Nadene Goldfoot
Are schools teaching our children to think? How does one learn anything. Exposure to facts, watching videos, memorizing, all these things are carrying on today while thinking is being taking for granted. