Tanakh
Parashat Hashavu’ah I – Bereshit – Survey of Narratives, Near Eastern materials. Introduction to Mikraot Gedolot and methods of Mepharshim
Parashat Hashavu’ah II – Shemot – Survey of narrative and legal portions. Intensive readings of commentaries of Mikraot Gedolot and super-commentaries on Mikraot Gedolot
Parashat Hashavu’ah III – Vayikra and Bamidbar – Cult in ancient Israel. Along with Mikraot Gedolot and Targumim
Parashat Hashavu’ah IV – Devarim – Covenant ideal in ancient Israel. Use of modern scholarship to understand critical, secular, and religious refractions of sacred literature. Introduction of contemporary traditional commentaries.
Tehillim – Study of the Psalms in an attempt to understand their meaning and relationship to teachings found elsewhere in the Tanakh. Extensive use of traditional and modern commentaries.
Talmud & Rabbinics
Basic Gemara – Introduction to the Mishnah the questions put to the Mishnah by the Gemara, technical terms, generations of rabbinic sages and mastery of the language and logic of Rashi. Emphasizing translating Talmudic text and the commentary of Rashi.
Intermediate Gemara – Introduction of Tosafot and other rishonim,organization of a sugya, Gemara as source of law, use of technical and secondary scholarly materials, such as Dikdukei Soferim by Rabbinovicz. Skills in translating Tosafot are emphasized. Prerequisite is facility in Talmudic Aramaic and ability to translate the commentary of Rashi. Tractates studied in the past include Sanhedrin, Kiddushin, Ketubot, Shabbat, Bava Metzia and Beitza.
Hullin – In preparation for learning Issur v‘Hetter the chapters Gid haNasheh and Kol haBasar are learned in-depth with Tosafot and Rishonim with special attention paid to halakhic issues which are prevalent in Yoreh Deah. This shiur is taken only after having mastered the methodology of Intermediate Gemara.
Advanced Gemara – Sources and Traditions in Talmudic writing. The evolution of the sugya. A critical analysis of the Talmudic sugya and close reading in selected medieval and modern commentaries. Prerequisite is facility in Talmudic Aramaic, ability to translate the commentaries of Rashi and Tosafot.
Gemara Yomi – Daily Gemara shiur which allows students to read and explain without prior preparation with a maggid shuir. The students are expected to review the texts covered.
Midrash Aggadah – Selections from a wide variety of aggadic midrashim. Special emphasis on theology in a polemic context in Bereshit Rabbah and the rabbinical “essay” in Vayikra Rabbah.
Midrash Halakhah – Selection from the halakhic midrashim and their place in the history of the Oral Torah. Special emphasis on Mechitza and Mekhilta Sifre.
Pesak / Jurisprudence
Orach Hayyim I – This shiur is an in-depth survey of seder hayom and hilchot tefilla through the Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries, with special emphasis on Mishnah Berurah.
Orach Hayyim II – Hilchot Shabbat. In addition to the Shulchan Aruch, readings are assigned in Hayyei Adam, Mishnah Berurah and Shemirat Shabbat Ke-Hilchatah.
Orach Hayyim III – The course focuses on the halakhot of the hagim and taaniyot. In addition to the Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries, students prepare with the Aruch haShulhan.
Darchey haHora’ah – This course focuses on the method of pesak halakhah. In explores how an individual posek comes to his conclusion, what is unique to each posek and what is (or should be) universal. This course is taught by a number of modern Jewish legal experts in order to provide the student with differing models of contemporary pesak halakhah.
Hilkhot Gerut – A detailed study of the institution of conversion to Judaism, especially the process of conversion itself, drawing from the Torah, Talmudic sources, codes and selected responsa (Rambam, David Zvi Hoffman, Moshe Feinstein). The emphasis of the course is on the various problems regarding conversion and converts a rabbi today is likely to encounter.
Issur v’Hetter – Ta‘arovot, Basar b‘halav and Melihah. This course deals with the basic issues of Kashrut. This class traces the issues in depth, from the Talmudic sources through the medieval commentators and the Shulchan Aruch. Special attention is paid to the Torat haBayit of the Rashbah, the Tur and Shulhan Aruch and its commentaries.
Hilkhot Niddah – This course deals with the laws pertaining to the rules of family purity. This class covers a selection of these laws, examining the basic sources in the Talmud and its commentaries. Special attention is paid to the Ba‘alei haNefesh of the Ra‘avad, the Torat haBayit of the Rashbah, the Tur and Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries.
Theology
Hashkafah – A weekly shiur with the Reish Metivta. Rabbi Professor David Weiss Halivni. He will communicate the aspirations of the founders of the school often through text and his own unique approach to its study.
Modern Jewish Thought – Readings from Jewish thinkers, with reference to classic and non-Jewish theologians of liberal (Kaplan, Geiger, Fackenheim) and traditional (Heschel, Soloveitchik, Hartman) approaches.
Sefer Ha‘lqqarim – A detailed study of the 15th century systematic theological compendium of Rabbi Joseph Albo with special emphasis on its current significance.
Jewish History
Biblical History – A social, intellectual, and religious history of ancient Israel to the Hellenistic period.
Second Temple Period – Qumran, development of the Pharisaic sect, primitive Christianity and the emergence of the Mishnah documents.
Medieval History – Judaism of Babylon, Jewry in the orbits of Islam and Christianity. Modern Jewish History – Judaism and Nationalism, Holocaust, and Zionism.
Practical Rabbinics
Remedial Syngagoue Skills – Weekday, Shabbat, and Yom Tov nusah and/or taamei hamikra. Tutorials will be arranged.
Homiletics – Developing the d’var Torah. The instructor will use the text material being covered in other classes in teaching the student how to construct the text-based d’var Torah. A maximum effort will be made in developing the creative instinct of the student. The concept of “affect” of the spoken word will be emphasized. An understanding of the relationship of rabbi to his kehillah and how that affects what the rabbi preaches will be developed. Students will be expected to prepare and present divrei Torah which will be critiqued by fellow students and the instructor. When possible, they will also be videotaped and reviewed privately with the instructor for a deeper analysis.
Counseling – This course is designed to familiarize students with the various counseling opportunities they will potentially encounter in their professional careers. Topics include: developing a professional method in the counseling situation; recognizing various forms of psychopathology (depression, dementia, psychosis, suicidality, anxiety disorders, personality disorders and child psychopathology); developing a sense of value. Practical rabbinical counseling to aid families in distress, problems of aging, sickness, and death; learning when to refer a congregant to a mental health professional; and familiarization of the various mental health facilities in the community.
Field Experience – In addition to didactic education, exposure to various settings in which the rabbi is called upon to involve himself is crucial to the rabbi-in-training. A series of on-sight visits helps begin the practical education in rabbinical functioning. Field trips include: observing ritual meat preparation (slaughtering and salting); visitation to a hospital to interview patients and better understand the laws of bikur cholim; giving emotional support to the ill and their families, and the transitions through the mourning period; a visit to a house of mourning; attending a wedding and ketubah signing; attending a Belt Din and the signing of a get; conversion; and brit milah.
Life Cycle – This course aims to supply the rabbi in training with theability to handle life cycle events: funerals, brit milah, bar mitzvah, wedding, old age (including living wills), and divorce.