e the topic of a separate shiur.
My rosh yeshivah, Rabbi Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi, once said that seeing success is the most important thing for someone learning Gemara. This is certainly true for a ba’al teshuvah. Although he may not be able to fully prepare the Gemara by himself yet, a sense of success can be felt most during chazarah (review) period; most of the groundbreaking work has already been done, and the review period allows the student to intellectually incorporate the material. This is especially important with regard to another significant barrier: Because of the lack of punctuation in the Gemara, it is difficult at first to know where one is in the flow of the discussion. Is the Gemara giving an answer, or has it not yet finished asking the question? Is the next source a proof for the above, or a challenge to it? It is through chazarah that one begins to assimilate a sense of the “topography” of the Gemara and to feel comfortable with its style. The benefits of the chazarah period should be stressed to the student, as it will give added meaning to what may otherwise be seen as merely reviewing material that he already knows. Some form of testing– whether oral or written–can also serve to show the talmid that he is progressing, as well as making him feel accountable for his learning. Additionally, many students find that having to prepare and present a shiur to their peers is a very energizing experience. Students have told me that the hours they spent preparing for a shiur were among their most intense and rewarding times spent learning.
In reality, many talmidim struggle with even the basic give-and-take of the Gemara. It is important for them to feel that mastering the basic peshat (literal understanding) is a worthy goal–which it is! Appreciation for what they are doing is more likely to encourage them toward higher achievements. Along with all of this, the shiur should be enjoyable! The geshmak (enjoyment) of mastering the Gemara is what will keep the talmid inspired and encouraged as he develops his technical skills as he hopefully forges a kesher with the Torah that will remain vibrant and dear to him wherever he goes.
Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein teaches at Machon Yaakov in Har Nof, Jerusalem and at Michlalah Jerusalem College. He is the author of Devar Mikra, a commentary on Chumash and Bircas Yitzchak, a collection of novellae on Gemara.