Bagrut Oral Torah & Talmud case studies
Bagrut Oral Torah & Talmud · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Bagrut in Oral Torah and Talmud is a Israeli matriculation (Bagrut) examination in the study of Torah she-be'al peh, taken by students in the religious-Zionist and general religious school streams (and by external candidates studying independently). It assesses whether a student can read a Talmudic passage in the original, follow its argument, and explain it with the help of classical commentators. The Bagrut Oral Torah & Talmud case studies are 5 cases and about 3,334 words.
1Translating a Two-Answer Sugya Under Exam Time Pressure
During a timed practice exam, a candidate named Noa has 22 minutes left to translate and explain a mock sugya printed in full in her booklet. The passage reads: 'Amora A says: one who sells an object before witnesses has acquired it.
685 words, about 3 min2Two Answers and the Limits of 'Last Answer' Reasoning
In a beit midrash, a chavruta is studying a sugya about a borrowed animal that died while being used. The Gemara cites a baraita that seems to exempt the borrower, contradicting a Mishnah that obligates him.
715 words, about 4 min3Rashi, Tosafot, and a Proof from a Nonexistent Object
A student, Miriam, is writing a source-based essay on the principle 'אין אדם מקנה דבר שלא בא לעולם'. She finds a sugya in which a person says to his neighbor, 'The fruit that my tree will produce next year is sold to you for 100 dinars.' The Gemara initially suggests the sale is invalid because the fruit is not yet in the world.
671 words, about 3 min4Preparing a Halakhic Question About a Dairy Spoon in a Meat Pot
A community volunteer, David, is asked about a pot of hot chicken soup that was stirred with a clean dairy spoon. The spoon had been used that morning for yogurt and washed in cold water.
658 words, about 3 min5Mishnah, Tosefta, and a Manuscript Variant of 'אף'
A student, Amir, is comparing a Mishnah and a Tosefta for an independent study project. The Mishnah opens with 'ואלו הן' and lists two categories of found objects that must be announced: a garment and a coin.
605 words, about 3 min