Q&A: Making Use of Study Time
Making Use of Study Time
Question
Hello Rabbi, I’m an engineering student with a very busy schedule. If I really make the effort, I can set aside an hour a day for study. My question is whether it’s worth putting that hour specifically into in-depth study—either by topics or by going through tractates page by page—or whether it might be better to prepare for rabbinical certification exams and study for that, giving up a certain degree of depth in exchange for having a clear goal and making it easier to use the time well and stay consistent. From your experience, can you recommend what’s preferable?
P.S. In the past, before my studies, I learned Tractate Sukkah together with your lessons from the site, and it was excellent—thank you! If you have any framework where you still teach like that today and there’s some way to join remotely, that would be the best option.
Answer
Hello,
I don’t have such a framework. This year I’m on sabbatical, so I’m not teaching in the kollel at all.
It’s hard for me to advise you without knowing you. This is an individual matter. As a rule, I’m always in favor of in-depth study; the question is whether that suits you, and especially the amount of time you have. If it seems more suitable for you to take on a structured, binding framework that will give you broad knowledge and coverage, like rabbinical certification exams, that’s also perfectly fine.