Q&A: How Do You Educate for Thin Theology in Practice?
How Do You Educate for Thin Theology in Practice?
Question
My main question is from an educational standpoint and so on. I’m a father of five children, and before long the oldest will start seventh grade, and I’m asking myself: from the standpoint of educational institutions, how do you educate for thin theology? After all, on the one hand, the only way for children to be serious about Torah is to educate them in a Torah-oriented Haredi-lite / Haredi framework; on the other hand, that kind of education is very intellectually fossilized. There really is no public with the identity you propose in which one can educate children. In practice, in reality, it’s either “lite” or Haredi-lite. What do you suggest?
Answer
Hello,
I’m not familiar with the various institutions, but it seems to me that there are serious institutions in a non-Haredi-lite direction. In general, there is no point in looking for guarantees or absolute certainty. Haredi and Haredi-lite education have costs that, in my view, are not worth the advantage of security they offer. It is preferable to give the right education and try to avoid those costs. In principle, opening a child or teenager up should be done gradually. You don’t need to expose him to everything from the start, but you should gently prepare him for the fact that the framework is not as narrow as it is presented to him. Indeed, there is some risk here, but life is not a guava. There is also risk in living in human society. It would be better to flee to the desert and live in a cave, and that way we would never fail at anything.
Discussion on Answer
There is a Haredi and Haredi-lite tendency to think that a rabbi is supposed to understand every field and express an opinion about everything. I’m certainly not someone who refrains from expressing opinions on a wide variety of issues, but that expectation is neither realistic nor correct.
I do not know this issue, and certainly not inside out. I don’t even understand what it means to “know the issue.” After all, this is a matter of skill, not information. I am not an educator and not a pedagogy professional, and even regarding being a rabbi one could argue. Therefore I usually do not give pedagogical advice. On the question of what is right, I expressed my view in the trilogy and here on the site. On the question of how to do this most effectively, one should turn to pedagogues and educators, or to people who understand this.
Why educate? After all, according to “thin theology,” God does not intervene and allows His creatures to do whatever their hearts desire. We too should cleave to His ways and not intervene. Let our children decide whatever they want 🙂
Best regards, Ze’ev Equanimous Phlegmatinsky
And in truth, a little “phlegmatic calm” is indeed needed—not to pressure the student too much. Our main role is to let the student become acquainted with the Torah in its depth and breadth and, out of curiosity, be exposed to all its shades and approaches. And when this is joined with a personal example of respect for Torah and its teachers in all their varieties, and observance of the commandments with devotion and joy—the chances are great that the student’s heart will be drawn after it.
Best regards, Hanoch Henekh Feinschmaker-Palti
Be genuine, and it will surface on its own.
The Rabbi surely knows this issue inside out, forwards and backwards, and is well aware of the mistakes and risks—as a parent, educator, and rabbi.
So why has he never written an article presenting his approach on the subject? What he sees as the most correct path, in our current situation.