^(p38)

CHAPTER III

YOUTHFUL EDUCATION

1. In harmony with the Jewish law, the writer entered the Jewish school at the age of five; for the child must begin to study the Bible at that period. (a) From three to five hours were spent with the rabbi each day, in addition to attending the synagogue two or three times each day, and also spending several hours in a Jewish English school. The rabbi begins his work by teaching the boy the Bible, and at the same time he is taught the prayers. Part of the time he learns the one, and the rest of the time, the other. The teaching is not given individually; there is generally a class formed ranging from ten to twenty-five, and these all repeat the teaching in concert. The reader can imagine what may happen under such circumstances when there are a number of boys learning that way. This school is called, Talmud Torah, the teaching of the law.

2. After learning the rudiments of the language, the book of Genesis is the first thing read. The writer well remembers some of the interesting things he discovered when attending the rabbinical school. Having been taught that there was a singular and a plural, and the plural number was formed by adding a final mem to the singular, it seemed strange to him that the word God, found so many times in the first chapter of Genesis should every time be in the plural number. ^(p39) Thirty-one times the word is contained in this first chapter, and not once is the word used, El, literally, God; always it is written Elohim, literally, Gods. As soon as I was able to grasp any form of translation, I was then introduced to the wisdom of the sages, and there are many of them that the child becomes acquainted with before he reaches the age of twelve. (b)

3. Among the first prayers the boy is taught, is the one concerning the Messiah. Here it is :

“ He will send our Messiah in the end of the days to redeem those who hope at the end for his salvation. God will raise the dead according to the abundance of His mercy; blessed be the name of His praise unto all eternity.”(c)

It certainly seemed good to learn that there was a deliverer coming, and that we Jews would sometime cease from our labor and sorrows, and that all our Jewish friends and relatives who had died would awaken from the dead, and live once more together in Jerusalem where none would make us afraid or molest us. While I mused on these things the fire kept burning.

4. The rabbi seeks to impress the child that he not only must learn to read the Bible and to pray, but he must also commit to memory what he reads, because by so doing he will accomplish two things: First, he will not need to be loaded down with the books of the law; and secondly, people will have the greatest respect for him because of his superior knowledge, — knowledge of the law, and knowledge that will be retained forever. There is much said in the Talmud concerning disciples or scholars who do not memorize and who do not retain knowledge, and the child is taught that this is disgraceful. Here is one law, for instance :

^(p41)  “Rabbi Dorsethai, the son of Jonai, in the name of Rabbi Myer, said, Whoever forgetteth anything of what he hath obtained by study is considered in Scripture as having endangered his life; as is said, ‘Only take heed to thyself, and guard thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen.’ ” — “Ethics of the Fathers.”

5. It did not take the writer long before he had committed the morning prayers and the evening prayers, the Sabbath prayers, and many of the holiday prayers. The rabbis have prepared a different menu for every occasion. For instance, the morning prayers consist of reading about one hundred and twenty pages of reading matter containing selections from rabbinical addresses, what the priests did on certain occasions in the sanctuary, the repetition of a number of Psalms, eighteen benedictions, each one growing longer as the end of them approaches, and all telling of what God did in the past days. They are simply relics of a dead past, although there is a tendency on the part of the reader of these prayers to think that some of them may refer to what God is doing for the Jews now. Often the child feels like asking some questions on this point, but here he has to be guarded, for the rabbi is vested with powers plenipotentiary [in place of the father], and he is apt to use his authority in a very impressive manner. The child, therefore, is willing for peace and harmony’s sake to waive many of these questions, even though he be not satisfied.

6. The afternoon and evening prayers are apt to be more brief, though there is a definite time to be taken for each of them. ^(p42) As I was expecting to be a teacher, it was necessary that I should be at every service and spend as much time as possible. There were times when it seemed hard to have to labor and toil at so early an age, from early in the morning till late at night, and all of this effort that the favor of God might be purchased. There were times when the religion seemed not so pleasant and attractive, and a feeling arose that, after all, what was the use. But even to harbor such thoughts, was considered wicked, and so when a proper opportunity presented itself I would do more praying, that the Almighty might not feel hard against me.

7. The education along these lines was continued till I was almost thirteen, when I was to prepare for confirmation. As soon as I was able to grasp much of the Bible and of the prayers, then such commentators as Rashi, Onkelos, and others equally as great, played a large part in interpreting knowledge. If I came to a hard part of the Scriptures, and could not seem to understand it in the light of plain, simple language, then the rabbi would say,

“Now let us see what Rashi says.”

