit including the times when they are recited, what happens when one makes a mistake, additions for holidays and other times, and more!
- The basic structure of the Amidah
- How one must act during Amidah
The student will understand:
- Different understandings for the rationale behind the Amidah
- How halachah stretches time for Amidah and other concepts
- The complicated nature of Jewish leadership
Number of lessons: 20
Detailed Lesson Plans: A detailed lesson plan list is coming soon
Sample Lesson:
We are excited to present a sample of the first lesson in Gemara Berachot. You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.