Everything about Rosh Yeshiva totally explained
Rosh yeshiva, (
pl.
Heb.
Roshei yeshiva;
Yeshivish Rosh yeshivas),, is the title given to the
dean of a
Talmudical academy. It is made up of the Hebrew words
rosh — meaning head, and
yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education. The rosh yeshiva is required to have a vast and penetrating knowledge of the
Talmud and the ability to achieve a level of mastery of his material and an ability to analyse and present new perspectives, called
chidushim, (novellae) verbally and often in print.
Role
Yeshivas play a central role in the life of certain communities within
Orthodox Judaism, so the position of rosh yeshiva is more than just a dean of a school. A rosh yeshiva is often a pillar of leadership in extended communities. In
Hasidic Judaism the role of rosh yeshiva is secondary to the
Rebbe, who is head of the Hasidic dynasty that controls it. In many Hassidic sects, the rosh yeshiva of a school will be the son or son-in-law of the Rebbe, the assumed heir of the Rebbe.
History
Yeshivas continue the scholarly traditions of the Biblical
Sanhedrin and the Seventy Elders wherein were discussed and elaborated the
613 Mitzvot. This tradition was continued by the sages of the
Mishnah and
Talmud who often headed academies with hundreds of students. In Babylonia the rosh yeshiva was referred to as the
Reish Metivta in
Aramaic.
General role
The general role of the rosh yeshiva is to oversee the Talmudic studies and
practical matters. The rosh yeshiva may lecture on a daily or weekly basis to the highest
shiur (class). He is also the one to decide whether to grant permission for students to undertake classes for rabbinical ordination, known as
semicha.
Rosh yeshiva dynasties
Depending on the size of the yeshiva, there may be several rosh yeshivas, sometimes from one extended family. There are familial dynasties of rosh yeshivas, for example the
Soloveitchik, the
Finkel, the
Feinstein, the
Kotler,
Kook, which head many yeshivas in the
United States and
Israel.
Famous rosh yeshivas
Prior to
the Holocaust most of the large yeshivas were based in
Eastern Europe. Many rosh yeshivas were trained by graduates of the
Volozhin yeshiva, headed by Rabbi
Chaim of Volozhin, (
1749 -
1821). It is known as the "Mother of Yeshivas" because it was the first institution of its kind, for prior to its establishment people learned primarily in their respective towns with local rabbis. Another explanation that has been offered for the title "Mother of Yeshivas" is that so many of its alumni established yeshivas of their own. Rabbi Chaim was the chief disciple of the famed
Vilna Gaon (
1720 -
1797).
Presently the majority of the world's yeshivas and their rosh yeshivas are located in the
United States and
Israel.
The following is a list of some famous rosh yeshivas:
Current rosh yeshivas
Rav Boaz Mori
Role of mashgiach ruchani
The personal and ethical development of the students in the yeshiva is usually covered by a different personality, known as the
mashgiach or spiritual supervisor. This concept, introduced by the
Mussar movement in the
19th century, led to perfection of character as one of the aims of attending a yeshiva. One typical and influential mashgiach was Rabbi
Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Rosh Yeshiva'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://rosh_yeshiva.totallyexplained.com">Rosh yeshiva Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
