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Chavrusa, also spelled chavruta or ḥavruta (חַבְרוּתָא, lit. "fellowship" or "group of fellows"; pl. חַבְרָוָותָא ḥāvrāwāthā), is a traditional rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a small group of students (usually 2-5) analyze, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in yeshivas and kollels, where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge and ability, and is also practiced by those outside the yeshiva setting, in work, home, and vacation settings. The traditional phrase is to learn b'chavrusa (בְחַבְרוּתָא, "in partnership"); the word has come by metonymy to refer to the study partner as an individual, though it would more logically describe the pair. Unlike a teacher-student relationship, in which the student memorizes and repeats the material back in tests, chavrusa-style learning puts each student in the position of analyzing the text, organizing their thoughts into logical arguments, explaining their reasoning to their partner, hearing out their partner's reasoning, and questioning and sharpening each other's ideas, often arriving at entirely new insights into the meaning of the text. Chavrusa is an Aramaic word meaning "friendship" or "companionship"; it can also mean "group of fellows". The Rabbis of the Mishnah and Gemara uses the cognate term chaver (חבר, "friend" or "companion" in Hebrew) to refer to the one with whom a person studies Torah. In contemporary usage, chavrusa is defined as a "study partnership". A chavrusa usually refers to two students learning one on one. When three or more students learn together, they are called a chavura (חַבוּרָה, group; also chabura). It some communities, the idea of chavrusa can include two, three, four or even five individuals studying together. The Reform and Conservative movements have extended the idea of chavura to modern scholarship and poetry. (Note that a chavura (Ashkenazic pronunciation: chevra) can also refer to a group of individuals or families which is part study or prayer group, part social club.

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Related concepts (4)

Midrasha

A midrasha (Hebrew: , pl. midrashot/midrashas) refers to a Jewish educational institute for women involved in Torah study. The term is often used for such institutions located in Israel. A midrasha is somewhat equivalent to the term yeshiva (for men). The midrasha is also somewhat parallel to a "women's seminary" (Hebrew "seminar", sometimes "seminaria"), which functions in a similar form, though often associated with more traditionalist communities.

Torah study

Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the mitzvah ("commandment") of Torah study itself. This practice is present to an extent in all religious branches of Judaism, and is considered of paramount importance among religious Jews. Torah study has evolved over the generations, as lifestyles changed and also as new texts were written.

Yeshiva

A yeshiva (jəˈʃiːvə; ; pl. ישיבות, or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The studying is usually done through daily shiurim (lectures or classes) as well as in study pairs called chavrusas (Aramaic for 'friendship' or 'companionship'). Chavrusa-style learning is one of the unique features of the yeshiva.