Haredim and Jewish History

B"H

Although the headline only mentions "Haredim", this article concerns all kinds of Haredim. Chassidim and Litvishe and not to forget, the national religious.

The thing I always realize anew is that today's Yeshivot mostly leave out one subject: Jewish history.

The Yeshiva curriculum wants the students to study Torah, Talmud, Halachot and Mussar or Chassidut but when it comes to Jewish history, religious students hardly know anything. It goes without saying that also from the Talmud we learn plenty of history. Nevertheless, all the details let alone facts are not always given. Furthermore many worldly events as well as political intrigues are not mentioned. The history of new Babylonian Talmudic centers after the Second Temple destruction is mentioned in the Talmud, however later events such as the destruction of the "Reish Galuta – the ancestors of King David" happened too late and haven't found a place in the Gemara anymore. And who knows about "Bustenai", one of the last, if not the last ancestor of King David ? He later married a non – Jew and the leading rabbis decided that his children are to be considered as Jewish because they didn't want to endanger the existence of the House of King David.

But we don't need to look as far as Babylon. Who of today's Yeshiva students does learn details about Jews once becoming Hellenists ? Who knows about the real events leading to the Second Temple destruction ? And what about later periods ? How great was the Islamic influence in Judaism ? Didn't the Spanish Jews take over many Islamic expressions from their landsmen ?

A brief look at the book "The Kuzari – Al Khazari" by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi (1075 – 1141) is already enough. Many times, the author uses Arabic expressions and tries to fit them into Judaism or the Hebrew language. At the early Middle Ages, Jews living in Spain spoke Arabic anyway.

How much did philosophers and even Chritianity influence Judaism ?
Just have a look at the Spanish Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Abulafia from the Middle Ages. It is said that he used to have close contacts to monks. A very difficult and wide subject and I might write about it more detailed in the future.
Until today, many religious Jews refuse to study the Kabbalah of Rabbi Abulafia. And if they don't refuse it, they study it extremely carefully, as there is a claim that he underwent some Christian influences.

Nevertheless, despite a tight curriculum, isn't it important to learn more history and thus about your own roots ?
An acquaintance of mine, a Chassid, is even writing a book about philosophical influences in Judaism. By the way, he is not the first let alone the only one. Already the Rambam (Maimonides) was a great philosopher and dealt with the famous Greek philosophers.

It is a real pity that science is not a subject in today's Yeshivot anymore. Especially science teaches us more about G – d's greatness and His Creations and I have no explanation why is completely disappeared from the curriculums. Instead, Yeshiva students learn Mishnayiot and Sugiot from the Talmud. If possible, by heart and then they are proud of themselves. If the Rambam or even the Vilna Gaon entered a Yeshiva today and were looking at the curriculum they would probably faint. Why did this happen ? Once, rabbis also used to be great scientist, philosophers and even astronomers. But when you look at them today, there is hardly anything coming out of their mouth except Talmudic concepts. It seems that in our times the most important halachic discussions are being held about setting up Mechitzot in synagogues or Israeli buses in order to make them "kosher – men and women are being separated".

I have absolutely no idea how one could change the present situation. How could someone convince a Yeshiva to extend its curriculum ? Even the first Hesder Yeshivot, I think it was back in Poland, were rejected as too modern. The original idea of the haredi Beit Yaakov girl's school was providing haredi girls with a higher education. And what happened later ? Just look at the Israeli Beit Yaakov today. The only thing the girls learn is some basic Torah knowledge, a little Rashi here and there, cooking, ironing and how to build a family. However, the Beit Yaakov situation in London or New York is very different from the Israeli one. In the Diaspora, Beit Yaakov is much more advanced as in Israel.

The question arises why no one of the students complaints to the teachers. Of course, when you are young, you don't know. The whole day you hear from the teachers that the so – called secular studies are dangerous and only turn you into an Apikores (Heretic) but to me it seems that even the teachers have no idea what they are talking about. What do they know about science and its importance ? They have never learned it either.

So, call it a brainwash from early age. Young students learn that this is Apikores. And those ones who are interested have to keep their studies secret in order not to be thrown out of the Yeshiva.

When I speak to Haredim about this issue, most of them do agree and the older ones among them think that it really is a shame that today's students don't know their own history, philosophy or scientific matter. I admit that philosophy is not for everyone but history and science are extremely important subjects.