Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Ohr Somayach Beginner's Program

Classes for beginners:


Hebrew, basic history, intro to halacha, intro to ideas including Chassidus, Mishnah, intro to the Talmud

This is what an introductory program should have. There are schools where you just open up a Talmudic mesechta and begin. No introduction is offered. No investigation into hashgafa is ever made in any formal way. Hebrew is not taught.

The Maharetz Chajes said, “The importance for a beginner in secular fields to have clear introduction is obvious, but it is even more important when studying Torah.” He cites the Yerushalmi (Shabbos 87a): “any Torah without a foundation is not Torah.” Says Maharetz Chajes, “That means Torah without an understanding of basic rules and concepts....” (Introduction to Toras Nev’im in Eidensohn, Daas Torah) 









However, watch out for their yeshivish propaganda. OS used to run a series of classes against Chabad and Modern Orthodoxy. Not just comments during other classes, but classes on those topics alone. I know guys who found themselves only via Chabad or MO or some combo of the two. It's incredibly improper for a BT school to condemn any Orthodox group. You just don't know what will work for a person. And becoming frum is so hard as it is. 






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