Education, Postmodernism and the Challenge of Tradition

Reflections on the Enduring Relevance of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson’s Religious Thought

First posted at hasidology on chabad.org
[I haven't posted on this blog for several months, but have published several articles on  hasidology. In future I will repost all articles published there on Chabad-Revisited too. Hopefully I will continue to publish shorter posts here too, as in times bygone.]


A couple of months ago (March 28-29, 2012), a small group of academic and rabbinic scholars, along with educators and activists, held a deliberative conference[1] at the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the educational philosophy of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.[2] In his opening remarks, Rabbi Menachem Schimdt, director of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation, and one of the conference hosts, made the following observation: “Many many people, most people, as a matter of fact, know what the Lubavitcher Rebbe looked like. A lot of people know that Lubavitch has a built a lot of buildings, runs a lot of programs and does a lot of outreach. But in terms of the amazing intellectual riches of Chabad philosophy there remains a lot of work to be done...”

That statement is true across the board. Over the course of two centuries, seven successive Chabad Rebbes were prolific exponents of complex mystical and philosophical paradigms, tackling such issues as the purpose and nature of existence, the relationship between G-d and Man, the nature of divinity, moral authority, the problem of evil, and a host of other theological conundrums. While several hundred volumes of original Chabad chasidic texts have been published, and continue to be studied within the Chabad community, the enduring relevance of Chabad’s vast intellectual contribution is only beginning to be noticed and is little known in the wider world.[3]

This statement is especially true in regard to the last Rebbe, who ascended to the leadership following the passing of the his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shneersohn in 1950, and led the movement from his New York headquarters for over forty years. During this era, many leaders of Jewish orthodoxy recognised scientific, technological, social and philosophical progress as a threat to traditional beliefs and the traditional way of life. Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, however, saw the potential challenges as opportunities for the advancement of religion. He harnessed new technologies for the dissemination of religious teachings, and as a religious thinker displayed a deep sensitivity to the contemporary zeitgeist and to the changing paradigms of modern thought. For Rabbi Schneerson, the new frontiers being broken did not place religion on the defensive, but on the contrary, provided a unique opportunity for religious development.[4] Indeed, he may have been unique in utilizing deconstructionist strategies as a medium for the affirmation, dissemination and assimilation of theological axioms.

Hashgacha Protis - The Principle of Specified Providence (part 1)

In Elul 5645 (1885) The Friediker Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, then a youn boy just five years old traveled to Yalta with his parents. More than forty years later, while under soviet arrest in the Shpalernaya Prison in Leningrad, he fortified himself with a lesson imparted by his father on that trip:

We were traveling then amongst the Mountains of Crimea, between Sevastopol and Yalta, in a closed carriage harnessed to four horses, as is the custom in those parts… The journey takes us amongst lofty mountains, towering high – a wilderness strewn boulders – with the road twisting and turning below. On the right are the mountains and on the left the sea shore… 

True Education

There is a difference between a Chassidic upbringing and a regular upbringing… even a religious upbringing. 

When I was a very small child, as soon as I began to talk, my father the Rebbe said to me, “Whatever you may wish to ask, you should ask me”. Although there were others who paid attention to all my needs, my father said, “Anything that you may wish to ask, you should ask me”. 

When I was taught to say Modeh Ani, I was told to lay one hand next to the other, bow the head, and so say Modeh Ani. When I grew a little older, though still a child, I asked my father the Rebbe, “Why is it that when saying Modeh Ani, one must put one hand next to the other, and bow the head?” 

A moving picture is worth many thousands of words...

The popular COL (Chabad On Line) Hebrew language site recently posted four clips from a documentary that portrays the life led by the Chassidim of Kfar Chabad in the mid 1960’s. The film is titled in German “CHASSIDISMUS – ODER DER FROHLICHER WEG ZU GOTT” (“CHASSIDISM – OR THE JOYFUL PATH TO G-D”), however the narration is in English.

The producer is identified as Kobi Jaeger, I don’t know he was but he seems to have a very good grasp of his subject, and in my opinion has generally succeeded in capturing the essence of the Chassidic ideal authentically and with an elegant simplicity, which reflects the purity of Chassidic life as it should be.

These are beautiful camera shots of real Chassisdim, Davening, learning, Farbrainging and working, epitomizing the ideal of “be’chol derochecho de’aihu” (“in all you ways you shall know Him”) – joyously serving Hashem with every breath. Here you can really see the Chassidus of the Bal Shem Tov as persevered through Chassidus Chabad, so that it may be manifest in every aspect of the human experience.

