1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. In what way is giving food and clothing a sign of love? What kind of love is this?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| Raba said: The number of students to be assigned to each teacher is twenty-five. If there are fifty, we appoint two teachers. If there are forty, we appoint an assistant, at the expense of the town. [Soncino translation] |
ואמר רבא: סך מקרי דרדקי - עשרין וחמשה ינוקי, ואי איכא חמשין - מותבינן תרי, ואי איכא ארבעין - מוקמינן ריש דוכנא, ומסייעין ליה ממתא
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1. What are the educational values that this text is trying to teach us?
2. What opportunities are provided to our children when we give them an education?
3. What does this text teach us about the importance of giving each child the same amount of attention?
4. What does this text teach us about the role the community should play in children's education?
עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה: וַאֲהַבְתֶּם אֶת הַגֵּר כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
1. In what ways does this text suggest that we mimic G-d?
2. What is G-d's responsibility to us and what is our responsibility to others? What are the different sources of these responsibilities?
3. This text reminds the reader of Israelite slavery. In what ways is a history of slavery connected to doing justice and loving the stranger?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| This is what they said (Baba Batra 21a): Communities everywhere have an obligation to appoint teachers for their children. A city without school children will be destroyed. 25 children should be taught by one teacher. [translation by AJWS] |
וכן מה שאמרו [ב"ב כ"א ע"א] שחייב הציבור שבכל מקום ומקום להושיב מלמדי תינוקות, ועיר שאין בה תינוקות של בית רבן תחרב, וכ"ה תינוקות מושיבין אצל מלמד אחד.
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1. What are the educational values that this text is trying to teach?
2. What opportunities are provided to our children when we give them an education?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| It is a grievous sin to scorn the scholars or to hate them. Jerusalem was destroyed only when its scholars were treated with contempt, as it is written: “They mocked God’s messengers, despised God’s words, and derided God’s prophets,” (Chronicles 36:16) that is to say, they despised those who taught God’s words. Similarly, when the Torah says, “If you spurn My laws” (Leviticus 26:15), it means, if you spurn the teachers of My laws. Whoever despises eminent scholars has no share in the world to come, “for they have despised the word of the Lord” (Numbers 15:31). [Translation by CAJE. Edited for gender neutrality] |
עון גדול הוא לבזות את החכמים או לשנאותן, לא חרבה ירושלים עד שבזו בה תלמידי חכמים שנאמר ויהיו מלעיבים במלאכי האלהים ובוזים דבריו ומתעתעים בנביאיו, כלומר בוזים מלמדי דבריו, וכן זה שאמרה תורה אם בחקותי תמאסו מלמדי חקותי תמאסו, וכל המבזה את החכמים אין לו חלק לעולם הבא והרי הוא בכלל כי דבר ה' בזה
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1. Why is it a grievous sin to scorn or hate scholars?
2. What do scholars represent in society?
3. What is the relationship between Torah and Torah scholars?
1. Why is teaching a child equated with being a parent of that child?
2. What does this text teach us about the importance of education?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| “And you shall teach it unto your children” (Deuteronomy 6:7). This refers to your students; and similarly you find in a number of places that students are called children, as it is written, “You are children unto the Lord;” and just as students are called children, so is the teacher called parent. [CAJE translation. Edited for gender neutrality] |
"ושננתם לבניך" – אלו תלמידיך, וכן אתה מוצא שבכמה מקומות תלמידים קרויים בנים, שנאמר, "בנים אתם לה'", וכשם שתלמידים קרויים בנים כך הרב קרוי אב.
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1. Why are students and teachers portrayed as a child-parent relationship?
2. What responsibilities come along with this relationship?
3. What educational values does this portrayal convey?
1. Which of these actions is ultimately the most important? Why?
2. What "action" is being discussed here?
3. How does this text relate to Jewish social justice?
4. How does this text relate to education and sustainable livelihood?
1. What does Abaye's response imply about himself and Rav Papa? Are they necessarily explicitly sinners?
2. What does this response imply about the nature of adulthood and free will? Why do children lack sin?
1. What does this text say about the relationship between social responsibility and exile?
2. Why do you think the Talmud makes such a strong statement about education? Why do they see education as so important for the fabric of society?
1. Why are we commanded not to neglect the children of the poor? What does it mean that law will go forth from them?
2. What is the lesson of this text? To what extent do we live by this line?
What do you think about a father’s teaching obligations to his son (putting aside for the moment, if you can, the gender issues and reading this as an obligation of parents to their children)? In what way is failing to teach a child a useful skill comparable to teaching them thievery?