New York – This week I was in filming my father’s school in Monsey, Ateres Bais Yaakov, for their annual dinner. I always swell with pride as I get an intimate look at this incredible school. It is remarkable how much the students love their school, their teachers, Torah, and learning.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
One of the highlights for me is always observing (and filming) a high school Chumash class. At Ateres, the girls are challenged to actively participate in their learning and ask questions during class.
In particular, Chumash is not so much taught, as it is learned. The students rigorously and precisely translate the words of the text, analyze the text for grammatical or other anomalies, and compile a list of questions for each verse. Only once that task is complete does the teacher begin to introduce the commentaries and interpretations of the great medieval commentators.
In this way, the various ways of learning the verse are not simply abstract interpretive choices made by great Torah scholars, rather they are solutions to problems in the text which give way to novel and illuminating interpretations. This is how the Rishonim learned Chumash. They were masters of diction and grammar. When they read a verse, they knew if the verse was rendered perfectly or if it needed interpretation. They knew all of this because, of course, they were experts in Biblical language and grammar. That expertise formed the basis for all their interpretations.
i think it is great that young women are learning Chumash in the same manner as our rishonim. It was also really enjoyable to be a fly on the wall for a class like this and that is what got me thinking.
In my yeshiva high school we were responsible to learn the parsha every week and we were tested on Chumash with Rashi every Sunday. This way we all became familiar with the storyline and mitzvos in the Torah while also learning the most well known commentary. To me, it was a way to learn information. What does the Torah say and what does that mean? But we learned no skills (unless zipping through the Birnbaum Chumash with Rashi in English in 30 minutes and scoring a 95 on the test is a skill) and we did not get an appreciation for why Rashi chose the interpretations in his commentary. Nor were we acutely aware that there are many other equally valid interpretations on each verse in the Chumash. Certainly we had no ability to explain why each commentary chose its interpretation over the other.
Yet, at least in this high school, the girls are learning all of that. I mentioned this to R’ Gil Student at our little Asifa in Manhattan and he told me that he learned Chumash the way the Bais Yaakov girls learn Chumash in his left wing modern orthodox high school. (He also said that half his classmates are not orthodox today.) I can’t speak for modern orthodox high schools. But I can speak for yeshivos. The most rigorous Chumash curriculum mirrors my experience. Unfortunately, I think most yeshivos have far less Chumash learning that what I experienced.
I think we need to work on this. We need to cultivate the skills necessary and an appreciation for true Chumash study.
Learning Chumash the way our ancestors learned Chumash requires a working knowledge of grammar, an open forum to ask questions, and a little bit of reprogramming about our Mesorah. Those are all good things. As a side benefit I think this will help us meet some of the challenges presented by modern scholarship.
At the very least, every kollel guy should have a seder with his wife where she teaches him Chumash the way she learned it.
Rabbi Eliyahu Fink J.D. Is the rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center | The Shul on the Beach in Venice CA. He blogs at finkorswim.com.
Rabbi Ezra Tsion Melamed z”tkl was the archetypal example of this proper learning of Chumash. Additionally, his command of Aramaic grammar enabled him to author dictionaries that we all rely on for translation. In his memory, we should all strive to understand grammar in L”K and Aramaic!
Boys are mandated to learn talmud with meforshim and perform taryag mitzvos 24×7…unfortunately that doesn’t leave much time to learn torah in the manner the girls are taught.
If he calls the learning at Ateres Beis Yaakov on a high level, he has never experienced real learning.
A great example of recent in-depth Rashi analysis is from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. For years he gave over some pretty in-depth talks every week. They can be found in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English now.
Girls are forbidden from learning to begin with and it’s a travesty that there learning it to begin with which is against What חכמינו זל wanted.
In the old centuries there was no such a thing.
First we need to make sure that all the men learn חומש I wish the גדולים today would make the same propaganda about it like they make for the daf.
So, let’s see … he’s saying that the reason why boys don’t learn chumash the way girls do is because boys don’t learn chumash the way boys do.
Weighty academic analysis, indeed. Can someone please tell me where I can go to get back the five minutes I just wasted reading this article?
Did Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nassi not advise his students Min’u Beneichem Min Ha-Higayon? Rashi (and most rishonim) translate Higayon as Mikra, i.e. chumash and Nach. The reason for this advise was Mishum De-Mashca, because it is appealing. Chumash and Nach are by nature inherently more appealing than Talmud Bavli, and Rebbi was concerned that students would naturally gravitate towards the more appealing study and neglect those parts of Torah which are Kashim Ke-giddim, tough as sinews. So the girls study nach and chumash because the emotional aspects of G-d’s word are more appropriate for women’s emotional nature, while the more rigorous and demanding parts of G-d’s word are studied by men. The rabbonim got it right.