Non-Chassidic Hashkofic Disciplines

A discussion in the comments to the previous post, "Chassidus & Chakira", highlighted the unfortunate fact that way Chassidus should ideally be viewed and properly taught, does not always coincide with the actual presentation of Chassidus in the "Chabad" educational "system" of today. The specific issue under discussion was whether or not it is the "official Chabad doctrine" to study works of Chakira.

No one ever claimed that Works of Chakira, or Musser, or Drush etc. are part of the official curriculum taught in Lubavitch Yeshivahs, however to say that study of such works is discouraged is absolutely wrong. On the contrary, Rabbi Chadokov [Hodakov], the head of the Rebbe's secretariat, a man of tremendous insight, the main implementer of the Rebbe's Hashkofeh on a practical level and an expert in the field of education, often advocated that both individuals and institutions should pay more attention to such works. In "The Educator's Handbook: principles, reflections, directives of a master pedagogue", a compilation of his advice and directives, there are many examples of this. While I will focus mainly on the example of Rabbi Chadokov, which is better documented, any Mashpia worth listening to shares and implements a similar attitude (see below.)

#2 – Reb Elchonon Bunim Vasserman הי"ד circa 1901-2

This is a continuation of the memoirs of Reb Shmaryahu Sussonkin, translated and abridged from the original Hebrew version published as “זכרונותי”.

On the day before Sukkes 5662 (1901) I reached the age of Bar Mitzvah. In those days they did not make a celebration on the day of the Bar Mitzvah, they simply called me to the Torah, my father made the Brochah, “Boruch Shepotarani”, and recited the verse “behold I have given before you the life and the good… and you shall choose life”. I promised him that I would study in a Yeshivah, for I choose life and good, and there is no good aside from Torah.

Directly after the festivel I traveled [to Yeshivah] together with a few other youngsters who had already learnt in [the Yeshivah in] Amtzislav, during the previous semester. When I arrived in Amtzislav it became known to me that the founder of the Yeshivah is the scholarly genius Reb Elchonon Vasserman. He was the examiner and decision maker as to whether or not to accept students.

He opened up a Mesechtes Kesubes before me, pointed to a particular Toisfes and instructed me to study it and explain what was difficult in it [i.e. Reb Elchonon instructed him to uncover a difficulty with the explanation provided therein]. I easily found the difficulty. He then pointed to another Toisfes and said, “study it and find an answer to the question”. I easily worked out how the second Toisfes resolves the first and with that the test was completed.

Reb Elchonon was a distinguished personality and his face seemed to shine with wisdom. Apart from being a genius in learning, his wonderful genius and expertise was also reflected in the way he taught, such that I have never seen his like. He was also a very practical person. It was enough to hear his Shuir for the duration of one semester, in that short time he already enlightened your eyes and gave you a solid foundation in the study of the Talmud.

In general, Harav Vasserman ran the Yeshivah at a high level. While delivering his Shuir he knew how to provoke the students, ensuring that they would pay attention and listen well. It was his custom to expound the Gemoroh before the students with excellent explanation. He addressed only the unadorned rationalization of the Gemoroh, together with the commentary of Rashi, explaining with good reasoning the connotation of the cryptic text, with such lucidity that even a child could understand. So excellent and pleasant was his initial elaboration that the questions of Tosfos on the explanation of Rashi where automatically resolved.

It was his custom to pay close attention to how well the students listened to the Shuir; who listened intently, who without much intent and who didn’t listen at all. On concluding, he would turn to a student and require him to repeat the entire Shuir by heart, directing him to close the Gemoroh. Being that the chosen student had not been listening, he by default would not be able to go over what had been said. Reb Elchonon would let the first student be, directing another, who had been listening without concentration, to repeat the Shuir. Since the second student had been listening somewhat, he would be able to go over some of the Shuir, but would become confused and stammer as he repeated it. Reb Elchonon would help him out, clarifying his confusions until he had repeated the entire Shuir. Then he would again turn to the first, who had earlier been unable to go over the Shuir. If on this occasion he had listened and knew it well, all would be well; if not Reb Elchonon would rebuke him, saying that he is a student who does not want to listen, who turns his ears away from words of Torah. If on a third occasion that student did not know the Shuir well enough to repeat it by heart, Reb Elchonon would expel him from the Yeshivah. In this way he entirely uprooted the problem of students not paying proper attention to the Shuir, although it began through fear, subsequently all the students would become accustomed to concentrating well as he delivered his Shuir.

