Tuesday 19 June 2007

Talmud - What's the Rush? Ben Hamesh, etc.

Originally published 6/19/07, 4:54 PM, Eastern Daylight Time
The Mishnah in Avoth outlines the following "pedagogical" program:
  1. Ben Hamseh [5]LeMikra [Tanach]
  2. Ben Esser [10] leMishna
  3. Ben Shlosh Esrai [13] leMitzvoth
  4. Ben hamesh Esrai [15] liGmara
And - so what is our rush to commence learning G'mara so much younger? It is clear that every Amora had mastered all of Tanach and all of Mishnah and a scattered smattering of Braitot BEFORE engaging in Talmud! If that was required of them THEN all the more so [kal vachomer] for US!

I could concede the idea of leaving gaps in Tanach and substituting Rashi on Humash instead. This has been recorded by various Poskim as a valid trade-off. [E.G. [See Shulchan Aruch Harav.] But I am not so willing to compromise other trade-offs made in our educational system at the expense of a broad base. Certainly a wide ranging knowledge of TaNaCh and Mishnah, or alternatively, Humash/Rashi & Mishnah would serve the novice Talmudic student well in both the short run and long run.

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Now for a little spin on learning Mitzvoth at thirteen  from a pedagogical perspective. Traditionally the understanding of thirteen for mitzvoth is to PERFORM them. How about considering that from age 13-15, one might spend two years learning mitzvot, e.g. Sefer haChinuch, Rambam's Sefer haMitzvoth with some fine commentaries, Sefer Mitzvoth Hashem, the Chofetz Chayim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar etc.

The Shulchan Aruch Harav on Talmud Torah states that each Jewish soul must perform all 613 Mitzvoth. This is, of course, physically impossible in a single lifetime because some mitzvoth are restricted by caste and by gender! The alternative to physical performance is the intense learning of the mitzvoth. Certainly, a great background in performing Mitzvoth - and helpful Beqioth for Talmud as well - can be obtained by an intensive two-year program of mitzvoth to supplement the five year program of Mishnah.

I would start with the Rambam's Sefer haMitzvoth, then proceed to the Chinuch. At the pace of only two mitzvoth a day- all 613 can be easily covered in a single year. Thus, both books could be covered in two years.

Alternatively one could start with the latest books first working backwards. Take the Sefer Mamizoth Hakatzar, then Sefer Mitzvoth Hashem, etc.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

3 comments:

DrMike said...

The Maharal in Netivos Olam mentions this subject as well and rails against the trend towards gemara, gemara, gemara.

My father taught me that learning Torah is like building a house. Gemara is the top floor. Who builds a top floor without a foundation and main level? But today kids are rushed through Chumash with Rashi, then right onto gemara, with only a brief stop in mishnayos.

As opposed to the post, I wouldn't trade off Navi for anything. I've understood that the reason for the emphasis on gemara and the ignoring of Navi was because historically the Christians attached importance to the Bible so the Talmud became "our" book but really, although you can learn a great deal about Jewish law from the Talmud, you learn even more about Jewish priorities from the Tanach. Skipping it creates people who think all Judaism has to offer is picky law after law.

Rabbi Ben Hecht said...

Of course, the mishna's reference to gemara does not mean the texts we refer as gemara, either Bavli or Yerushalmi. How could it as the Mishna was redacted before the Gemara? The reference to gemara is to analytical reasoning -- the use of Torah data to categorize, analyze, contemplate and speculate. This process ideally should occur after one acquires the base data to work with -- that is the point of this mishna.

Having said this, the question still emerges -- what about the modern study of the texts referred to as Gemara? On a certain level, the bikiut style of study of these texts actually should be labeled, within the context of this mishna, as Mishna -- gaining Oral Law data. Within this perspective, it should be part of the study that begins at 10. Nevertheless the study of the gemara text is really not like mishna for the intent of the editors of the Gemara was to stimulate gemara study, i.e. analytical study. That is why the text of the Talmud is unique. It was written to demand the learning style that was described as gemara. That being the case it is, in this regard, not like mishna. The Talmud is now, on one hand, a place to gain data and as such is to be part of early education. On the other hand, though, it is the realm of analysis and that demands the adult mind and there is reason to be hesitant in the time of its introduction.

I think though, that, whenever gemara is introduced, it is important to recognize its two-fold purpose. One is to give data. The other is to involve us in the highest of Torah study - i.e. thinking about the concepts of Torah and extending their application. Whatever one decides in terms of educational process, the weighing of these two objectives must be weighed.

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