Beth Medrash Govoha
Encyclopedia
Beth Medrash Govoha (lit: Higher, or advanced, House of Study) is a Haredi yeshiva
located in Lakewood Township
, New Jersey
. It is commonly known as BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva.
Founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler
, the yeshiva currently has nearly 6,000 students, making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world. Over the years, the roshei yeshiva
of BMG have all been associated with the Kotler family, beginning with Rabbi Aharon Kotler from 1943 until his death in 1962; Rabbi Shneur Kotler
, his son, who led the yeshiva from 1962 until his death in 1982; and the present roshei yeshiva, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler (son of Rabbi Shneur), Rabbi Yerucham Olshin
, Rabbi Dovid Schustal
, and Rabbi Yisroel Neuman
; the latter three are married to grandchildren of Rabbi Aharon Kotler.
To manage the huge enrollment, the four roshei yeshiva divide up the times they deliver shiurim (Torah lectures) in the various battei medrash
(study halls) on campus. They have also appointed dozens of roshei chabura (heads of small study groups) to take responsibility for groups of students.
The yeshiva is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
and accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
. It is authorized to grant bachelor's
and master's degree
s in Talmud
ics, as well as two post-master's diplomas
in Talmudic studies.
Although the yeshiva grants degrees, students do not study there for the sole purpose of attaining a degree. Many students stay on studying in the yeshiva after they are already eligible to receive their degree. What students seek in Beth Medrash Govoha is to at first attain the skills necessary to properly understand and analyze the Talmud
and to be able to do research on scholarly levels and to then use these skills to become accomplished Talmudic scholars.
Beth Medrah Govoha offers all levels of undergraduate study. A level of skill and context in understanding the Talmud is required even for the undergraduate level studies, and as such, those with a weaker background in Talmud may require extra assistance, and some may be better off beginning their studies at another Yeshiva for a year or two until they are sufficiently prepared to handle BMG's rigorous program.
traditions using the Talmud
, Rishonim
, Shulchan Aruch
, Responsa
and Rabbinic literature
as texts and sources.
The official mesechta of the yeshiva is studied by about half of all of the students. Some students will stay on learning these subjects for many years, developing a very great expertise in these areas, and others will move on to study other areas of the talmud. Because of the large size of the student body in the Lakewood Yeshiva there are groups studying virtually any subject in the talmud. Beth Medrash Govoah is unique in the world of yeshivohs in this aspect that a student can study any subject in the talmud that he wants to. Some students focus not on the talmud but on the practical application of the laws based on the conclusions of the Shulchan Aruch which is the Code of Law that is based on the talmud. Because of the vastness of the talmud there are some students that have spent well over two decades studying at the yeshiva.
For each session there is a limud (subject) which is a chapter of the mesechta that that group is learning. The morning session is the most important of the sessions and is the subject that students will devote their after-hour time to and which they are most likely to write papers on and is also what the lectures that are given will be on.
:
The three zmanim span two official semesters. The Fall semester runs through the Winter zman. The Spring semester includes the Summer zman and Elul zman.
for the winter enrollment, and the 1st of Adar
for summer enrollment.
Additionally, in a signed acceptance agreement, the matriculating student agrees to abide by the rules of the institution.
The ban ends twice a year; for students entering for the winter term, they can begin dating on Tu B'Shevat. For students entering for the summer term, the date is 17 Tammuz.
An exception to the non-dating rule is that the student may continue to date a girl, if he started seeing her before the semester started. A more recent exemption (starting in 2010) is that a student is permitted to date a girl older than himself at any time.
If a student is found to have broken the rule, the senior faculty (The Roshei Yeshiva) will generally not attend the wedding (which is considered an honor), and there may be other disciplinary consequences, such as the suspension of student from Yeshiva indefinitely. Additionally this may prohibit a student from receiving stipends (about $100 a week) if they continue to study in Lakewood.
from 1943 until his death in 1962. He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Shneur Kotler
, then 44 years old, who led the yeshiva until his death in 1982. Rabbi Shneur Kotler's son, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, then assumed leadership of the yeshiva together with Rabbis Yerucham Olshin
, Dovid Schustal
, and Yisroel Neuman
, who are all married to grandchildren of Rabbi Aharon Kotler.
Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
served as mashgiach ruchani
of the yeshiva from 1941 until his death in 1998, carrying out Rabbi Aharon Kotler's goals for the yeshiva and helping to build it into a world-class Torah institution. Rabbi Matisyohu Salomon, who succeeded Rabbi Wachtfogel, is the present mashgiach ruchani.
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
located in Lakewood Township
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It is commonly known as BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva.
Founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler
Aharon Kotler
Aharon Kotler was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States, where he built Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.- Early life :...
, the yeshiva currently has nearly 6,000 students, making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world. Over the years, the roshei yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , 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...
of BMG have all been associated with the Kotler family, beginning with Rabbi Aharon Kotler from 1943 until his death in 1962; Rabbi Shneur Kotler
Shneur Kotler
Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey from 1962 to 1982. During his tenure, he developed the Lithuanian-style, Haredi but non-Hasidic yeshiva into the largest post-graduate Torah institution in the world...
, his son, who led the yeshiva from 1962 until his death in 1982; and the present roshei yeshiva, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler (son of Rabbi Shneur), Rabbi Yerucham Olshin
Yerucham Olshin
Yerucham Olshin is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and one of the rosh yeshivas of Beth Medrash Govoha, an Orthodox yeshiva located in Lakewood, New Jersey...
, Rabbi Dovid Schustal
Dovid Schustal
Dovid Tzvi Schustal is an Orthodox rabbi and one of the four roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey...
, and Rabbi Yisroel Neuman
Yisroel Neuman
Yisroel Tzvi Neuman is an Orthodox rabbi and one of the four roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. He shares this post with Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, Rabbi Yerucham Olshin, and Rabbi Dovid Schustal...
; the latter three are married to grandchildren of Rabbi Aharon Kotler.
To manage the huge enrollment, the four roshei yeshiva divide up the times they deliver shiurim (Torah lectures) in the various battei medrash
Beth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
(study halls) on campus. They have also appointed dozens of roshei chabura (heads of small study groups) to take responsibility for groups of students.
Description
The campus consists of four main buildings containing over eight study halls and numerous residence halls.The yeshiva is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is a government agency in New Jersey that is responsible for providing coordination, planning, policy development, and advocacy for the state's higher education system...
and accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
The Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools is a faith-based national accreditation association for Rabbinical and Talmudic schools...
. It is authorized to grant bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s in Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ics, as well as two post-master's diplomas
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Talmudic studies.
Although the yeshiva grants degrees, students do not study there for the sole purpose of attaining a degree. Many students stay on studying in the yeshiva after they are already eligible to receive their degree. What students seek in Beth Medrash Govoha is to at first attain the skills necessary to properly understand and analyze the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and to be able to do research on scholarly levels and to then use these skills to become accomplished Talmudic scholars.
Beth Medrah Govoha offers all levels of undergraduate study. A level of skill and context in understanding the Talmud is required even for the undergraduate level studies, and as such, those with a weaker background in Talmud may require extra assistance, and some may be better off beginning their studies at another Yeshiva for a year or two until they are sufficiently prepared to handle BMG's rigorous program.
Curriculum
The yeshiva studies are based on classical Torah studyTorah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
traditions using the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, Rishonim
Rishonim
"Rishon" redirects here. For the preon model in particle physics, see Harari Rishon Model. For the Israeli town, see Rishon LeZion.Rishonim were the leading Rabbis and Poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the Shulkhan Arukh and...
, Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
, Responsa
Responsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
and Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
as texts and sources.
