[Avodah] Education - was RAYK and the end of chol

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 04:21:18PM -0400, T613K at aol.com wrote:
: I don't know how you're defining "understand" but you most certainly can  
: keep the halachos of kashrus, Shabbos and so on in your home if you
: know Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (or even if you have learned halachos
: mimetically at your mother's knee, as girls did for doros...
: have a rav you can turn to with shailos when something unusual comes  up. 

You need more than a KSA to know what "unusual" means. It's not a good
guide to knowing what issues are contraversial. But I would agree with
the general point, that a few handbooks is sufficient for daily din. 

C.f. <http://www.chayas.com/homeschooltorah.htm> for R' Yoseph el-Gafeh
(Qapach)'s view (Halikhoth Teiman, "Derekh Chinukh Banim"):
> The world of the children is not an independent world. It is a part of
> the overall life of the community. When the child learns how to sit he
> is sitting around older people. Kids sit with adults --not just when
> they eat at home-- but also at happy occasions. From here we can see--
> from the beginning of his very first steps-- a child observes all the
> customs and manners by seeing and being part of everything. This
> (emulation) is learned by how others eat, sit, and discipline. Because
> of that, his (the child's) education becomes his nature. When the
> father goes to be a guest.. he takes his kids with him. Before he
> leaves, he tells them how to behave before the others. He tells him
> not to forget the rest of the people (around him). But what about the
> girls? The daughter is stuck like a shadow to her Mom. She learns all
> the mannerisms from her Mom."  About both girl and boy--there is
> almost no separation between youngsters and the older people. Because
> of the respect for the elderly and their behavior, youngsters are
> accepting to the traditions without any argument or question. They try
> to be like the elders in everything. Since everyone has the same rules
> and manners ... there is a peace between young and old.

However, there is a mitzvah of talmud Torah beyond halakhah. First,
the heter of teaching girls gemara because "al menas la'asos" today
must include enough so that girls see that chokhmah isn't only bagoyim.
And "al ta'amin be'atzmeikh ad yom moseikh" -- one can't count on being
one of the women who wouldn't assimilate without strengthening herself
first.

(Notice this notion of protection through strengthening self, rather
than relying on barriers...)

Second, there is the einah metzuvah ve'osah, no?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 23rd day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Gevurah sheb'Netzach: How does my domination
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            stifle others?