Bein Hazmanim (Spring Break)

One of the very few things I liked about being in Yeshiva when I was younger was Bein Hazmanim, the vacation time between semesters. Twice a year (Pesach and Summer) we got a whole month off from the learning and insanely restrictive rules and were free to do as we pleased (well, not exactly, but close). Unfortunately, in the real world, vacations like that just don't happen. While I was fortunate to be able to take a number of vacations, I can't remember a single vacation that I didn't have to work at all.

Now that I'm back in Yeshiva, by choice, Bein Hazmanim doesn't quite have the same appeal. Sure I could use the time off, but I'm here because I want to learn, not for vacation. In any case, I still have a business to run, so it would only be a half day vacation. Still, I'll admit I was kind of looking forward to the time off for the last few weeks.

The week or two before the end of the zman (semester) is mostly spent studying for bechinos (finals). On the last day of the zman the Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) gives an oral test to everyone in the Yeshiva on everything you learned that zman. I was in a complicated position for this test, as I missed the first few weeks of Yeshiva. I'm also apparently very bad at hiding my boredom in class when I already know what's being taught, so I was moved to a higher level class after a week and a half. I was a little worried about being tested at the higher level, considering that I only learned some of the material in the lower level class. Fortunately, I felt like I understood everything in the new class well enough that I had plenty of extra time to go back and learn the other material on my own.

Three days before the test, I found out that the test was going to cover a whole bunch of material that I never learned. Instead of reviewing the material that I had learned, I learned all the new material in the days before the test. Turns out this was a good idea, as the test ended up being entirely on this new material (new for me, everyone else had learned it before I got here). One thing I don't like is that they don't give you any kind of grade here. It's not really necessary, because you and everyone else in your class know how you did. I felt like I did well enough, but it was kind of disappointing to be tested only on material that I learned in three days, instead of the material that I knew so well, in depth.

The day after the test the Yeshiva went on a Tiyul (trip) that deserves it's own post and then Bein Hazmanim started. I was wondering what I'd do with an extra 5+ hours every day. Unfortunately, Matis has Pneumonia, the flu and an ear infection and Nehama has the flu, so I've been stuck at home most of the time. Not quite the vacation I'd pictured.