Gidon Rothstein’s prerequisites for Talmud study certainly constitute a LeChatchila. Under ideal conditions, when administrators, teachers, students, parent bodies and communities (Joseph Schwab’s “commonplaces†comprising the educational eclectic that he so thoroughly described and explored), would all be committed to the best interests of the subject matter “Talmudâ€, they would accept significant delayed gratification vis-à -vis the type of preparation that proper Talmud study requires.
However, barring those following the “Zilberman†approach as well as that developed in the “Barkai†schools in Israel (see [
tinyurl.com]) the reality in the Jewish day school community at large, is markedly otherwise. One cannot cavalierly dismiss the concerns that schools “do not seem enough like a Yeshiva†or the need to address “the popular views of what Jewish education must look like.†Furthermore calls for extending the days and years of a student’s attending day school in order to accommodate perceived needs of greater and more extensive preparation are likely to fall on deaf ears. Day school education is very much consumer-driven, particularly in an age of skyrocketing tuitions, and therefore institutionally competitive. Every school is forced to be concerned about its “market share†and it is not uncommon for students to shift from school to school in search of what they consider the “ideal†day school environment. Perhaps some sort of deliberation can be conducted to determine when the best time for beginning Talmud study might be; deferring such study entirely until the many prerequisites proposed by R. Rothstein, is in my view, quite unrealistic and even potentially destructive in the sense that it will discourage some families from even considering such an educational option.
I have argued over the years, and continue to do so, that the abject goal of Jewish education on all levels in all disciplines, including Talmud, is to create lifelong learners. Rather than extending the school day or the number of years that one is enrolled in a Jewish educational institution, educational thinking should be retooled to attempt to assure that learning will not cease with the end of formal classroom instruction. In order to achieve such an end, the subject matter that is presented at all levels and in all forms of Jewish studies should be designed to be fascinating, engaging, resonant with meaning and pertinent and relevant to a student’s experience and personal challenges. (Ancillary to advocating such an approach is the belief that Talmud does not have to be for everyone. According to truly applying [Mishlei 22:6] “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it,†the maxim “One size does not fit all†is crucial in such an overall approach.) While the need for extensive background preparation and understanding will not be precluded by a more pro-active, astute, age-appropriate and empathic curricular approach and pedagogic presentation, when the intention is to engender long-term commitment to continue to study Jewish texts and ideas well beyond graduation from day school, university and beyond, we have “bought more time†for proper study to eventually take place.
I do not believe that it is coincidental that the Chumash is reviewed each year by means of the establishment of an annual Parashat HaShavua cycle. Those engaging in Daf Yomi similarly have the potential to not only access the complete corpus of the Talmud text, but hopefully will go through the material a number of times over the course of their lifetimes. There also programs for NaCh Yomi, Mishna Yomit, Halacha Yomit, etc. encouraging everyone to find something that speaks to them, and truly go through the material in its entirety. The desired result will not only be quantitative, but also qualitative as each “pass†will be accompanied by insights that have been gained in the past, as well as from other areas of study. In effect, instead of R. Rothstein’s linear approach to preparation for Talmud study, I am advocating taking the long-view that would entail a spiral type of approach.
R. Aharon Lichtenstein, ZaTzaL, once told our Talmud Shiur something that has served as a lodestar for much of my professional career. He noted that it is only natural that everyone wishes to teach the highest Shiur to the most educated and motivated students. The problem, however, he noted, is that if everyone aspires to be Rosh HaYeshiva, who would teach the lower Shiurim that prepared and made students desirous of entering that top Shiur? I would add to his admonition: How can the lower, pre-requisite Shiurim be made sufficiently captivating and engaging so that students will wish to continue to grow in learning and commitment to Jewish values and ideas over the course of a lifetime?
Yaakov Bieler
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 09:08AM by mlb.
