Mercaz Hatorah

Mercaz Hatorah is a Lithuanian Charedi yeshiva located in Talpiot, Jerusalem. Founded by Rabbi Aryeh Rottman and Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth zt"l in 1970, it primarily caters to students from the English speaking diaspora.

The current Rosh HaYeshiva is Rabbi Aryeh Rottman. The Rosh kollel is Rabbi Pinchas Zelivansky. Rabbi Mordechai Swimmer is the mashgiach (Dean of Academics).

Students are from all over the world with a majority from the United States. Currently the yeshiva has about 95 students including a kollel.

Curriculum

Main articles: Yeshiva#Typical schedule and Yeshiva#Method of study

Mercaz HaTorah's stated goal is to provide students with a rigorous, structured program to develop skills in textual study and a methodology study of classical source materials. Mercaz HaTorah places the study of the Babylonian Talmud at the core of its curriculum. The vast body of subsequent post-Talmudic literature elucidates the more difficult and complex Talmudic passages and concepts. It also organizes and codifies practical and applicable laws, and derives traditional formulations and frameworks for solutions to future Halachic issues. Thus, to gain proficiency in the reading of the Talmudic text, students acquire comprehension of the issues and concepts elucidated in each folio, and develop an ability to analyze textual materials throughout the Talmudic tractates. These goals are realized through concurrent mastery of classical commentaries such as Rashi, Tosafot, Ramban, Rashba, and Ritva, in addition to Medieval codifiers including Rambam, Ran, Rosh, and Rif.

To facilitate the student’s Talmudic progress, Mercaz HaTorah has adopted the following learning pattern: each academic term highlights a Talmudic tractate (or its segments) which is uniformly studied by the entire student body. The variations in study levels depend upon the year of study the student is in and whether the course constitutes a survey or an intensive study of the tractate. In each year, study proceeds according to a set progression.

During the first year, students acquire proficiency in the Hebraic and Aramaic readings, in the structure and style of Talmudic argumentation, as well as the explication of the interpretive and legal posits of the classical texts and their commentaries.

Second year students acquire mastery of textual readings. The complexities of the Talmudic style, the articulation of the argumentative process, and the elicitation of conclusive decisions from these texts are explored in depth. Similar concentration and inferential deductions are applied to the classical commentaries. Lectures focus on the deductive process, as students are encouraged to probe and challenge pat interpretations of comparative textual contradictions.

Students who attain the third year advanced level of Talmudic research and analysis hone their analytic skills in understanding the novella of the Rishonim and the methods of cataloging their diverse Halachic approaches. Study of the Maimonidean Code of Law as a quasi-legally binding discipline is introduced by the process of gleaning the Rambam’s interpretative stances in the Talmud from premises evident in his Halachic decisions. Classic Maimonidean commentators are also examined. Similarly, the interpretive works of prominent Achronim are employed in understan­ding the legal and theoretical posits of the Rishonim. In addition, the diverse approaches of leading 19th and 20th century Talmudic analysts receive prominent attention.

The study of the Babylonian Talmud is the core the school curriculum. Students are encouraged to master both classical and medieval commentaries and codifiers

Each academic term highlights a Talmudic tractate (or segments) which is studied by the entire student body. The variations in study levels depend upon the year of study the student is in and whether the course constitutes a survey or an intensive study of the tractate. The first-year program possesses three tracks of study levels and narrows to two for its second and third year.

Prominent Alumni

• Rabbi Moshe Arzouan (Maagid Shiur, Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Washington)
• Rabbi Yaakov Bronsteyn (director of Star-K Kashrus, West coast )
• Rabbi Yaakov Hamer (Established and runs the Shaarei Orah Institute, London)
• Rabbi Moshe Kopshitz Zt"l (Rav Romema, Jerusalem and Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshivas Kol Yaakov)
• Rabbi Nosson Kopshitz (Rav of the Nachla u'Menucha (Kirya Hacharedit) neighborhood in Bet Shemesh and Dayan Edah HaChareidis)
• Rabbi Raphael Landesman (Principal: Shearim Torah High School for Girls, Phoenix AZ)
• Rabbi Akiva Leiman (Maggid Shiur, Yeshiva of Greater Washington)
• Rabbi Eli Mansour (noted Sephardic lecturer)
• Rabbi Eli Reznick (maggid shiur, Mir Yeshiva, Jerusalem)
• Rabbi Yehuda Schuster (Rebbi Yeshiva Darchei Noam, Monsey)
• Rabbi Jonathan Taub (Maggid Shuir, Machon Yaakov)

External links

• Mercaz Hatorah Organization Directory Page