that has been used quite successfully is to have the student write his own “dictionary.” Every day, he should
choose three words that he judges to be “key words” that he expects to see again. Key words are then reviewed on a weekly basis, either with a chavruta or with the rebbe, and within a few weeks the student will have the beginnings of a working Gemara vocabulary. In addition, the student should be trained to try and look for the root of a word, as this will allow him in many instances to attain a “family” of words at one time. The rebbe should also try to show how certain words are related to terms found in the Chumash or siddur. The rebbe needs to balance the need to develop the student’s textual skills–which, although demanding time and effort, is arguably the talmid’s greatest asset when he leaves the yeshivah–with ba’al peh, oral discussion, in which the student will be able to participate more freely as he learns the vocabulary.
Another challenge the student encounters is on an intellectual plane. Although he may be bright and capable of engaging in an analysis of the concepts he is learning, he may still find it difficult to follow the long chains of discussion often found in a sugya, especially as he needs to keep track of what was held true at each stage of the discussion. In addition, he may be used to contemplating one idea at a time, whereas when studying Gemara there are often multiple opinions or approaches “on the stove” simultaneously. Brief summaries every once in a while are very helpful for consolidating the flow of information. Many rebbeim also use charts and diagrams to help organize the information.
It is also helpful when concluding a topic to ask the students to stop, organize the sugya in their own minds and then have one student summarize it for the class. When a student has to express the elements of the sugya in his own words, it helps him digest it. Because of the students’ greater aptitude for conceptual discussion–and because it is less demanding technically–they will often tend towards it; and although it is a crucial part of the shiur, the rebbe has to see that the lamdut (the theory) is integrated with the give-and-take of the Gemara. Otherwise the talmidim may have an enjoyable and stimulating discussion, but may leave the shiur knowing no more Gemara than when they came in.
It is also important to note that the ba’al teshuvah can frequently encounter considerable disparity between his own ideas and those of the Gemara. It is essential not to repress his ideas, but allow him to articulate them while he slowly disavows some of his basic convictions. It takes time to realize that much of what he considers to be universal truths are in fact the conventions of a particular place and time.
Nonetheless, success in Gemara learning is not that the talmid convince himself that he never opposed what the Gemara is saying. On the contrary, once a student has expressed that he would have looked at things differently, he will probably find it easier to accept the Gemara’s view. Otherwise, the two conflicting ideas may remain gridlocked in his brain, causing confusion and frustration. The most vigorous and meaningful Gemara discussions take place when the talmid fully participates with all his intellectual and emotional faculties.
Another way to make the Gemara experience more meaningful is for the rebbe to devote a few minutes to introducing each new commentator. It is often helpful to provide historical context and perhaps even an anecdote about a particular commentator. All of this goes a long way in personalizing the various Gemara commentators to students who often feel like they are in an asteroid belt, constantly being bombarded with names of rabbis who are indistinguishable one from the other. It makes a tremendous difference to have even a basic appreciation of “who’s who” in the Torah world. Needless to say, these “extras” cannot dominate the shiur; like spice, they can add flavor, but they do not constitute a meal. A comprehensive survey of some of the Rishonim and Acharonim should b