Over the first few weeks of school, our Talmud classes have learned about topics that touch on the very heart of what it means to study Talmud and at once at what it in fact means to live as a Jew. Our ninth and tenth grade classes have begun learning Masechet Sanhedrin from the eighth perek, know as "perek ben sorer umoreh". Many of our classes have begun with a discussion of the "ben sorer umorah" himself, loosly translated as "the wayward son". The Torah (Devarim 21) describes how a child who does not listen to his parent is taken to the beit din and eventually put to death. Like in so many cases, the words of the written Torah here are so lacking without the additions of the Oral Torah. How old is this "child"? What exactly did he do wrong? What kinds of parents are these? How do the parents relate to one another? How can a child be responsible for his actions? What if it is not a son but a daughter? Do we really think that parents would take their child to the beit din to be killed?
All of these questions and many many more are addressed by the mishna and gemara in this perek - but most striking is the essertion of the gemara that an actual case of a "ben sorer umoreh" never happened and never will happen. At yet this was put in the Torah in order for us to learn it and "get reward". While the exact lessons of this unsual parsha is beyond the scope of this blog (though our students hopefully all have thoughts about this) - the very questions of what is the point of studying Talmud to begin with comes in to play.
Much has been written about the study of Talmud in general and among modern orthodox teens in particular. See for example
If we are merely veiwing Torah as a rule book of what we may or may not do in life - then clearly studyingthe intricate discussions of the Talmud is clearly a waste of time. Rather, by delving into every aspact of Torah from every angle possible - we are recognizing the complexity and infinite depth of Torah that we hope to spend our life delving into as much as possible.
Similarly, our eleventh and twelvth graders have begun this year by examining the exact sources from the Torah for the marriage process. Once again, is this neccassary to know how to get married? no. Do we learn it anyway in order to delve into every nook and cranny of our precious torah as much as possible? absolutly.
I look forward to your comments as to why you think (or don't think) the time we spend on Talmud study is so vital to the development of our students as thinking, engaged, actively committed Torah Jews.
Rabbi Yaakov Mintz
Talmud Department / Science Department
Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School
"Inspiring Excellence"
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