Learn Ot Yomit (Ois Yoimis) with the Orthodox Union
First It was Daf Yomi, then Nach Yomi; OU Webcast of New Torah Learning Cycle Begins Purim.
Torah is for every Jew; make it yours with Ot Yomit online. We look forward to learning with you!
See Rabbi Weinreb’s introduction to the OU’s Ot Yomit here!
One who learns from his fellow a single chapter [of Torah], a single law, a single verse, a single statement, or even a single letter, must treat him with honor. (Pirkei Avot)
For a single letter of the Torah is worth more than the entire world and than all the mitzvot (Talmud Yerushalmi, Peah).
The last century and this have seen amazing innovations in Torah learning.
In 1923, Rabbi Meir Shapiro introduced the idea of Daf Yomi, the study of one page of Talmud a day.
In 2007, the Orthodox Union began to promote Nach Yomi, the study of one chapter of Tanach a day.
Now comes Ot Yomit, the study of one letter of the Torah a day.
What Could Be Easier?
The OU’s Ot Yomit program opens up Torah learning even to those who are able to study only on a very basic level. No previous learning is required; just the willingness to devote yourself to a daily regimen of spiritually rewarding and inspiring Torah knowledge.
If Daf Yomi or Nach Yomi is too challenging for you, this is something you can really do! The Ot Yomit cycle takes slightly longer than either of these two older programs to complete, but learning the entire Torah letter by letter is entirely achievable. Never let anyone tell you it is not so. Just be sure to take the time to read each day’s selection at your own speed—as with any course of study, the more time you spend with the text, the more you will get out of it.
Reading the day’s letter may take you so little time, you’ll want the thrill of studying it again and again!
And as with any other daily study program, those who commit to Ot Yomit must keep the goal in mind. By always focusing on the day you will complete your learning, nothing will deter you from maintaining your daily schedule.
A Letter a Day—You’ll Hardly Notice the Time Go By
There are 304,805 letters in the Torah—each one precious and important in its own individual way. That means that by committing to spending just a few moments a day to study the letter, anyone can complete the entire Torah in only 834 years. And the OU will provide you with an online calendar so you never lose track of where you are. (Plans to distribute a printed calendar had to be abandoned because of the weight.)
The Ot Yomit program is scheduled to commence on Purim. The first cycle will conclude in 6606 (2846), at which point the second cycle will begin. If you miss it this time around, you might want to wait for the start of the second cycle so that you do not lose out on even one letter.
The Advantages of Ot Yomit Study
No longer will anyone be able to say, in the words of Pirkei Avot, “When I have time, I will study.” Who does not have time to study one letter each day?
Many people find it difficult to retain the knowledge they have gained from Daf Yomi and Nach Yomi, given the limited time available to review each day’s lesson before the next arrives. With Ot Yomit, review (chazarah) is built in. By the end of the initial week, the first letter studied—the bet of the word bereishit—appears again, as the first letter of the second word, bara, to be pored over and analyzed anew! And as you study, you will discover that this happens time after time, sometimes even with the same letter appearing two days in a row!
Ot Yomit has been specifically designed by a team of master Torah educators for today’s brief attention spans. You will develop study skills that will inspire and guide you for seconds at a time, for the rest of your life.
The Siyum—A Fulfilling Moment
What a monumental feeling of achievement you will have when you make a siyum on the entire Torah, just 834 years from now, joined by millions of other Jews around the world (and through the centuries) who have doggedly persisted in learning day after day in order to reach this goal.
A grand siyum is now in the planning stages, with major arenas and convention halls around the world already booked for that date! Leading roshei yeshiva, inspirational speakers and star singers are being lined up. It will undoubtedly be the event of the millennium—and you can be a part of it! Not only you, but your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, great-great-great-grandchildren, great-great-great-great-grandchildren . . . ad dorei dorot!
How to Sign Up
While most OU programs are provided free of charge, Ot Yomit will need the attention of OU staff members for centuries to come. Therefore, we are asking all who join the program to help maintain it. You will be privileged to join this outstanding learning program for just 10 cents per day. Please don’t forget to include the full amount, $30,480.50, with your registration.
And here’s something unique to Ot Yomit—you can sponsor a letter in memory of someone not yet born!