Here is our source text from Proverbs:
(ו) חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
(6) Train a lad in the way he ought to go;
He will not swerve from it even in old age.
He will not swerve from it even in old age.
אמר החכם מכל אדם, חנוך לנער על פי דרכו גם כי יזקין לא יסור ממנה (משלי כב ו), זה כולל שני דברים, האחד חנוך לנער, שיחנכהו בנעוריו, בעוד לבו טהור ממחשבות הבלי העולם ומתהפוכיות הדעות הזרות, שבהיות לבו כנייר חדש וחלק, נקל לכתוב עליו דברי אמת, ויתחקו בו היטב, והשני על פי דרכו, כפי ערכו וכחו, כי אין מזגי בני אדם וכחות נפשותיהן שוות, ומה שיקל על האחד לקבל ולשמור יכבד על השני, ודברים אחרים יקלו על השני, ויכבדו על זה, וכמו שנרמוז עוד (פרק ח), ואם יחנך הנער בנעוריו, ויהיה החנוך על פי דרכו, אז גם כי יזקין לא יסור ממנה:
The wisest person said, “Teach a child in his own way, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). This teaches us two things. First, “teach a child” means educate a person in his youth, while his heart remains free of the vain thoughts of the world and perverse alien ideas, while his heart is like a clean slate on which it is easy to write words of truth that will be carefully followed. Second, “in his own way” means according to his own capacity and ability, because everyone’s temperament and personal strengths are not the same. That which is easy for one person to absorb and retain is difficult for another, while other things are easy for the second person but difficult for the first, as we shall discuss below in Chapter VIII. Accordingly, if we teach a child in his youth and if the education is according to his own ability, then he will not depart from it.
First read through the text together out loud with your chevruta, then discuss the following questions:
(1) Do you agree or disagree with the first main point that Wessely makes about educating children? What do you think he means by "words of truth?"
(2) His second point is what in modern pedagogical terms is called differentiation. This is how we approach education here at DJDS. Think for a moment about your own education as a child. Was there differentiation or were the same subjects taught the same way to everyone? Think about your own child(ren). How do you notice that differentiation makes an impact on their educational life?
(1) Do you agree or disagree with the first main point that Wessely makes about educating children? What do you think he means by "words of truth?"
(2) His second point is what in modern pedagogical terms is called differentiation. This is how we approach education here at DJDS. Think for a moment about your own education as a child. Was there differentiation or were the same subjects taught the same way to everyone? Think about your own child(ren). How do you notice that differentiation makes an impact on their educational life?
*Naphtali Herz Wessely (Hartwig) was a Haskalah(the Jewish Enlightenment in Europe which lasted from the 1770s to 1881) poet, linguist, and exegete. Wessely's epistle Divrei Shalom ve-Emet (Berlin, 1782), was a call to the Jewish community of Austria to comply willingly with the order of the Edict of Tolerance of the Austrian emperor Joseph II to open schools for Jewish children in which German would be taught. The work is the first methodical composition in Hebrew on Jewish education written in the spirit of the Haskalah. Wessely distinguishes between two types of studies: what he called Torat ha-Adam ("human knowledge"), and instruction in the Law of God. The acquisition of human knowledge demands instruction in subjects which are necessary to people's relationships with each other, namely, a training in general subjects and ethics, i.e., secular studies common to the humankind. The divine teachings are the heritage of the people of Israel alone and are identical with the Torah of Moses. Jewish education should be founded on both studies, with a schooling in human knowledge preceding divine subjects, since these should serve as a basis for the study of Torah. Without general education it is impossible to understand divine teachings. Wessely came to the conclusion that one who studies the Torah without acquiring common human knowledge, will, when they grow up, become a burden upon society.
His opinions were strongly opposed by the Orthodox, especially by Ezekiel b. Judah *Landau of Prague, *David Tevele b. Nathan of Lissa, and the Gaon Elijah of Vilna. A bitter controversy ensued. Wessely responded to the rabbis in his epistles Rav Tov le-Veit Yisrael (Berlin, 1782); Reḥovot (Berlin, 1785); and Mishpat (Berlin, 1784), all of which were later collected under the title Divrei Shalom ve-Emet; sections were translated into French, German, Dutch, and Italian.
His opinions were strongly opposed by the Orthodox, especially by Ezekiel b. Judah *Landau of Prague, *David Tevele b. Nathan of Lissa, and the Gaon Elijah of Vilna. A bitter controversy ensued. Wessely responded to the rabbis in his epistles Rav Tov le-Veit Yisrael (Berlin, 1782); Reḥovot (Berlin, 1785); and Mishpat (Berlin, 1784), all of which were later collected under the title Divrei Shalom ve-Emet; sections were translated into French, German, Dutch, and Italian.