Why don’t the boys’ schools teach Nach??
In sefer Vayoel Moshe from the Satmar Rebbe there is a very long Tshuva with lots of Pilpul פלפול to Rabbi Pinhas Hirschprung Chief Rabbi, Montreal, Canada where he states clearly that Al pi Halacha women are not allowed to learn Chumash. Although most girls schools do learn Chumash Satmar schools don’t.
Btw,in same Tshuva he paskens that today’s modern Hebrew is not allowed to speak. Its worth for all of you to learn this very important Tshuva.
Ps
Satmar boys school is known that big emphasis is being put in learning Chumash.
Shul on the Beach? Is that the one next to the Medical Marijuana Joint?
New Slogan: Get High. Then come to Shul and get Higher!
As one of R. Gil Student’s chumash teachers in H.S., I would like to say that I never considered that school left wing. It was not a Torah Vodaath or Chaim Berlin, but was a frum Yeshiva, that recognized Israel, celebrating Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim. I hope that does not qualify it as left-wing! It was not co-ed for sure.
I hope his estimate that 50% are not religious is an exaggeration. I know of a good number who became rabbanim and Yeshiva teachers – and many who made aliyah.
At least two of them are outstanding leaders in the Torah world – one is a greatly respected Rosh Yeshivah with a huge following of students in Yerushalayim, the other a founder of one the majaor organizations working on kiruv on a national level.
I respect R. Gil Student’s decision not to mention the school by name, but I wish he did!
His argument is similar to Lipmans. In that because they could not hack learning gemara, they believe the focus should be on chumash.
Most yungerleit know how to learn chumash and Rashi quite well. They spend much of the day analyzing rashi’s comments on the gemara and they use the same analytic skills to learn chumash and meforshim. Look at how many sit on a shabbos going through the parsha each week with Rashi and many other meforshim. Besides looking at other seforim on the parsha.
I suspect there is a good reason why you find the high school girls and seminary girls asking their fathers to help them with the chumash assignments. In the best schools.
Mr. Finks failings at learning chumash should not translate into what the norm is and what true yehivaleit are capable off and accomplish.
As much as the frum world may want to deny it, the fact is that we are very much influenced by the surrounding culture. The scientific and industrial revolution of the past two hundred years rewards intellectual creativity and innovation. The rigorous but dry textual analysis based on rigorous application of grammatical rules, satisfied the intellectually curious of the Middle Ages. Moreover, it was an era of polemics between Christian, Moslem and Jew, where textual analysis and grammar were paramount in textual interpretation.
In an era where intellectual creativity is valued, that dry analysis of text is not as endearing. There is a reason why the Yeshiva world was so taken by R’ Chaim.
Shalom aleichem, rebbe.
To be clear: “He also said that half his classmates are not orthodox today”
This was probably an exaggerated guesstimate. However, in my estimation most students are about as frum as their parents, although a few went in different directions. One Reform rabbi. At least two intermarriages. But as my rebbe mentioned, we also have one rosh yeshiva and a number of mechanchim and mechanchos from my grade. It was a co-ed school with students from a variety of backgrounds.
Additionally, while a number of years older than me, the current dean of JTS’ rabbinical school and the rabbi of the LGBTQ synagogue went to my high school.
Replies to #s 7,8,12 and 20:
Torah Shel Baal Peh is the ikkar, and in fact to Hashem is more chashuv, its the tachlis of the world, its our Torah! Hashems own thoughts are less to Him compared to “our” Torah Shel Baal Peh. Its very interesting that this subject is broached now because Shavuos is the Chag celebrating Torah Shel Baal Peh. Chazal, the Rishonim and Achronim are replete with this Mesora. Read the Hakdoma of the Tzlach (who is the Nodeh B’Yehuda) to Mess. Brochos where he offers this understanding why Torah Shel Baal Peh is the ikkar. There he even iterates that Torah Sh’Bchsav is only learned through Torah Shel Bal Peh. In fact there is no understanding at all of the Torah without Torah Sh”ball Peh. The mesorah is to learn Torah Sh’csav through learning Torah Sh’Baal Peh (see Tzlach). Yes some time should be spent learning Torah Sh’bcsav like shnayim mikrah v’echad targum which is a chiyuv, but if one learns Sh’baal Peh he will understand what he learns Bcsav. All of the Rosh Hayeshivos of all the Doros (at least the Litvishe ones) have stressed this message which can be read in the Tzlach as mentioned. FYI understanding this Yesod is understanding Yiddishke!
