Getting Started
Welcome to the largest, longest-running discussion of Judaism, spanning centuries, cultures and continents. Talmud study will link you to a worldwide learning community and enrich your life intellectually and spiritually.
This page will give you direction on how to start your journey of Talmud study – and how to use Hadran’s site and resources to help you on that journey.
Talmud Study with Hadran
Learn at the pace, level and style that fits YOU.
Daf Yomi
Get ‘on the same page’ with Jews around the world on a daily basis.
Masechet
Select a section of the Talmud to suit your learning interests and schedule.
Beyond the Daf
Expand your understanding with weekly classes and podcasts from top women scholars.
Courses
Develop your Talmud study skills with self-paced online courses.
Holidays
Prepare spiritually and intellectually with Talmud study on holiday topics.
You are Here
Orient yourself in the world of Talmud study, and in the ways you can use Hadran’s site and resources to progress.
World of Talmud
Using Hadran
01
Navigating a daf
Navigating a daf
The Talmud is paginated in a special way. Every daf (page) is numbered with a Hebrew letter and has two sides (amudim): alef and bet. You can tell if you are on the front or backside of a daf by looking at the page number: the alef-side of the daf is marked with one dot (.) next to the page number while the bet-side is marked by two dots (:) next to the number.
The header of every daf has – from right to left – the chapter name and number, followed by the name of the masechet (tractate), and finally the page number. All masechtot start on page 2.
The central text is composed of the Mishna and the corresponding Gemara that generally elaborates on the quoted Mishna (not all pages have Mishna text). The beginning of a new Mishna is easy to spot because it is introduced with the bolded letters ‘מתני while a new Gemara is introduced with the letters ‘גמ.
The text in the margins is composed of commentators. Rashi is always found on the inner column and Tosafot in the outer column, with other commentaries found around them.
02
What is the Talmud?
What is the Talmud?
The Talmud is a commentary on the Mishna, a compendium of Jewish laws composed of six sedarim (orders) which are further subdivided into 63 tractates (“masechtot”, singular: “masechet”).
There are two versions of the Talmud: the Talmud Yerushalmi, composed in Israel in the 4th century CE, and the Talmud Bavli, composed in Babylonia in the 6th century CE. The more-commonly studied Talmud Bavli has gemaras (Talmudic commentary) on 37 of the tractates of the Mishna. They cover topics as varied as the laws of agriculture, Shabbat and holidays, marriage, civil law, sacrifices and ritual purity.
03
What is Daf Yomi?
What is Daf Yomi?
Daf Yomi is an initiative that started over 100 years ago, as a way of uniting the entire Jewish people through joint Talmud study. Daf Yomi learners cover one daf every day, completing the entire Talmud Bavli (2711 dapim) in about a 7-year cycle. You can join Daf Yomi at any point in the cycle.
Daf Yomi puts Jews all around the world ‘on the same page’, literally. This enables a wonderful exchange of ideas and creates a communal feel and energy around the learning process.
04
What is a masechet?
What is a masechet?
A masechet (plural: masechtot) is a tractate, a subdivision of the six sections of the Mishna. The Mishna has 63 masechtot in total. The Talmud Bavli contains Talmudic commentary on 37 of those masechtot, each covering a range of topics from the legal to the philosophical. Masechtot vary in their length and complexity.
01
Join the Daf Yomi cycle
Join the Daf Yomi cycle
Anchor your day in Judaism’s most fundamental text and connect to Jews all over the globe by learning Talmud according to the Daf Yomi schedule: one page a day.
You can start learning Daf Yomi at any point in the cycle, since the Talmud is organized in a non-linear manner. You will pick up terms, concepts and personalities as you go along and gain deeper understanding and mastery with each daf and masechet that you complete.
Join Hadran’s Daf Yomi and learn at your convenience with Rabbanit Michelle Farber’s daily class on video, podcast or live on Zoom.
02
Learn a masechet
Learn a masechet
If you want to take a personalized, self-paced trip through Talmud study, or to make a siyum for a special occasion, select a masechet (tractate) that matches your interests and available time.
Since the Talmud is organized in a non-linear manner, you can start with any masechet. If you feel like you are missing background or understanding, don’t worry – that is everyone’s experience when it comes to starting Talmud study! Your understanding will grow and deepen as you go along.
Check out Hadran’s suggestions for entire masechtot or specific chapters based on your intellectual style or topics of interest.
03
Gain more background
Gain more background
Hadran’s “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Gemara” series is designed to help you understand more about the background and context of the Talmud: the historical background, the different Talmudic personalities, the structure of the Gemara, common terms and more.
You can take these background courses before you ever open up a page of Gemara, or use it to broaden and deepen your appreciation after you’ve already had some experience learning.
04
Improve your skills
Improve your skills
Hadran’s Basic Gemara Tools courses help you to acquire foundational Gemara skills through the process of learning a selected Talmudic text. In each course, you will learn skills and then immediately put them into practice with worksheets and guided exercises.
You will come out of each course with new tools, knowledge and confidence to make independent progress in your Talmud study.
05
Get personalized content
Get personalized content
Hadran attracts top women Talmud scholars who offer classes and podcasts here. Some content is released daily, other content weekly, and still other content is available in self-contained courses.
As a registered Hadran user (it’s free), you can subscribe to specific teachers, classes or content and get notifications and reminders to support your learning goals.
Step 1
Register on the site
All Hadran resources are free, but with a quick registration, you can track progress, enroll in courses and get personalized updates. It’s quick, easy – and totally worth it!
Step 2
Choose what to learn
Join Daf Yomi, subscribe to weekly content channels, learn a masechet that appeals to you or take a self-paced course.
Personalize your experience
Subscribe to the teachers and classes you most connect to. Get notifications about new content and reminders to help you keep up with your learning goals.
Start studying!
Talmud study is the journey of a lifetime.
Just by reading this page, you’ve taken the first step. That’s amazing. But don’t stop here – keep learning!
Hadran is here to help you make the continuation of your Talmud study journey enjoyable, meaningful and successful.
You can also see the FAQ page and the Welcome a user page to get more help on how to use hadran:
