Our Tradition Speaks: Teaching and Reaching All Classroom Students
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Our Tradition Speaks:

Reaching and Teaching All of the Students in Our Classrooms

Leviticus 19:14
לֹא תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ וְלִפְנֵי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשֹׁל וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲנִי יְקֹוָק:
Leviticus.19.14
You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall be in awe of thy God: I am the LORD. [JPS]
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What does this say to us as educators?

2. How does the first part of the phrase relate to the second?

R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, Meshiv Davar,Leviticus 19:14
Leviticus.19.14
This [mitzvah not to curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind] is also part of the concept of maintaining harmony and the dignity of human beings one to another…and it is written in the beraita… “This is the book of the generations of mankind” (Bereishit 5:1)-Ben Azai states: This a major principle of the Torah” and the Raavad explains that he is referring to the end of the verse “[mankind] who was made in the image of God”- whom are you degrading? [when you shame another human being], whom are you cursing? [when you curse another human being]? The image of the Holy One Blessed be He” And someone who does not think this way is labeled as if the divine image is not resting upon him!”
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. How does this text enhance your understanding of the one above? Does it change your thoughts?

2. How does human behavior reflect upon God?

Proverbs 22:6
חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּי יַזְקִין לֹא יָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה:
Proverbs.22.6
Train/teach a child his/her way; and even when he is old, he/she will not depart from it.
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What does this text say about our rrole as teachers?

2. How does it impact our work?


2. Do we hope that our children "not depart" from the education, or training, that we provide?
3. What are the responsibilities of parents in teaching children a sense of social responsibility?

"The Four Children," The Haggadah
Translation Original
Blessed is God, blessed be He! Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel, blessed be He! Concerning four sons, the Torah speaks: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask. The wise one- what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statues and the laws which the Lord, our God, has commanded you?" (Deuteronomy 6:20-21) You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of the Pesach offering: one may not eat dessert after the Pesach offering. The wicked one- what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says "to you," thereby excluding himself. By excluding himself, he denies the basic principle of our faith. Therefore you should blunt his teeth and say to him: "It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt"; "for me"- but not for him! Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed! (Exodus 12:26-27) The simple one- what does he say? "What is this?" Tell him: "With a strong hand did the Lord take us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Exodus 13:14) As for the one who does not know how to ask- you must prompt him, as it says: "You shall tell your child on that day: 'It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt." (Exodus 12:26-27) [Translation from The Nechama Leibowitz Haggadah]
ברוך המקום, ברוך הוא. ברוך שנתן תורה לעמו ישראל, ברוך הוא. כנגד ארבעה בנים דברה תורה: אחד חכם, ואחד רשע, ואחד תם, ואחד שאינו יודע לשאול. חכם מה הוא אומר? ’מה העדות והחקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה' אלוהינו אתכם?’ (דברים ו:כ) ואף אתה אמר לו כהלכות הפסח: 'אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן.’ רשע מה הוא אומר? ’מה העבודה הזאת לכם?’ (שמות יב:כו) ולכם–ולא לו. ולפי שהוציא את עצמו מן הכלל, כפר בעקר. ואף אתה הקהה את שניו ואמר לו: 'בעבור זה עשה ה' לי בצאתי ממצרים,’ (שמות יג:ח) לי–ולא לו. אילו היה שם, לא היה נגאל. תם מה הוא אומר: ’מה זאת? ואמרת אליו: 'בחזק יד הוציאנו ה' ממצרים, מבית עבדים.'’ (שמות יג:ח) ושאינו יודע לשאול– את פתח לו, שנאמר: ’והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר, 'בעבור זה עשה ה' לי בצאתי ממצרים.'’ (שמות יג:ח)
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What does this text imply about different learners?

2. How would you, as a teacher, respond to the rasha - the wicked one?

3. How might you meet the needs of the wise one, wicked one, simple one, and one who does not know in your classroom?

Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 119b (Resh Lakish)
שבת קי״ט ב:י׳
אמר ריש לקיש משום רבי יהודה נשיאה: אין העולם מתקיים אלא בשביל הבל תינוקות של בית רבן. אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי: דידי ודידך מאי? ־ אמר ליה: אינו דומה הבל שיש בו חטא, להבל שאין בו חטא
Shabbat 119b:10
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah Nesiyah: the world endures only for the breath of school children. Said Rav Papa to Abaye: What of my breath and yours? He answered: One cannot compare breath that has sin in it to breath that does not. [Translation by Jonah Steinberg]
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why is the breath of school chidren so valued?

2. Do you think that this holds true throughout the school years?

3. What can we, as educators, do to preserve this breath?

Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 17a
ברכות י״ז א:ח׳
מרגלא בפומייהו דרבנן דיבנה אני בריה וחברי בריה אני מלאכתי בעיר והוא מלאכתו בשדה אני משכים למלאכתי והוא משכים למלאכתו כשם שהוא אינו מתגדר במלאכתי כך אני איני מתגדר במלאכתו ושמא תאמר אני מרבה והוא ממעיט שנינו אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים
Berakhot 17a:8
A gem in the mouths of the Rabbis of Yavneh: I am God's creature and my fellow is God's creature. My work is in the city and their work is in the field. I rise early for my work and they rise early for their work. Just they do not presume to do my work, so I do not presume to do their work. Will you say, I do (learn) much and they do (learn) little? We have a tradition: One may do much or one may do little; it is all the same, provided one directs one's heart to heaven. [translation by Soncino, edited for accessibility and gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions

1.Against what attitude(s) is this statement struggling?

2. How does it relate to our classrooms?

Babylonian Talmud, Baba Mezia 58b
Translation Original
A Tanna retold this before Rabbi Nachman son of Yitzchak: One who embarrasses another in public, it is as if he shed his blood. [AJWS translation]
תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן בר יצחק: כל המלבין פני חבירו ברבים כאילו שופך דמים.
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. In what ways is embarrassment equal to death?

2. How do you see this text played out in our classrooms and schools?


3. How might you use this text?

Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 19b
ברכות י״ט ב:ט׳
תא שמע: גדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה [את] לא תעשה שבתורה.
Berakhot 19b:9
Come and learn: Human dignity is so important that it supersedes even a biblical prohibition. [Soncino translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why is human dignity so valued?

2. How can we, as educators, strengthen human dignity in the work we do?

Babylonian Talmud, Baba Batra 21a
בבא בתרא כ״א א:ב׳-ד׳
דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב ברם זכור אותו האיש לטוב ויהושע בן גמלא שמו שאלמלא הוא נשתכח תורה מישראל שבתחלה מי שיש לו אב מלמדו תורה מי שאין לו אב לא היה למד תורה מאי דרוש +דברים י"א+ ולמדתם אותם ולמדתם אתם התקינו שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בירושלים מאי דרוש +ישעיהו ב'+ כי מציון תצא תורה ועדיין מי שיש לו אב היה מעלו ומלמדו מי שאין לו אב לא היה עולה ולמד התקינו שיהו מושיבין בכל פלך ופלך ומכניסין אותן כבן ט"ז כבן י"ז ומי שהיה רבו כועס עליו מבעיט בו ויצא עד שבא יהושע בן גמלא ותיקן שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בכל מדינה ומדינה ובכל עיר ועיר ומכניסין אותן כבן שש כבן שבע
Bava Batra 21a:2-4
Rav Yehudah has told us in the name of Rav: the name of that man is to be blessed, and his name is Yehoshua ben Gamla, for but for him the Torah would have been forgotten from Israel. For at first if a child had a parent, the parent taught him, and if they had no parent, they did not learn at all. What [verse] guided them? "And you shall teach them to your children" (Deuteronomy 11), laying the emphasis on the word "you". They then made an ordinance that teachers of children should be appointed in Jerusalem. What verse guided them? "For from Zion shall the Torah go forth" (Isaiah 2). Even so, however, if a child had a parent, the parent would take them up to Jerusalem and have them taught there, and if not, they would not go up to learn there. They therefore ordained that teachers should be appointed in each area, and that children should enter school at the age of sixteen or seventeen. But if the teachers punished them, they would simply rebel and leave. Then came Yehoshua ben Gamla and decreed that teachers of young children should be appointed in each county, and each town. and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven. [translation by Soncino, edited for accessibility and gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Yehoshua ben Gamla ultimately focused on the age of six or seven as an age to begin learning?

2. What can one learn best at an early age?

Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, "Unfinished Rabbi" (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1998), p. 60
Original
Jews are commanded to open their homes to visitors, particularly the poor and the learned. Jews are not to convert their homes into fortresses protecting the nuclear family from invasion, but to sensitize their children to other people by inviting visitors regularly into their homes. The house is not to be a refuge but a bridge – if the analogy can be imagined, a kind of spiritually self-aware hotel.
Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?

2. If we think of our classrooms as an extension of our homes, what implications does this text have?

3. How can its lessons extend beyond our classrooms?