Core Jewish Values: Week #3-- Study/ Education

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32:12

Rabbi Tanchuma said: The two lads grew up; the one went by the way of life, and the other went by the way of death, as it is said, "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter" (Gen. 25:27). Jacob went on the way of life, for he was dwelling in tents, and he studied the Torah all his days. Esau went on the way of death, because he slew Nimrod and his son Chavir, and he almost sought to kill Jacob his brother, as it is said, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob" (Gen. 27:41).

Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot 1:1:

AND YOU SHOULD TRAIN [lit. stand them up] MANY STUDENTS.

They used the word ha`amidu, whose root`amad means “to stand,” because from the time of Moses until the time of Rabban Gamliel the students would stand during their studies (Megillah 21a) while the master (teacher) would sit on a chair. While this is a good derivation of the term ha`amidu, it does not convey the thrust of the mishna, which is not that the students should stand or sit, but that they should study. So why doesn’t the mishna, in accordance with its primary intent, simply use the verb “teach”?
It seems that the mishna uses this verb, ha`amidu, to emphasize that one ought to stand them up on their feet to the point that they don’t falter, i.e. to stand them on their feet in truly understanding Torah. This is called “standing” and “enduring” [kiyum, related to Heb. kam, “arose”], just as the Rabbinic expression says of a lie that it “has no legs on which to stand,” and as the Poet says, “My feet had nearly faltered” (Psalms, 73:2). And it is because the mishna dictated that one should train many students that it had to use the verb ha`amidu, to emphasize that although one ought to train many students, their studies should still be such that they should be able to stand upon their own feet and reach truth in their learning. Anything else cannot properly be called ha`amadah, training a student and standing him upon his feet; such students rather “lie in slumber” (Isaiah 56:10), in the sleep of foolishness.

[Hagaon Harav Gershon Shaul Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi Heller (c. 1579 in Wallerstein, Bavaria – 19 August 1654 in Kraków), was a Bohemian rabbi and Talmudist, best known for writing a commentary on the Mishnah called the Tosefet Yom-Tov (1614–1617). Heller was one of the major Talmudic scholars in Prague and in Poland during the "Golden Age" of Polish Jewry.]

Bartenura on Pirkei Avot 1:17: "and it is not the study which is the main thing but rather the deed": The main attainment of reward is for the action. And someone who teaches but does not practice [what he teaches], it would have been better if he had been silent and had not taught.

Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 1:17: "And the exposition [of Torah] is not what is essential, but the action": [This is] saying that one should not expostulate on a commandment to others while he does not do it [himself]. Rather, he should do them first and [then] teach them to others - as the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Tosefta Yevamot 9:5), "Pleasant are words that come out of the mouth of one who practices them."

Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 2:2: And all who work for the community, let them work for the [sake of the] name of Heaven: Not to be honored and not to derive benefit from them and not to lord over them, but rather to lead them in the straight path, and everything should be for the name of Heaven.

From Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot 2:4:

"'When I will be available, etc.'": Even if it is not to listen from someone else, (such as attending a class or a lecture)

but rather just to study by yourself; do not say, "When I will be available, etc."

Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 2:4:

Do not say, "When I will be available I will study [Torah]," lest you never become available:Since 'you do not know what a [new] day will [bring]' and 'they will also call you tomorrow,' since they will speak new matters and you will have to follow their paths. As there is no lack of new matters [requiring your attention] every day. And it will come out that you will leave the world without Torah [knowledge]. But rather you should 'make your Torah fixed' and your work flexible.

"Get yourself a companion [to study with]. " For what

reason? This saying implies that a man is to get himself

a companion who will eat with him, drink with him, read

Scripture with him, study Mishnah with him, sleep next

to him, and disclose all his secrets to him--secrets of

Torah and secrets of worldly matters. Thus, when the two

sit and occupy themselves with Torah, if one errs in Halakhah

or in the substance of a chapter, or says of what

is unclean that it is clean or of what is clean that it is

unclean, of what is prohibited that it is permitted and of

what is permitted that it is prohibited, his companion will

bring him back [to right thinking], as is said, ''Two are

better than one, in that they have greater benefit from their

labor" (Eccles. 4:9). [Avot d'Rabbi Natan]

"God gives out the waters [of Torah] by measure"

(Job 28:25). R. Yudan said in the name of R. Samuel:

Even words of Torah--Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Halakhot

and Aggadah--although given from above, were

meted out only by measure. Thus, one person may have a

capacity only for Scripture, another only for Mishnah,

another only for Talmud, and still another only for Aggadah.

Yet now and then there is one person who has the

capacity for all of Torah.

