As a Sephardi, I have a great deal of ambivalence towards Yiddish. Because I studied German in high school and college, I understand it better than most of my Ashkenazi friends. Yet its use as an insiders’ language for Jews has kept many Jews like me feeling like outsiders.
That said, there are certain Yiddish words that have become so central to yeshiva life that they transcended their origins and became beloved by all who look back fondly on their yeshiva years. My strongest association with the word shteig accordingly brings up visions of the many hours I spent happily arguing over an open Gemara. Because this word is used so much in yeshivot, its translation into Hebrew (from which the term actually originates, le’alot, to climb) or any other language simply doesn’t come with the same feelings.
Actually, one can shteig in other areas besides Gemara. Ideally, it should be something we do in every aspect of our spiritual lives. Nevertheless, its most common use is to refer to the growth one experiences in intense Torah study. After all, the reason we call it climbing, as opposed to just growing, is that when we learn Torah texts, we don’t just become proficient in some random subject, but rather in texts that bring us closer to G-d.
Though it is not a word I use for my students’ experience at Midrasha, it should be. As a teacher, it thrills to see my own students shteig – working hard at deciphering Rashi and Ramban and rapidly growing in their knowledge, skills and spiritual refinement. Passing on that experience is among the most fulfilling activities I know of.