Dear Lomeid,

B”H we are excited to present 'The Daf Yomi Chazarah Gemara', a Gemara that will IY”H help the lomdei daf hayomi review the daily daf with an unparalleled level of clarity and retention.

The importance of chazarah is well known and yet it remains one of the most difficult parts of learning, especially while learning the daf. All too often a person leaves the day's daf in a haze with many of the concepts still unclear. And even if a person is able to learn the daf in a clear manner, because of the fast pace it becomes exceptionally difficult to review it. To help solve this problem the 'Daf Yomi Chazarah Gemara' was written. By using this Gemara the lomeid will be able to go over the daf very quickly which will allow him to review it many times. The advantage of this cannot be over-stated and can literally change the 'daf yomi experience' from just 'doing the daf' to 'knowing the daf'.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS GEMARA:

  1. The translation is structured in the format of a daf yomi chazarah shiur. In a typical shiur, the maggid shiur will first introduce a new topic. He will then read the Gemara inside for a couple of lines and then stop to explain what was just read. He will then continue to read the next Gemara and then stop to explain the new material. And this goes on for the duration of the shiur. This translation mimics this approach as will quickly become apparent. The advantage of having a translation written in this manner is that it allows for the lomeid to easily incorporate the translation and its explanation without the need to piece together the main texts with the footnotes.
  2. The translation is written in the language that the typical lomeid speaks. Now while there is certainly nothing wrong with discussing 'the tablets that Moses brought down from the Heavens', this is simply not the way many of the lomdei daf yomi speak. And indeed, the vast majority of daf yomi shiurim are not given in this manner This is for the simple reason that it is far more enjoyable and easier to learn in the language that one is used to. As such, 'the English' that this translation utilizes is 'the English' that is used by a typical maggid shiur.
  3. The translation is a linear one. This allows the lomeid to go through the Hebrew side of the translation and to only look at the English side as needed. Often the lomeid knows most of the Hebrew words and just needs to check several words in English. A linear translation allows him to do so. He can go through the Hebrew side of the column and only look to the English side as needed. Learning and reviewing the Gemara this way will also allow the lomeid to build on his Hebrew vocabulary as he at first looks at the Hebrew before he sees the English.
  4. An added advantage of this translation is that it is divided into different topics. The typical daf yomi learner has only a relatively short amount of time to learn a tremendous amount of material, something that can easily be overwhelming and difficult to absorb and review. Having each daf of Gemara separated into different topics will help the lomeid understand each topic as it is presented and to then review in a clear understandable way.
  5. Another aspect of the translation is that it is broken up into small phrases. The advantage of breaking up the text in this manner is that it allows the lomeid to know what each individual word (or small phrase) means. Learning in this manner will allow the lomeid to build his Hebrew vocabulary and to help him transition away from the need to use an English Gemara.

B'kavod Rav, The Daf Yomi Chazarah Gemara

Guidelines for the Translation

  1. At times, the intended meaning of a phrase is not the actual translation of the words but rather it is the translation of the words influenced by the context of where they are written. In this work, the words are translated according to their intended meanings (i.e., as a maggid shiur would translate them). However, where the intended translation differs from the literal translation, the words of the translation are put into quotes to indicate that the translation given is not the literal translation of these words.
  2. Often, in order to help with the flow of the Gemara, words were added to the translation. To indicate that these words are not the actual translation, they are put into parentheses.
  3. After its initial appearance, many terms are not translated (for example the word assur (forbidden) ). The reason this is done is in order to make the translation more readable. It must be pointed out that even if someone is not used to these terms he will quickly pick up on them. Additionally, it is advantageous for every learner to become familiar with the terminology used in the Gemara. The same way every field of knowledge has its own set of unique words, the Gemara is no different. As such, it is far more beneficial to learn this terminology than to just have them translated each time one comes across them.