[Avodah] The Relevance of Secular Studies to Jewish Education

[Yitzchok Levine]

The following is from pages 87 - 90  of RSRH's essay with the above 
title that appears in The Collected Writings of RSRH, Volume VII.

Now if the Judaism for which we are educating our young need not 
shrink from contact with the intellectual elements of any other true 
culture, it is essential for the future of our youth as citizens, and 
therefore it is a true religious duty, for us to give them a secular 
education. A secular education is a most beneficial help to our young 
in understanding the times in which they live and the conditions 
under which they will have to practice their life's vocation; hence 
it is most desirable also from the Jewish religious viewpoint and 
consequently deserving of warm support. But at the same time, and 
even more important, a good secular education can give our young 
people substantial new insights, added dimensions that will enrich 
their religious training. For this reason, too, secular education 
deserves the support of the religious educator.

There is no need to cite specific evidence that most of the secular 
studies taught at higher educational institutions, including our own, 
are essential to the future vocational careers of the students. There 
seem to be no differences of opinion in this respect. However, any 
supporter of education and culture should deplore the fact that when 
these secular studies are evaluated in terms of their usefulness to 
the young, too much stress is often placed on so-called practical 
utility and necessity. Under such circumstances, the young are in 
danger of losing the pure joy of acquiring knowledge for its own 
sake, so that they will no longer take pleasure in the moral and 
spiritual benefits to be obtained from study.

In light of what has just been said, it is clear, even from the 
religious point of view, that if our young people are to cope 
successfully with the practical aspects of their mission as Jews, 
everything possible must be done to introduce them to various areas 
of general studies. But there is also a spiritual harvest that can be 
won from secular studies, even for those who seek to grow in the 
theoretical knowledge of the Jewish religion. Our understanding of 
the philosophy of life and the Weltanschauung taught in the sacred 
writings of the Jewish religion is dependent in no small measure on 
our insights into the character and the development of nature and 
society. Any knowledge that serves to enrich the intellect in any 
manner will also enhance our insights into the philosophy of Judaism.

I have posted the entire essay at 
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/relevance_secular_studies_jewish_education.pdf

Yitzchok Levine 
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