Educational Program
While Ba'alei Tshuva do exhibit unusual diligence in their studies in Yeshiva to an extent that is almost astonishing to the average frum person, they still wrestle with the limitations of time. Even after outstanding dedication to their learning during the years they spend in full-time study, a majority of Ba'alei Tshuva still lack exposure to parts of Torah that are common knowledge for a frum-from-birth person. These gaps in basic knowledge not only hinder the Ba'al Tshuva's proper integration, but also cause him to feel a diminished self-confidence.
Gaps in basic Torah knowledge hinder a Ba'al Tshuva's proper integration and diminish his self-confidence
A Ba'al Tshuva's uneven knowledge of fundamentals in Torah stems from two primary sources: First, a Ba'al Tshuva has a relatively limited amount of time to dedicate to full-time learning. In the best of situations, a Ba'al Tshuva who enters yeshiva for the first time in his twenties will be able to enjoy a period of full-time study of only five years before marriage, when the realities of raising and financially supporting a family become a priority. The effects of this abbreviated learning period are compounded as the Ba'al Tshuva unavoidably compares himself to his twenty-something religious counterparts who have already been learning for the better part of ten years or more, full-time.
The second cause is that even in the years that Ba'alei Tshuva spend in Yeshiva, there is no established learning curriculum. Although a person might be devoting a large amount of time to his learning, he will likely fail to cover major parts of Torah if he has no plan to follow. For example, a student might spend four years learning in-depth Gemara supplemented with classes in the laws of Shabbos, but even if he reaches greatness in those areas he may find himself without even the fundamentals of Chumash or daily practical Jewish Law, nor will he have encountered the many great works on self-improvement and personal growth written by our sages. Additionally, a Ba'al Tshuva is constantly reminded of these large gaps in his learning whenever he hears a quote from Rashi on Chumash that he does not know or discovers a basic halacha that he never picked up on in all his years of being religious. Even if we do not account for the obligation that every Jew be exposed to the full body of Torah (and the spiritual benefit that this breadth offers), a Ba'al Tshuva must be sure to cover all of the fundamentals to avoid the gaps that constantly wear away at his confidence and self-esteem.
Only a solid curriculum with a long term outlook can maximize the time a Ba'al Tshuva has in yeshiva.
For close to five years, Lev Yisrael has developed both a basic curriculum outlining exactly what parts of Torah one must learn in order to gain a fundamental level of knowledge as well as an accelerated curriculum for a Ba'al Tshuva. This accelerated curriculum guides the Ba'al Tshuva so that during the years that he is growing in Gemara skills, he can also complete all of Chumash with Rashi, Nach, Shas Mishnayos, all the practical halacha in Mishna Brurah volumes 1, 2, 5, and 6, all the basic laws of Shabbos, and a complete course covering basic Jewish hashkafa -- all within just three years.
To view details of the Lev Yisrael Educational program, click here
See samples of our Mishe Brura study sheets:
Hilchos Hashcamas Haboker
Page 1 (44kb GIF)Hilchos Kiryas Shema
Page 1 (45kb GIF)
