Rabbi Jeffrey Green is one of the WebYeshiva.org first semicha recipients.
Rabbi Green began his formal learning in the mid-1980’s at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem under the spiritual guidance of Rav Meir Schweiger. It was at that time he made a commitment to fully understanding both practical halacha and the fundamental principles of its development.
In the ensuing decades he constantly pursued avenues to further his Torah learning – independently, with various chevrutot and in more formal classes.
“Along the way,” Rabbi Green explained, “I was guided by Avot 1:6 which says, “Asey L’cha Rav (make a rabbi for yourself),” which according to one interpretation means “Asey L’atzmecha Rav (make yourself a rabbi).”
“In other words, anyone committed to fully observing halacha should take it upon him/herself to understand halacha and be able to reasonably respond to halachic questions and situations as they arise -which is exactly what the Halacha Mastery Program prepares you for.”
In 2013, just as Rabbi Green finished going through his first Daf Yomi cycle, WebYeshiva.org’s Halacha Mastery Program was launched.
“It offered a wonderful opportunity to expand the depth and breadth of my knowledge and understanding of halacha within a structured framework suited to someone with a full-time day job,” he said. “The program helped me reach a new plateau of Torah learning from which to continue on to Semicha.”
For Rabbi Green, having all of the shiurim recorded and available on the WebYeshiva.org archive meant two important things. First, never missing a class and second, being able to review classes one attended to better absorb the material.
“Of course, the technology would be irrelevant if there weren’t excellent teachers and challenging content to make the experience so valuable,” he added.
Rabbi Green works at Ben Gurion University and lives in Be’er Sheba with his family.