Pirke G'mara

The wonderful skills learned in the V’Shinantam Mishnah Program and the V’Dibarta Bam Talmud Skills Program make it possible for the student to learn Talmud effectively and clearly. Bonayich Educational Services, Ltd., has published a series of Talmudic chapters to make the Talmud learning experience even more beautiful and meaningful. These unique publications, designed in accordance with the Bonayich method, and the skills learned in the two preparatory programs, present each chapter of Talmud with all the necessary sources from Mikra, Mishnah, Torat HaTannaim and learning aids.

At the present time, four chapters have been prepared, all on the same model as described below:

Tefillat HaShachar

Chapter 4,

Massechet B’rachot

HaMafkid

Chapter 3, Massechet Bava Metzi’a

Arve P’sachim

Chapter 10,

Massechet P’sachim

Lulav HaGazul

Chapter 3

Massechet Sukkah

Each of the above volumes is divided into the following sections:

Mikra – all verses relevant to the chapter are brought, together with Targum Onkelos and Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan). This enables the student to first understand the verses according to their p’shat, and then see how the Targumim begin to introduce Torah Sheb’al Peh traditions into interpretations of the verses. See an example by clicking icon:
Midr’she Halachah – all significant statements in the Midr’she Halachah of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishma’el are presented here. The two Bate Midrash are printed synoptically, for easy comparative study of their varying approaches to interpretation of the relevant verses of the chapter. See an example by clicking icon:
Mishnah and Torat HaTannaim – the entire chapter of Mishnah is brought here, divided into units according to topic for easy comprehension. For each unit, usually consisting of two or three mishnayot, all significant parallel sources from the Torat HaTannaim are placed near their mishnayot, so the student may see the mishnah together with its parallels. See an example by clicking icon:
Sugyot HaBavli – the entire chapter of G’mara is brought, divided into individual sugyot. Each sugyah is numbered, and presented with the Vilna page opposite the layered rendering of the sugyah. On the Vilna page, the relevant sugyah is highlighted to aid the student in focusing on the passage being learned. The layered rendering opposite the Vilna page presents the same sugyah, but with the components of the sugyah colored: Mikra in brown, Torat HaTannaim in blue, Torat Ha’Amoraim in green, and Shakla V’Tarya in black. The logical steps of the sugyah are numbered in to the right margin in primary, secondary and tertiary numbering. If the sugyah is Torat Ha’Amoraim, then the additions of the Shakla V’Tarya are slightly indented so that the Amoraim memrot stand out for study. See examples by clicking icons:

Page by page assistance and enrichment – on the pages of the book, focus boxes of four types appearing aside and below the texts:

מילים ומושגים– giving vocabulary guidance and defintion of concepts and terms that appear on the page,
חכמים וחייהם– giving brief biographical notes on the personalities appearing on the page,
פנינים והגיגים– brief statements or quotes for thought and consideration connected to the topic studied,
דרכי למידה– descriptions of methods or learning tools relevant to the matieral appearing on the page,
Illustrations – when needed, appropriate illustrations are added to the page.

See an example by clicking icon:

Aids and indeces – Study aids include tables of Tannaim and Amoraim, short biographies of all Tannaim and Amoraim appearing in the chapter, alphabetic listing of terms appearing in the chapter with their explanation, illustrations, and relevant other sources or halachic passages, such as the Haggadah for Arve P’sachim, or a chapter of the Rambam’s Mishne Torah. See examples by clicking icons:

All in all, the Pirke G’mara of Bonayich make G’mara learning better organized, more focused, and more meaningful to students. Additional chapters are planned in the coming years. For more information about the Pirke G’mara, or about any other quality publications of Bonayich Educational Services, Ltd., Contact Us at bonayich@bonayich.com.

To purchase these materials please click here.