Then Rashi would tell what the Lord said and what He did not say on such and such a subject, and from his decision there could be no appeal. However, we were often taken to other writers, and they would make some added comments, though perhaps they would differ with Rashi. After a time one would almost become confused in the Bible. While these men would differ among themselves, and say even hard things about one another’s opinions on the Scriptures, the boy must take it all in, agree with them all, and ask no questions, (d)

^(p43)  8. While occasionally I became somewhat perplexed, I still persevered. I continued to attend the rabbi faithfully every day, not even excluding the Sabbath. Generally I would start to attend synagogue about seven in the morning, and stay there about forty-five minutes. From there I would go to the rabbi for a short session, that I might gain a little more virtue before taking the morning meal, for fear I did not perform sufficient devotion at the synagogue. It must be remembered that one is not allowed to partake of anything in the morning in the nature of food till after the morning service, except one or two glasses of water. (e)

9. I was frequently consoled, however, in my morning piety, for I had to pass a certain store from the synagogue to the rabbi’s, and frequently I would find pieces of money on the ground in front of the store. This occurred to me as a sort of divine favor, that I was purchasing my way to heaven, and that the Lord was encouraging me in this direction by sending me a little of the earthly store. The rabbi frequently told the children that if they were good and learned the law much and studied hard, the Lord would throw down money from heaven to them in various forms. Occasionally he would illustrate it by taking a piece of money out from under some portion of the table, and telling us an angel sent it from heaven. But no questions must be asked.

10. This finding the money occasionally, was quite an inspiration and incentive, and I often felt that I wanted to go to the rabbi’s before breakfast. Shortly after the morning meal, I would attend the daily school, and, save about an hour for dinner, school and rabbi were continued till four-thirty in the afternoon. ^(p44) Then there was a long session at the rabbi’s which was continued till seven or eight in the evening. After this I would have to attend evening service, and then wonder whether I had learned enough or prayed enough that day to please God.

11. During the holidays, such as Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, New Year’s, and Day of Atonement, we had many more prayers to repeat, and we were not through so early, nor did we get off so easily. We had no school during the last two holidays; that was because most of the time was spent at the synagogue. For instance, during the New Year’s, which lasts two days, beginning sometime in September or October, I would start for the synagogue about seven in the morning and remain till noon. After a recess of an hour, we would start for some river or stream, and repeat a number of prayers, usually finishing with these words of Micah:

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou shalt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Chapter 7:18, 19.

At the close of these words the men shake the end of their outside garment to show that they have faith to believe that the Lord has shaken their sins into the depths of the sea. This service is called tashlich or throwing; that is, throwing the sins into the sea.

^(p46)   12. Then another service is attended at the synagogue, and after a slight intermission the evening service takes place. So that, with very little exception, the entire day is spent at the synagogue in reading prayers and in devotions, that the soul may gain the knowledge of God, and seek to please the Almighty. Should one of these days, however, fall on the Sabbath, then there is repeated the entire one hundred and fifty Psalms, from the afternoon service till the evening service. This repetition of the Psalter is the regular after-dinner menu every Sabbath day in the synagogue. Well do I remember how every Sabbath afternoon I had to go to the synagogue, and take part in chanting the whole of the Psalms before sunset. (f)

13. During the Day of Atonement, however, there is still less time for one’s self. At the sunset of the beginning of the day, synagogue is attended. This service continues for three hours, and then you have to retire without thinking of anything earthly. As soon as one awakens in the morning, he starts directly for the synagogue, and here he is to remain until the sun sets that day. During most of these long, weary hours he has to stand in his stocking feet, as he is not allowed to wear any shoes; neither is he allowed any food nor even one drop of water. For twenty-five hours not a drop of water is allowed to pass the lips.

14. All through these early years my health was poor. I scarcely knew what it was to be free from pain for many months at a time. I was an invalid from my infancy, as I met with a serious accident when three years old by falling into an open fireplace where a raging fire was blazing, and being badly hurt. ^(p47) I was obliged to attend all the services at the rabbi’s, at school, at the synagogue; and all this to secure righteousness, that I might grow up to be a teacher of the law. Still I was gaining much knowledge of the Hebrew, the rabbinical lore, and the history of God’s dealing with my ancestors.

On to chapter four

EXPLANATORY NOTES.

PARAGRAPH 1 (a). — “Ethics of the Fathers,” English edition, p. 47. Back

PAR. 2 (b). — There are at least five different commentators the child is introduced to at quite an early age: the two Targumim, Rashi, Metsidis David, and Metsidis Zion.  Back

PAR. 3 (c). — “Daily Prayer book,” article “Yigdol.”  Back

PAR. 7 (d). — As an illustration of this, see “Practical Lessons,” p. 39, par. 18-20.  Back

PAR. 8 (e). — This will partly explain what Peter had reference to in Acts 2:15.  Back

PAR. 12 (f). — The rabbis have divided the Sabbath afternoons as follows: Six months in the year the one hundred and fifty Psalms are repeated, and six months are devoted to repeating the contents of the book entitled, “Ethics of the Fathers.”  Back

INDEX