Page 84 - issue
P. 84
Even with years of studying various simply because they are written in English? optimistic parents) are of the opinion that
Hebrew texts, many boys complete their What about the grown man who still has a the primary goal of our yeshivos is to pro-
elementary education without a basic fear of opening a sefer because of his past duce talmidei chachamim and gedolei
working knowledge of the Hebrew lan- experience in attempting to read and trans- hador. They therefore maintain that the
guage. The reason for this ineptitude is late Hebrew? And what about the too-typi- rebbi’s main responsibility is to teach to the
rather simple: From a very young age, boys cal yeshiva boy who has become so frus- top few students in the class who likely will
are introduced to Hebrew solely by study- trated trying to read Chumash and Rashi grasp the language by osmosis and familiar-
ing Chumash. However, before they have that he reads the English translation only? ity. The remaining, “average” students will
even had a chance to pick up the basics of Let’s not forget the very familiar sight of hopefully absorb as much as they can with-
the language, they advance quickly into young men who find davening bland and out slowing the pace down for the others. As
Mishnayos. Then, only a few short years hollow because they don’t understand such, they endeavor to cover as much mate-
after first learning the alef-beis, they are most of what they are saying? And, finally, rial as possible, ostensibly in order to give
suddenly thrust into Gemara, where they what about the capable and “bright” boys the “best and brightest” boys as much of a
now must absorb a brand-new language: who simply fall well short of their potential breadth (geshmak?) of Torah as possible.
Aramaic. Now they must master Hebrew in becoming b’nei Torah? Unfortunately, this is almost always at the
and Aramaic, all while still trying to learn expense of all the students’ mastery of the
English! By the time they have moved on to More, More; Faster, Faster most important skill of all: learning how to
high school, it is an uphill battle for them It is not unreasonable to conclude that one read and translate on their own.
just to feel comfortable reading and trans- major cause of this phenomenon is the lack
lating anything written in Hebrew, since of focused instruction of the Hebrew lan- Traditionalists might maintain that this
their familiarity with the language was guage in yeshivos. Many mechanchim I have was always the way of cheder rebbeim from
never reinforced. spoken with operate under the premise that the olden days. After all, they insist, the
it’s not necessary to spend time learning the mesorah has always been to cover as many
How many young men do we know who ins and outs of dikduk. Some believe in not pesukim as possible and start Gemara as
have resigned themselves to being “not subscribing to a derech of learning that early as possible. It seemed to have worked
good at learning”? What about the ordinary emphasizes a focus on Ivrit. Additionally, then; do we dare change the derech Yisrael
post-high school boy who is tired of strug- many in our schools’ leadership positions sabah? But was it really? The answer can
gling to read Gemara and finds even (often through the nudging of some very be found in Pirkei Avos, which clearly
advanced college texts easier to decipher states that the proper age for beginning
76 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Hebrew texts, many boys complete their What about the grown man who still has a the primary goal of our yeshivos is to pro-
elementary education without a basic fear of opening a sefer because of his past duce talmidei chachamim and gedolei
working knowledge of the Hebrew lan- experience in attempting to read and trans- hador. They therefore maintain that the
guage. The reason for this ineptitude is late Hebrew? And what about the too-typi- rebbi’s main responsibility is to teach to the
rather simple: From a very young age, boys cal yeshiva boy who has become so frus- top few students in the class who likely will
are introduced to Hebrew solely by study- trated trying to read Chumash and Rashi grasp the language by osmosis and familiar-
ing Chumash. However, before they have that he reads the English translation only? ity. The remaining, “average” students will
even had a chance to pick up the basics of Let’s not forget the very familiar sight of hopefully absorb as much as they can with-
the language, they advance quickly into young men who find davening bland and out slowing the pace down for the others. As
Mishnayos. Then, only a few short years hollow because they don’t understand such, they endeavor to cover as much mate-
after first learning the alef-beis, they are most of what they are saying? And, finally, rial as possible, ostensibly in order to give
suddenly thrust into Gemara, where they what about the capable and “bright” boys the “best and brightest” boys as much of a
now must absorb a brand-new language: who simply fall well short of their potential breadth (geshmak?) of Torah as possible.
Aramaic. Now they must master Hebrew in becoming b’nei Torah? Unfortunately, this is almost always at the
and Aramaic, all while still trying to learn expense of all the students’ mastery of the
English! By the time they have moved on to More, More; Faster, Faster most important skill of all: learning how to
high school, it is an uphill battle for them It is not unreasonable to conclude that one read and translate on their own.
just to feel comfortable reading and trans- major cause of this phenomenon is the lack
lating anything written in Hebrew, since of focused instruction of the Hebrew lan- Traditionalists might maintain that this
their familiarity with the language was guage in yeshivos. Many mechanchim I have was always the way of cheder rebbeim from
never reinforced. spoken with operate under the premise that the olden days. After all, they insist, the
it’s not necessary to spend time learning the mesorah has always been to cover as many
How many young men do we know who ins and outs of dikduk. Some believe in not pesukim as possible and start Gemara as
have resigned themselves to being “not subscribing to a derech of learning that early as possible. It seemed to have worked
good at learning”? What about the ordinary emphasizes a focus on Ivrit. Additionally, then; do we dare change the derech Yisrael
post-high school boy who is tired of strug- many in our schools’ leadership positions sabah? But was it really? The answer can
gling to read Gemara and finds even (often through the nudging of some very be found in Pirkei Avos, which clearly
advanced college texts easier to decipher states that the proper age for beginning
76 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