--Leviticus Rabbah 15:2

''The sluggard says: 'There is a lion in the way' "

(Prov. 26: 13). When a sluggard is told, "Your teacher is

in the city nearby; go and learn Torah from him," he

replies, "But I fear the lion in the way-'There is a lion

in the way.' " When he is told, "Your teacher is within

your township; bestir yourself and go to him," he replies,

"I fear that the lion may be in the streets-'Yea, a lion

is in the streets' " (ibid.). When he is told, "Behold, your

teacher is in his house," he replies, "If I go to his house,

I am certain to find the door bolted." Then he is told, "But

it is open; 'the door is turning upon its hinges' " (Prov.

26: 14). At that point, when he is at a loss to reply, he

says, "Whether the door is open or bolted, I want to sleep

just a little longer. " Hence: " 'How long wilt thou sleep,

Oh sluggard?' . . . Still the sluggard replies: 'Yet a little

sleep' " (Prov. 6:9-10).

-- Deuteronomy Rabbah 8:6

“And you shall teach them diligently to your children”

Providing a Jewish Education for Children with Special Needs

The full responsum is available at: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/assets/public/halakhah/teshuvot/20052010/Stein_V%27shinantam_Livanecha.pdf

Question: Is the Jewish community obligated to educate Jewish children with special needs?

Response:

Introduction: The rabbinic text most interested in education is Passover Haggadah. In it we bring to life the rabbinic dictum "You shall tell your child." In the Haggadah the most popular component is the four questions in which the text describes four children, the wise, the wicked, the simple and the child who doesn’t (even) know how to ask. The response to each child prescribed by the text, "according to the capacity of the child, the parent instructs him or her," is to meet that child where he/she is. The mandate of retelling of the Passover story does not require the same information or even the same method employed to convey that information.

A ruling of Yosef Caro in the Shulchan Aruch offers an opportunity to extend a lenient ruling for those families burdened by the overwhelming requirements of caring for a loved one with special needs. The obligation to teach the special needs child becomes extended from the parents to the community as a whole. Jewish education is so important that it becomes the priority of the community. The Shulchan Aruch makes the comment that the burden rests squarely on the parents. However, the community is concerned about its implementation. The emphasis is that all Jewish children should receive a Jewish education.

Community Responsibility

The responsibility to educate children is one that has always been understood to be shared by parents and the community. The reasons for this is not only to raise up a community of educated people, who will therefore contribute to that community. The values of every community are expressed in the priorities it has. Where a community devotes its resources speaks to the values it holds to be sacred. The education of every person indicates that the community finds each person worthy of education.

"You should settle every city with a teacher. And every city that does not have a teacher you should compel the people of that city to acquire a teacher." (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah)

"There is an opinion that states that the commandment to support the synagogue is preferable to the commandment concerning [the giving of] tzedakah, and the commandments of [the giving of] tzedakah for children are to study Torah or for poor who are infirm is preferable to the commandment to support the synagogue. (ROKEAH SIMAN 217).

The Shulchan Aruch places the burden of teaching squarely on the shoulders of the community and indicates that teaching children is a clearly a priority. There is no question that the resources we devote to any given population within our community speaks to our priorities. When we choose to dedicate resources to the education of everyone, we make a clear statement about the value we place on every person and the value we place on Jewish education.

A Warning

This teshuvah purposefully does not suggest the methods or the content of what “Jewish Education” should or ought to be; that is the purview of each individual community and their educators. This teshuvah simply seeks to make clear that every student deserves access to Jewish education.

To this end, I make the following specific recommendations:

1. Communities must be brought together to share financial and human resources. If there is ever an issue that has the potential to bring different streams of Judaism together it is this one. There is no question that common ground can be found in the area of curriculum and must be initiated by our movement to mediate those conversations and create these initiatives.

2. Rabbis should take a leadership role in raising money from individual and private donors.

3. Communal lay and professional leaders should lobby the allocation committee of local and and national Federations/U.J.C./J.U.F. for funding.

4. Synagogues should attach a voluntary supplement to their dues structure to provide individuals an opportunity to participate in this mitzvah.

5. Schools should apply for grants from Foundations that may be inclined to use their resources in this manner.

Conclusion

We are just beginning to understand how the brain works, and therefore we have no full understanding of what is comprehended or how that information is catalogued. To judge a priori would be to place ourselves in a position not of teachers but of prophet and judge. Many halakhic and aggadic sources point to the fundamental, critical and far reaching requirement to provide a Jewish education to all regardless of capacity. It is clearly the obligation of both Jewish parents and the community to provide for the Jewish education of all Jewish children, regardless of their social, emotional or intellectual capacity. The type of education that is provided should be determined by the professionals in this area. The field of special needs Jewish education is an ever expanding profession with talented and qualified faculty and administrators. The specifics of the type , breadth and depth of the education that ought to be and can be offered is clearly somethng they should decide. Jewish institutions ought to pool resources in order to efficiently utilize and allocate support in a non-discriminatory way.

P’sak Halachah/ Jewish Legal Decision: Every Jewish community is required to provide a Jewish education commensurate with the needs of every student. This is one important duty that every Jewish community must take into consideration in allocating its resources.