His method of teaching Toisfos was a follows: a student would read and explain the Toisfes, and when he arrived at a passage that required elucidation or clarification, Reb Elchonon would interrupt the student, and proceed to elucidate and clarify the concepts until they were illuminated and exceptionally lucid. He was keen to only address the unembellished explanation of the Gemoroh and the Toisfes, and he did not at all like the method of Pilpul.

Once we had finished learning a particular subject, sometimes covering seven folios of the Talmud or more, Reb Elchonon would announce that during the next two days there would not be a Shuir and that the students should spend the time reviewing the Gemoroh thoroughly. By the time the review was complete, on the third day, he would have a list of the all the students divided into small groups, classified according to their levels of ability and knowledge. Sometimes there were three students in a group, sometimes five or more. Each group would enter separately and ask them different questions, if they where fluent in the Gemoroh and the Toisfes that they had learnt they would be able to answer his questions with ease. Since the students realized that everything was dependent on fluency, they would compete to review what they learnt very well. Although with this method of study we were only able to learn a smaller amount relative to other Yeshivas, nevertheless, we knew the folios that we learnt well and they were fluent in our mouths. The concepts were completely clear to you and you would be asked something you would not be confused from answering correctly.

For a full year I learnt in the Yeshivah with diligence, and Reb Elchonon would guard the student like the apple of his eye. If a student G-d forbid became ill, he himself would take care of him, take him to the hospital and arrange devoted care. Once he traveled to one of the big cities and brought cloth for winter clothing for all the students of the Yeshivah.

During the third semester, the final summer during which Reb Elchonon remained in the Yeshivah, an unpleasant event occurred. During that period there where already a number of trouble-makers who attempted to convinced the Yeshivah students to learn secular studies. Unfortunately, they managed to draw some ten students after them who agreed to learn secular subjects; nevertheless, they also wanted to continue to hear Reb Elchonon’s Shuir. As soon as they arrived, however, Reb Elchonon sent them outside. In order to prevent an outrage from arising the Shuir was said behind closed doors throughout the next two weeks, until they gave up hope of being allowed to attend. Reb Elchonon announced that the Yeshivah would not tolerate secular studies and anyone who wishes to study secular subjects should leave the Yeshivah!

Indeed, all the students agreed with Reb Elchonon’s statements. However the devil’s work succeeded, for the trouble-makers found support among the laymen of the town who put pressure on the Rabbi of the City to take the students of the Yeshivah under his control and supervision. Then they telegrammed Reb Elchonon – who had traveled away to spend the festivals with his family – that he should remain at home and that hereafter the Rabbi would fill his old position. The Yeshivah continued to exist for only one more semester, after which it was closed down. When Reb Elchonon’s students heard that their teacher would not be returning, there was no reason for them to remain in the Yeshivah and they departed some to Telz, some to Slutzk, some to Velozhin and some to Radin. I went to Kremenchug.

Another memoir describing Reb Elchonon הי"ד is available here.

A Lesson in Intellectual Honesty

The following is an account of an episode that occurred in the winter of 5663 (1902-3), extracted from Divrai Yemai Ha’Temimim (pages 65-66), a history of Toimchei Temimim the Yeshiva in Lubavitch (published in Kerem Chabad, Vol. 3), by the secretary of the Yeshiva, HaRav HaChosid R’ Moshe Rosenblum (a short biography of whom is printed as a preface to Divrai Yemai Ha’Temimim – as an aside he was no ordinary secretary, his stature was such that he was one of only three people who merited to receive Smicha from the Rebbe Maharash).

One day, when the Menahel [the director of the Yeshivah, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, son and successor of the Rebbe Rashab] visited the students [in the main study hall of the Yeshivah], he set his eyes on a particular student. With his unique insight and exceptional sensitivity, he sensed that something was weighing heavily on the students heart and that there is no peace in his soul. Knowing this student to be possessed of superior abilities, the Menahel was especially interested in him.

At a meeting of all the faculty of the Yeshiva, the Menahel took the opportunity to investigate, asking those gathered their opinion of this student. All agreed without dispute, the conduct of this student to be good and wholesome in all respects. He dedicated himself to his studies at an exceptional level of diligence and depth and no imperfection – even in a matter of small importance – could be found. There seemed to be nothing to account for the Menahel’s impression.