Subjects
Although all students study the talmud regardless of whether they just joined the yeshiva or have already been studying for well over a decade, when students first arrive they study the official mesechta (book of the talmud that deals with a general subject) of the yeshiva. This mesechta will always be one of eight that deal with all areas of civil jurisprudence.The official mesechta of the yeshiva is studied by about half of all of the students. Some students will stay on learning these subjects for many years, developing a very great expertise in these areas, and others will move on to study other areas of the talmud. Because of the large size of the student body in the Lakewood Yeshiva there are groups studying virtually any subject in the talmud. Beth Medrash Govoah is unique in the world of yeshivohs in this aspect that a student can study any subject in the talmud that he wants to. Some students focus not on the talmud but on the practical application of the laws based on the conclusions of the Shulchan Aruch which is the Code of Law that is based on the talmud. Because of the vastness of the talmud there are some students that have spent well over two decades studying at the yeshiva.
Schedule
The daily schedule consists of three sedorim (or study sessions), a morning session, an afternoon sesion and an evening session in which a total of 10 hours of each day is spent studying.For each session there is a limud (subject) which is a chapter of the mesechta that that group is learning. The morning session is the most important of the sessions and is the subject that students will devote their after-hour time to and which they are most likely to write papers on and is also what the lectures that are given will be on.
Chavurah system
All learning is done within a system of chavurahs (groups) where 10-150 scholars form a chavurah (group) to study together. Every chavurah has a Rosh Chavurah (head/leader of the study group). It is the Rosh Chavurah's responsibility to arrange enough seats for the members of his chavurah, to decide the topic of study for the semester, and to make sure that there is a lecture given on the subject studied at least once a week. Many "chavuros" require members to prepare and give lectures on a rotating basis. These are in addition to the Rosh Chavurah's weekly lecture.Semesters/Zmanim
Three zmanim (semesters) exist in a year, based on the Hebrew calendarHebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
:
- Winter zman, which is from Rosh ChodeshRosh ChodeshRosh Chodesh or Rosh ḥodesh is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. The new moon is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed...
CheshvanCheshvanMarcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
through the seventh of NisanNisanNisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
. - Summer zman from Rosh Chodesh IyarIyarIyar is the eighth month of the civil year and the second month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin. It is a spring month of 29 days. Iyar usually falls in April–June on the Gregorian calendar.In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian Exile, the...
through the tenth of AvAvAv is the eleventh month of the civil year and the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin and appeared in the Talmud around the 3rd century. This is the only month which is not named in the Bible. It is a summer month of 30 days...
. - ElulElulElul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
zman from Rosh Chodesh ElulElulElul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
through the eleventh of TishreiTishreiTishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days...
.
The three zmanim span two official semesters. The Fall semester runs through the Winter zman. The Spring semester includes the Summer zman and Elul zman.
Application
Applications to enroll into the yeshiva are accepted twice a year, before the summer and winter semesters. There are no enrollments for the fall semester. The deadlines vary, and they are generally close to the 1st of ElulElul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
for the winter enrollment, and the 1st of Adar
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
for summer enrollment.
Testing and acceptance
This is generally a four part process. Only applicants who have received a "bechina (entrance exam) card" authorizing them to advance will be able to proceed with these steps:- The applicant completes a secondary registration application which asks for more detailed additional information that was not required on the original application.
- The admissions officer holds a general interview with the applicant. With him are usually one or two other members of the faculty. The meeting will usually be short, allowing the admissions department an opportunity to evaluate the candidate's general potential for success in the institute.
- A faculty member tests the candidate in general Talmudic knowledge. A grade is issued, on a scale of one to five, reflecting the applicant's possession of the requisite knowledge.
- One of the four roshei yeshiva (deans) listens to a PilpulPilpulPilpul refers to a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings of different texts.Pilpul has entered English as a...
