Chavrusa

: חַבְרָוָותָא, ḥāḇrāwāṯā), 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.

The traditional phrase is to learn b'chavrusa (בְחַבְרוּתָא bəḥāḇruṯā "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.

[17] Chavrusa-style learning is particularly suited to Talmud study, as the latter is a text filled with conflicting opinions and seemingly contradictory statements on principles of Jewish law.

[18] The chavrusa relationship gives each student a platform to clarify and explain their position to a partner; then the two go on to question, defend, convince, amend, fine-tune, and even arrive at new conclusions through rigorous intellectual collaboration.

[26] Some early research has shown that the use of this study modality within a traditional Yeshiva education can aid students later succeed in law school -- although it remains an open question as to whether that relationship is causal or merely correlative.

[29] Pairing up study partners has been compared to making a shidduch (marriage match), as the skills, interests, temperament and schedule of each person must be taken into consideration.

With a weaker chavrusa, who often worries over and questions each step, the student is forced to understand the material thoroughly, refine and organize their thoughts in a logical structure, present their viewpoint clearly, and be ready to justify each and every point.

[23] Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey is known for its "tumult day" at the beginning of each z'man (semester), when thousands of students mingle outdoors with the goal of choosing a chavrusa for the new term.

[43] In Orthodox women's seminaries, students are paired with study partners of equal or greater strength to learn Halakha, Chumash, Jewish philosophy, or any other topic in Judaism.

[44] In recent years, telephone study partnerships for women have been promoted as a kiruv (Orthodox Judaism outreach) tool in Israel[45] and as an option for busy homemakers.

[46] Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, reportedly had a regular half-hour chavrusa with his wife, during which they studied Orach Chayim.

The study guides, which include source texts on topics such as "Responsibility", "Creativity", "Time", and "Money", are issued in conjunction with the British-Jewish educational charity's annual conference.

[64] Zionist ideologue A. D. Gordon used the term chavrusa to refer to a communal society, such as the moshav, kibbutz, or worker's association, which acts as a self-educational link to the larger social-educational process.

It is the highest expression of the Jewish person's extraordinary effort to recreate him or herself through 'labor', to be reconnected to nature, and to plant the many-branched tree of his or her nation in the land from which it was uprooted".