Shiur

: shiurim שיעורים [ʃiʔuˈʁim]) is a lecture on any Torah topic – such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), or Tanakh (Bible) – usually in a yeshiva, although commonly in other settings.

The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Judaic text arranged for study on a particular occasion, such as a yahrzeit, the dedication of a new home, or the evening of a holiday, and then to a public reading and explanation of the same.

The act of teaching and studying these texts at the designated time was known as shiur lernen (Yiddish: שיעור לערנען, lit.

These shiurim would be attended by all classes of people;[2][3] it was traditional for learned attendees to engage the lecturer in continuous discussion, and for the larger lay audience to listen intently.

[7]"Shiur" will typically refer to the type of learning that takes place in yeshivot and kollelim, where students hear an in-depth lecture on the sugya (Gemara topic) they are studying at the time.

Before the shiur, a bibliography and a series of textual references, or mar'e mekomot,[9][10] are posted so that students may prepare for the lecture in advance.

For Talmud-study, the level of complexity and understanding expected from students increases each year, successively incorporating additional layers of commentary and perspectives, and with the analysis compounding correspondingly; see Yeshiva § Talmud study.

In kollelim ("post-graduate" institutions), the shiurim address a yet more advanced level of study, with students learning independently, although under guidance of the rosh kollel; Rabbinic ordination, Semicha, programs similarly require that students have attained a high level in Talmud, this being the base for their advanced study of Halacha.

Noted rabbis give more in-depth shiurim to attendees on Shabbat or weekday evenings, usually in the local synagogue or beth midrash (study hall).