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The Importance of a Jewish Education

The importance of Jewish education is central to the religion. After all, Abraham was chosen by G-d because he would ‘ instruct his children and his household after him’.

Moreover, we are commanded by the Torah to:

‘(T)each these things diligently to your children, speaking of them when you stay at home or when you travel on a journey, when you lie down and when you rise up.’

Whilst the first Psalm describes a person who ‘studies Torah day and night’ as a happy and fulfilled human being.

Therefore, as Jews, we clearly have a duty to both educate our children in the ways of the Torah and also to devote ourselves to study. Perhaps as a result of this the joy of learning and the love of debate have become intrinsic to our Jewish identity.

Indeed, few other peoples are so absorbed in the culture of questioning defined by the countless commentaries on commentaries in our religious texts, as we are. This characteristic and clear prioritization of education above all else was noted as far back as the twelfth century by a Christian academic in France who said:

‘A Jew, however poor, if he has ten sons, will put them all to letters, not for gain as the Christians do, but for the understanding of God's law - and not only his sons but his daughters too.’

Even today, amongst the poorest families in Mea Sherim, it is still seen to be more noble to devote yourself to studying the Torah than to work to support your family financially.

As a result in the modern Jewish world, as much as in the ancient one, the words of Maimonides still apply:

‘The crown of kingship was conferred on David . . . But the crown of Torah is for all Israel . . . Whoever desires it, let him come and take it.’


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