DIY Chevruta

It’s never been easier to start a new sugya.

These independent learning resources are for folks who have participated in SVARA-style learning before and want to cultivate an ongoing Talmud practice. In these texts, you’ll witness the Rabbis sharpen their toolkit, overturn Torah, and establish a tradition that empowers the players within it. They showcase the moves that shape our understanding of Talmud and Judaism.

Grab your chevruta and dive right in!

These six stunning sugyot (texts) are some of our all-time favorites. Our teachers have lovingly prepared all the materials that you and your chevruta need to dig in.

Kidushin 40b

In this sugya, the Rabbis take a step back and question the very foundation of their project. This short text allows us to encounter some Mishnah, Gemara, and even a bit of Torah. We broke this down into three chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you.

Shabbat 88a

This sugya explores a mysterious moment of revelation: what really happened at Mount Sinai? Witness the Rabbis radically reread this mythic moment and rebalance the relationships between G!d, Torah, and ourselves. In this sugya, you’ll encounter two witty kra proofs and a sprinkling of Aramaic. We broke this down into three chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you.

Sanhedrin 17a/b

This classic SVARA sugya explores what it takes to be a judge and a leader (at SVARA, we call those folks “players”). What kinds of people should be in charge of a legal system or a community? According to the Rabbis, what are the attributes of a powerful, deeply Jewish leader? We broke this down into five chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you.

Bava Metzia 59a/b

This aggadic (narrative) sugya showcases the Rabbinic project in action as the Tannaim battle against one another (and against heaven itself!) to claim the authority to shape our tradition. We’ve divided this lengthy sugya into eleven chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you. You can learn the core story in sections 1-7 or keep going through section 11 to explore the profound and tragic aftermath of this formative myth.

Bava Batra 9a

In this sugya, we encounter the emerging rabbinic toolkit. The Rabbis explore the power of scripture and svara to reveal new truths meant to guide us in a world of difficult moral questions. We’ve broken this sugya down into seven chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you. If you are looking for a shorter text, sections 4-7 stand on their own.

Yoma 82a + 83a

When do our own experiences and intuitions override what’s written in the Torah? This sugya explores a colossal question: who ultimately has authority over our bodies, lives, and decision-making? This sugya embodies the classic rhythm of Talmudic argument and demonstrates the iterative upgrade of a halakhic idea. We’ve broken this sugya down into seven chevruta sessions, but (as always!) y’all are encouraged to learn at the pace that feels best to you.