Boys don’t learn Chumash in school because they don’t have anyone that knows how to teach this important subject.
The last two generation of Yeshivas have failed us miserably.
Now that’s interesting! I learned chumash the boys way, and my wife and grown daughters, the “right” way. So why am I still answering their questions in chumash and rashi (for projects etc.) on a daily basis??
I complained to my 10th grade rebbe that we learned much gemorah and not enough chumash and he told me “Go to a modern school if you think chumash is more important than gemorah”
The whole yeshivah system is messed up beyond repair. I spent 12 years in a chushivah yeshivah in flatbush, went through 12 rebeyim and left with zero love for yidishkeit/learning
Ideally, if you are true to Hashem, he will lead you in your studies.
womens and girls can’t learn toireh. Thats why the gemara in buba batra 16b says its terrible when people only have daughters.
Unfortunately, when these girls graduate, they will not be able to be employed since their math and English skills are about 4th grade. Yes, they are well versed in Judaism, but will never be able to support themselves and therefore must marry in order to survive.
Married for close to three decades and have never asked my wife to say over a Rishon or pshat in Chumash. Have no idea what they are all fussing about in these girl’s schools. Who really cares if a girl knows a Ramban? It is totally irrelevant to a good marriage and raising a family.
After reading the comments on this beautiful and positive article on girls learning Torah, I was shocked at the number of responses which are so mysoginistic. And to all the men who wrote these answer, you probably don’t know English. Mysogynists are men who hate women and look down on them. There are many reasons for such hatred. These include a sense of inferiority, ignorance, being brainwashed to feel superior to women, and other primitive responses. The Torah tells us that Hashem told Avraham to listen to Sarah, as she was greater in nevuah than he was when it came to sending away Yishmael. But if you never learned Chumash, you may have missed that parsha. There are many deyos in Talmud about women learning, and the consensus is that women need to learn Torah to keep the mitzvos and teach their families, which means that women are required to learn. I believe that not learning Chumash and Navi keeps yeshiva yungerleit ignorant of the groundwork of Jewish thought so that they cannot think independently about important issues such as women, Israel, child abuse, etc. Tanach is the foundation on which the Talmud was built. You can’t be educated without the basics.
I believe that boys are not taught Chumash in-depth because the kind of analysis done by the early Rishonim (Ibn Ezra, Ramban, etc.) leads to many Hashkafikly awkward questions. Modern Yeshivos prefer the sanitized view of Chumash offered by the Rambam (the 13 Ikkurim) rather than the critical view of the Ibn Ezra. When one learns real Pshat (not Rashi’s “Pshat”), one begins to wonder just what happened to Judaism. Yeshivos are not equipped to deal with these questions, which is why we have silly retorts like “they could say it; we cannot”.
this is why there’s a shidduch crisis!!!!!
If women didn`t learn chumash in the alte heim. then who read the tzenna renna
certainly not the men.
Poor Israel when the idea of fresh study is not in its own headings.
To #39 What a load of BULL!! We went to school and we learned Chumash, Nach, Ivrit, Jewish History, Dinim&Minhagim;, English, Math, Science, Geog, History,&we; all turned out fine.
Do you all rely on the bank when you cash in a CD?? Computers make mistakes!!
My late father used to sit down and calculate the interest and find the error in the bankbook or statement!! Can your fine yeshiva young men do that? I doubt it!!
If they marry and have a family how can they balance a checkbook? They need to learn math!! All the outside courses are NOT TREIF!! You make them seem that way!! They are NOT!!
It says in the Mishna “Ben Chamesh limikra”, (learn ALL tenach from 5-10)
“ben eser limishna” (THEN learn all Mishna from 10-15) “Ben Chamesh Esrei Litalmud” (THEN and ONLY then start Gemara) B”H there is a Zilberman system in Israel and my son made a siyum on Chamisha chumshei Tora in 3rd grade and by now in 6th grade is almost done Mishnayot and Tenach.
The American Yeshiva system is a wast of time and teaches almost nothing about Tora and Jewdaisim. The only redeeming value is that they don’t go to public school so they won’t intermarry and will likely stay frum.
Leaning Gemara before mastering Tenach and Mishna, is like going to graduate courses to get a Masters degree before graduating high-school!
To #39 I understood you perfectly!!