, or talmudic discourse, from the applicant. This part of the exam is to test the applicant's ability to engage in specialized Talmudic reasoning called . Here too, a grade is issued on a scale of one to five. - After completing the two exams. The acceptance will depend on a combination of all the factors in the admissions process. Usually applicants are notified during Chol HaMoedChol HaMoedChol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated...
about the decision. If the applicant is accepted, he and his parents are then required to set up a meeting with the tuition department to discuss tuition arrangements. However it is the policy if the yeshiva that no eligible student will be denied the opportunity to study torah because of an inability to pay tuition.
Registration
After acceptance, tuition is negotiated. The policy of the yeshiva is that no eligible student is denied the opportunity to study torah because of their inability to pay tuition. The accepted student must also complete steps required by the State of New Jersey of all students entering dormitories and post-secondary schools in New Jersey.Additionally, in a signed acceptance agreement, the matriculating student agrees to abide by the rules of the institution.
"Freezer"
Upon acceptance to the Yeshiva, the student must sign a document stating that he will not date for his first three months at the yeshiva. These three months are known colloquially as "The Freezer". This minimizes the student's distractions during the crucial first few months of his studies and allows him to be better integrated into the Yeshiva as a whole.The ban ends twice a year; for students entering for the winter term, they can begin dating on Tu B'Shevat. For students entering for the summer term, the date is 17 Tammuz.
An exception to the non-dating rule is that the student may continue to date a girl, if he started seeing her before the semester started. A more recent exemption (starting in 2010) is that a student is permitted to date a girl older than himself at any time.
If a student is found to have broken the rule, the senior faculty (The Roshei Yeshiva) will generally not attend the wedding (which is considered an honor), and there may be other disciplinary consequences, such as the suspension of student from Yeshiva indefinitely. Additionally this may prohibit a student from receiving stipends (about $100 a week) if they continue to study in Lakewood.
Tumult day
"Tumult day" refers to the time that chavrusos (study partners) must be arranged and students arrange entry into a particular "chaburah", or study group. Among other things, students discuss with potential study partners what subjects they would like to study, and also make sure that the study partnership has the potential to succeed, both on a personal level and on an intellectual level.Kollel
When Beth Medrash Govoha was opened in 1943 a stipend of $40 a week was given to married students, which at the time was enough to live on. Although providing for a family today is beyond the budget of the yeshiva, as the yeshiva has over 5000 married students, the yeshiva still gives a stipend called a Kolel check. There is a base amount, plus an additional bonus for those that are punctual in arriving on time for the study sessions, that comes to a little more than $100 a week.Faculty
Rabbi Aharon Kotler served as the founding rosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , 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...
from 1943 until his death in 1962. He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Shneur Kotler
Shneur Kotler
Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey from 1962 to 1982. During his tenure, he developed the Lithuanian-style, Haredi but non-Hasidic yeshiva into the largest post-graduate Torah institution in the world...
, then 44 years old, who led the yeshiva until his death in 1982. Rabbi Shneur Kotler's son, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, then assumed leadership of the yeshiva together with Rabbis Yerucham Olshin
Yerucham Olshin
Yerucham Olshin is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and one of the rosh yeshivas of Beth Medrash Govoha, an Orthodox yeshiva located in Lakewood, New Jersey...
, Dovid Schustal
Dovid Schustal
Dovid Tzvi Schustal is an Orthodox rabbi and one of the four roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey...
, and Yisroel Neuman
Yisroel Neuman
Yisroel Tzvi Neuman is an Orthodox rabbi and one of the four roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. He shares this post with Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, Rabbi Yerucham Olshin, and Rabbi Dovid Schustal...
, who are all married to grandchildren of Rabbi Aharon Kotler.
Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel , known as the Lakewood Mashgiach, was an Orthodox rabbi and long-time mashgiach ruchani of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey...
served as mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives.The position of mashgiach ruchani arose with the...
of the yeshiva from 1941 until his death in 1998, carrying out Rabbi Aharon Kotler's goals for the yeshiva and helping to build it into a world-class Torah institution. Rabbi Matisyohu Salomon, who succeeded Rabbi Wachtfogel, is the present mashgiach ruchani.