Beth midrash

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A beth midrash (Hebrew: בית מדרש, "House of Learning"; pl.: batei midrash), also beis medrash or beit midrash, is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall".^[1] It is distinct from a synagogue (beth knesseth), although the two are often coextensive. In Yiddish the beth midrash may be referred to as a zal, i.e. "hall". Beis midrash can also refer to a yeshiva gedolah, the undergraduate-level program in Orthodox, for boys over 12th grade.^[2]

The Arabic term "madrasah" is derived from the same Semitic root, and refers to any type of educational institution. The root דרש means "to seek [knowledge]"^[3] and is then generalized to mean "expound".