Jewish Survival - Part IX

First Published on 02/09/2016 06:34

Jewish Survival - Part IX

Solution to Missing Torah Education

15 Menachem-Av 5776 - (19.8.016)

Dealing with the cultural war in Israel and the lack of adequate Torah education in our home-land and in the Diaspora!

Torah education is in a way parallel to the 4 stages of watching Passover Mitzvah Matzah from becoming Chametz.

1. From the harvest time.

2. During milling time.

3. The most critical period is from the beginning of kneading the dough, which is fermenting and may become Chametz, while the dough is also flexible and may change its shape depending on the ambient pressure, until the "end of baking" which is the end of the last stage.

4. The "end of baking" stops the fermentation of the dough and it does not become Chametz anymore. The crust which was formed over the dough while it became bread, does not allow it to change its form anymore despite environmental pressures.

Parallel to it, Jewish education starts at childhood. Stage 2, is schooling with Torah supervision from the age of 5 until 20, (Avot 5:24). . Stage 3 and the most critical period of Torah education, is from the physical maturity age of 13, when the child's mind begins to ferment and think actively, but he is still like a monkey, which copies everything he sees, and is still flexible like dough and he may change his faith and behavior according to the social environment of his residence, until his mental maturity age of 20. Since from that age people get set in their mind, and do not change any more. Then he may remain with the 15 years of education invested in him. (Under the age of 20, a youngster is not counted among men, Rashi, Shmot 30:14). 

Therefore, Torah education and supervision that were suspended before the age of 20, risks of losing the educational investment in the youngster, since like a monkey he copies and like a dough he adapts to the social environment! If he lives in a secular society he risks becoming a secular person! (Adapted from Rabbi Soloweitzik 5728).

The ruling power in our Holy-land since the last 100 years, is in the hands of secular people. Since G-d fearing people do not vote for a secular party, therefore they place all possible difficulties in order to curb Torah supervised education to all Jewish children. (Like the affair of Teheran Children, Yemen and North Africa Jewry, all of which were Torah observant and most of them turned secular).

Therefore, although almost all the immigrants to our Holy-Land during the last 100 years, (except for Russian Jews), were Torah observant, their offspring became secular.

Diaspora Torah education and supervision shortage increase the intermarriage rate. Europe 85%. Sweden 95%, Bulgaria 98%, and entire communities do vanish. USA 58%, and their number fell one million within the last 4 years. How should we deal with these problems?

Currently, our observant communities do not have available funds for Torah Education & supervision for all our children up to the age of 20! Beyond, the secular ruling power would not permit it.

Many secular schools teach about the cultures and religions of the nations, while lectures of real Torah are not sufficient and too many Israeli children know too little about our own Torah. Never-the-less, we are duty-bound to bring Torah education to every Yid, especially to the youngsters, at least in an indirect way! Like our Fore-father Avraham, who did observe the entire Torah, although his parents / community taught him the opposite.

Avraham, like Adam, the first human-being, immersed in a Mikvah to communicate with the Creator even in good times, which provides the impetus for self Torah study, when and where there is no community Torah education. Therefore, "Mikva Education to Every Yid," which involves only very minimal expenditure and the funds are available, is a critical issue to each one of our people!

"Remember Amalek!" Who killed in the desert, only men who did not immerse, and the clouds of glory expelled them outside the camp, into the swords of Amalek (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 44)!

Nowadays, men have no Torah Mikva immersion obligation however we are duty-bound, also as a deterrent against assimilation and intermarriage. Since after Mikva immersion, which is a kind of a private secluded meeting in solitude – "To Stand Alone With G-d," also in order to implore and beseech G-d about our daily problems even in good times, when after that each person thinks, prays, lives differently, and elevates himself from life of purity to life of Sanctity, when then there is no problems of assimilation and intermarriage.

For men, Mikva is not a sensitive topic and easy to talk about. When and where men immerse, all those who are Torah obligated to immerse, do certainly immerse and the entire life of the community get a more serious attitude. Therefore, it is most important for every community to build also a men's Mikva, preferably in the basement or yard of the synagogue, in order to allow to exit from the Mikva directly into the heat of prayer in the synagogue, without having to pass through the destructing scenes of the streets.  

See our other articles: "If you have no problems it’s not for you!", "Why light holy Shabbat Candle, in abundance of electric lights?" and “Why Mikva Immersion?”

Additional materials and contributions: Imanuel Ravad:

USA: 1360 - 44 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210

Israel: 20 Shmaya St. Bne-Brak 5132703, Israel, Email: ravad@mikvatikva.org