Q&A: General Education as Part of Torah Study
General Education as Part of Torah Study
Question
Hello Rabbi Michael Abraham,
A well-known saying is attributed to a student of the Vilna Gaon:
"I heard from his mouth that to the extent a person lacks knowledge of the other sciences, to that same extent he will lack a hundredfold in the wisdom of Torah, for Torah and wisdom are bound together…
And he instructed me (- the Vilna Gaon) to translate as much as possible from secular wisdom into our holy tongue, in order to remove their monopoly from their mouths, so that many may roam and knowledge may increase among our people Israel."
Does it follow from the above statement that studying psychology and philosophy (I mention those specifically because those are what I am currently studying at the university) is part of Torah study?
If so, why don't they study the humanities and social sciences in yeshivot? (They deal with these topics there a lot…)
Answer
Before you ask why they don't study the humanities and social sciences in yeshivot, ask why they don't study things that are more widely agreed upon (like books of Jewish thought, mathematics, logic, and more). In other words, what is studied in yeshivot proves nothing.
As for the matter itself, search here on the site for "Torah in the person" and "Torah in the object," and you'll see my approach to this issue.
Discussion on Answer
Studying some field in order to understand the aggadic literature of the Sages is, at most, preparation for a commandment. As you wrote, you also eat breakfast and sleep so that you'll have the strength to learn. That doesn't turn eating and sleeping into Torah study. Torah study is only something that is itself Torah.
And regarding the aggadic literature of the Sages, I wonder to what extent studying it itself is Torah study (perhaps in the person).
I understood that there is a possibility of studying Torah not only through the Torah transmitted from Sinai (for example through the Talmuds), but also through my own reasoning. Suppose I study Descartes' words about divinity—I am studying a Torah-based principle, that there is a God, and therefore engaging in that philosophical literature is Torah study (in the person). My question is: what about study that does not bring me face-to-face with a Torah-based principle directly, but only indirectly, such as the study of the psyche, psychology.
Seemingly, by understanding the psyche one can better understand the aggadic literature of the Sages. But that is very indirect and not direct, because in the study I am engaged only in understanding human consciousness and emotions, not in Torah understanding. So seemingly this is not Torah in the person, but rather a means to Torah, which is indeed important but is not included in the commandment of Torah study—just as my sleep at night is not considered Torah study even though through it I will learn more deeply tomorrow.