{"id":89433,"date":"2021-02-26T07:55:33","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T05:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=89433"},"modified":"2021-02-26T07:55:33","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T05:55:33","slug":"teach-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/teach-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Teach Well!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this chapter of Psalms, King David (according to many of our sages) provides a lengthy recap of his goals, desires and gratitude, using words representing teaching and learning about 45 times. Radak points out that one of eleven words that describe, teaching, learning or the subject of those endeavors occurs in each of the 176 verses of this chapter. Those eleven words are <\/span>Torah<\/span><\/em> – teachings; <\/span>derech<\/span><\/em> \u2013 way; <\/span>chok<\/em> <\/span>\u2013 statute; <\/span>mitzvah<\/span><\/em> \u2013 commandment; <\/span>mishpat<\/span><\/em> \u2013 judgement; <\/span>eidut<\/span><\/em> \u2013 testimony; <\/span>pekudim<\/span><\/em> \u2013 precepts; <\/span>tzedek<\/span><\/em> \u2013 righteousness; <\/span>dibbur<\/span><\/em> \u2013 word; <\/span>amirah<\/span><\/em> \u2013 saying; and <\/span>emunah<\/span><\/em> \u2013 belief. Repeatedly throughout this chapter David pleads with God to teach him so that he can understand and grow in spirituality.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to David Hartman, as quoted in a 1978 Jerusalem Post article, \u201cIn the Jewish tradition, being involved in learning means being involved in God\u2019s creation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In this, the longest chapter of Psalms, King David sets out the necessary conditions for righteousness and sprinkled throughout, more often than \u201cdo\u201d or \u201cdon\u2019t\u201d, is \u201clearn\u201d and \u201cunderstand\u201d and \u201cteach me!\u201d David was the epitome of a life-long learner with a singular wish to dwell in the House of God all his days to maximize his time learning (Psalms 27:4).<\/span><\/p>\n

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said, \u201cIf you want to save the Jewish future you have to build Jewish day schools.\u201d Once asked what I identified as the greatest threat to Jewish continuity today, without a second thought I responded, \u201cthe high cost of day school tuition.\u201d Hopefully we find a solution soon\u2026but I digress.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Encyclopedia Judaica posits that learning is the central, essential Jewish experience. The word <\/span>Torah<\/span><\/em>, itself, translates as \u201cteaching\u201d. Similarly, <\/span>Talmud<\/span><\/em> means \u201cinstruction\u201d and <\/span>Rabbi<\/span><\/em> means \u201cteacher.\u201d So integral is teaching and learning to the Jewish people that we don\u2019t refer to Moses as our deliverer, our miracle-worker, our leader or our freedom-fighter. We call Moses, primarily, <\/span>Moshe Rabbenu<\/span><\/em> \u2013 Moses our Teacher. Among the final instructions from Moses to the Jewish people was, \u201cTeach (these words) to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you rise\u201d \u2013 words we intone daily in the Shema Yisrael prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 119 reminds us that our survival depends on seeking out national and personal teachers. The impact of having teachers, however, is dependent on our commitment to being engaged as lifelong learners.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":89434,"id":89434,"title":"ps119-learning","filename":"ps119-learning.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps119-learning.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/teach-well\/ps119-learning\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps119-learning","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":89433,"date":"2021-02-26 05:55:19","modified":"2021-02-26 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