Question, statement or answer: naming the step

In his words

Gemara doesn't lecture. It's question, statement, answer. 8:49 Other books lecture at you; the Gemara teaches by shakla v'tarya, the give and take. So the first act of comprehension is to label the step. When the class writes up a step he begins: the first thing we want to try in and identify the step, question, statement or answer. 18:22

Labelling also shows you the shape of the sugya: in Rabbi Yirmiyah's series the class notices, we had one question, we didn't answer, we asked a second question, we didn't answer it. 3:21

Worked example from a class

The sugya of a kav in four amos, as the Westwood class builds it over several weeks: a statement (Rabbi Yitzchak), a question about its reason, then question after question from Rabbi Yirmiyah (sesame seeds, dates and pomegranates) with no answer yet (3:00), then the one-word question mai, and finally teiku (next class, 29:20).

Hear him teach it

383 moments found so far in 365 transcribed classes; more appear as transcription continues. Tap one to play from that moment.

1. Westwood · Beginner class, Nov 16, 2011 · 18:22“the first thing we want to try in and identify the step, question, statement or answer.”Labels the step as a question before writing the explanation.
2. Westwood · Beginner class, Nov 21, 2011 · 37:08“The first thing we want to identify is question, statement or answer. Be careful on this.”Teiku is labelled an answer (the answer is 'we don't know'), even though it sounds like a question.
3. Westwood · Beginner class, Nov 28, 2011 · 26:57“the first thing we want to do is we want to label this step as a question, statement or answer”Has the class label the step as a statement before explaining it.
4. Westwood · Beginner class, Nov 30, 2011 · 43:30“when we identify a step in the Gemara as an answer, it has to be because the Gemara asked an explicit question.”A step is labelled 'answer' only if the Gemara explicitly asked a question; 'when do they argue?' merely introduces a statement.
5. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 5, 2011 · 19:15“how do we label this step as a question statement or answer? It's really a question.”Labels the step a question even though it is also a proof.
6. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 7, 2011 · 36:20“Now, how should we label this one? Question, statement or answer?”Labels each step of the give-and-take before writing the explanation.
7. Westwood · Advanced class, Dec 9, 2011 · 29:17“Yeah, you can see from the punctuation, at the end of the word one, that this is a question, exactly.”Labelling the 'mishum' step as a question on the simple reading of the pasuk.
8. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 12, 2011 · 24:01“First thing we want to fill in is question, statement, or answer.”Labels each step on the explanation sheet before explaining it.
9. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 14, 2011 · 34:10“Question. Right, question statement answer, so let's write question.”Labels the step as a question before explaining it.
10. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 19, 2011 · 3:55“is the Gemara, what is the Gemara doing in this step? Questions, state your answer.”Has students label the step; it is an answer defending Abaye.