However, being that it was in his nature to penetrate into the depth of each student’s heart and fathom hidden secrets, the Menahel made time each day to engage this student, discussing matters of study and making general conversation. The first time the student came before him, the Menahel told him as follows:

“Your superior abilities and diligence in your studies have not escaped me. Your worth is of value to me, therefore, I have set aside time so that if you may need any resolution in matters of study that you may be perplexed about and suchlike, you may then set the issues before me. I too will profit, for I will have the opportunity to present my thoughts as I strive to explain to you that which G-d helps me to understand. Any matters which we find to be of difficulty we will present before my honored father, the Rebbe, so that he may explain them to us.”

These words certainly aroused confidence in the student’s heart and he would come regularly to ask the Menahel about various matters that he had difficulty understanding. However, after several days had passed, the Menahel recognized that – although the student liked him well and the friendship he had shown him was being returned, nevertheless – the student had not yet entirely laid bare his heart. The Menahel knew that something was buried in the depths of the student’s heart, preventing him from fathoming the true depths of his studies, and the student was still hiding this matter from him.

One day, when they entered into conversation, the Menahel said to the student, “In order that you may comprehend your studies to their true depth, I request of you, that you reveal before me any question or line of investigation that stirs in your heart. Do not be shamed, for only then will you be able to grasp the truth and depth of the matter. As our sages said “a shy person does not learn”.

The student agreed that he was certainly correct; “However,” he said with a sigh, “you are demanding too much of me, for I simply cannot reveal all that is in my heart before you”.

“I do not speak to you as an interrogator, nor as one to decree or command, I question you only for the sake of the quality of your abilities and in order to lighten your burden. You are certainly able to understand any concept with complete clarity.”

“But I worry whether you will continue to have the same regard for me, once I have revealed the secrets of my heart.”

“I am in no hurry to know the secrets of others”, the Menahel replied, “whatever those secrets may be. The only thing that matters to me is that each student should know and understand the subjects that he studies to their depth and perfection, as far as his abilities allow – and in you I see that some hidden thing weighs on your heart, preventing you from coming to the complete depth of each concept. Because I desire your good and your happiness, I thought that perhaps if you would make known to me your confidence, I would be able to make things easier for you and explain the concepts to you in a manner that you will find satisfying.”

“There are certain concepts, which, in studying Chassidus, I was not able to understand, and these difficulties stand as an obstacle to my study of this discipline. Specifically, the names by which the “Sefiros” are designated, and all the various Kabbalistic terms in general, such as “Kesser”, “Atik” etc. Since, in my eyes, these concepts make no sense, I am unable to believe in them. If only I where able to grasp these matters with the lucidity that one is able to understand a “Sug’yah” dealt with in the Talmud! Then perhaps, I would believe in these concepts…”

Accordingly, the Menahel solved the riddle, and with a great deal of sympathy, spent much time to clarify these concepts for the student; with words of logic and intelligence, he gave him to understand and enabled him to logically assimilate these extraordinary matters.

This account speaks for itself. If only all teachers where so concerned, so open and alert to the often unspoken queries that trouble innocent hearts. If only all students were granted the confidence to express themselves, to articulate their doubts.

[As an aside, this account was written approximately the year 5670 (1910), ten years before Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok was appointed Rebbe, so there is no reason to suppose this account to be some-kind of exaggerated hagiography.]

Perhaps herein lays the key with which to heal the ailing education systems of today.

Certainly, I am over-simplifying both the complexities that beset today’s educator as an individual and the varied issues that beleaguer the diverse segments of the Jewish community.

Nevertheless, the education systems of the orthodox world may be split into two very general types, the modern orthodox and the Chareidi. In the Chareidi world serious questions are almost taboo and questioners are often perceived as near-heretics. The modern orthodox do not evade the questions posed by their students, however, rather than attempting to answer the question or acknowledge their insufficient knowledge, they often submit to the doubts of their pupils, choosing to distort the teachings of the Torah rather than defend its old age precepts. More faith is placed in scientific “fact” than in the traditions of our mesorah (see here).

In order to preserve our Torah in the pristine form that we received it from G-d, we need educators who are possessed of erudition, strength of character and determination. Teachers who will rise to the challenges of their pupils, who are concerned enough to honestly engage their students, and who command the breadth of knowledge and the depth of insight required to satisfy their thirst while remaining completely unapologetic.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok was the master of a unique discipline, which combines intelligence, intellectual honesty and a commitment to correctly assimilate theological truths. Perhaps, if we study his teachings and emulate his character we will all become better teachers.