[Avodah] incorrect learning of Torah

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 07/21/2016 03:19 AM, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
>
> My only point was that Tosafot does not account for the effort of the
> student, i.e. working hard at learning the wrong material thinking he
> is learning Torah.  Instead Tosafot seems to be saying that at least
> for children the important thing is information.

I think you're missing the central point, which is what does a makre
dardeke teach?   Pesukim, nothing more.  He's not even explaining them,
he's just teaching the text.   If he teaches a pasuk that doesn't exist
how could it possibly be Torah?   How is "es zechar Amalek" more Torah
than "Mary had a little lamb"?  Of what value is a student's effort at
memorising either one, even if, as Tosfos says, the error will eventually
be unlearned?

This can't be compared to teaching incorrect pshat in mishna or gemara,
where the pshat he teaches may be one of the 70 panim, and in any case
the student is learning the mishna and thinking about it, which is Torah,
and will eventually arrive at the correct pshat, a process which is also
Torah.

-- 
Zev Sero               Meaningless combinations of words do not acquire
zev at sero.name          meaning merely by appending them to the two other
                        words `God can'.  Nonsense remains nonsense, even
                        when we talk it about God.   -- C S Lewis