Beth midrash

In Hebrew, beth midrash (plural battei midrash) means "house [of] study". It is a place dedicated for Torah study, either by itself or as a part of a synagogue. It is also used as alternate name for a yeshiva.

Structure

Generally, there are either benches and lecterns (shtenders in Yiddish), or tables with chairs, on which books are placed.

A characteristic Beth midrash has at least several copies of the Talmud, Torah, siddur (for prayers), and at least one or two copies of the Shulkhan Arukh, Mishneh Torah, Arbaah Turim and some other oft-consulted works.

Origin

In the times of the Tanakh (Old Testament), and the Mishna, most Torah study probably took place in the Beth din (Rabbinical court), where religious law was delibrated as part of the judicial process. Nevertheless, the Mishna makes mention of the beth midrash as a separate institution. The Talmud (Shabbat 127a) holds that there is no time limit for attending the beth midrash to engage in study, but does hold that one should attend twice daily. Similarly, the Shulkhan Arukh (Orach Chayim 155) maintains that one should spend a few hours in the beth midrash after the morning prayers.

Yeshiva

While a beth midrash generally serves a community, it is also the physical abode of a yeshiva (college of higher Jewish study) and kollel (Torah study institute for married men). Many battei midrash originally serve the community but attract a yeshiva in the course of their existence.