Yeshiva or
yeshivah (pronounced
/j?'?i?v?/;
Hebrew ?????, "sitting (n.)"&_160;; pl.
yeshivot or
yeshivas), or
metivta or
mesivta (
Aramaic ??????)), also frequently referred to as a
Beth midrash,
Talmudical Academy,
Rabbinical Academy or
Rabbinical School, is an institution unique to classical
Judaism for study of its traditional, central texts. These comprise
Torah study, the study of
Rabbinic literature especially the
Talmud (Rabbinic Judaism's central work),
Responsa for Jewish observance, and alternatively ethical (
Mussar) or mystical (
Hasidic philosophy) texts. In some institutions, classical
Jewish philosophy (Hakira) texts or
Kabbalah are studied, or the works of individualistic thinkers (such as
Abraham Isaac Kook).
Yeshivot generally cater to boys or men, although now many Modern Orthodox yeshivot also educate girls. In traditional Orthodox Judaism, such education takes place in separate classrooms with somewhat different curricula.[citation needed] The equivalent women's institution is the Bais Yaakov.
The term yeshiva gedola ("senior/great yeshiva") usually refers to post-high school institutions, and yeshiva ketana ("junior/small yeshiva") can refer to institutions catering to boys of elementary as well as of high school age. The term "yeshiva" is also used sometimes as a generic name for any school that teaches Torah, Mishnah and Talmud, to any age group.
A yeshiva with a framework for independent study and providing stipends for male married students is known as a kollel.
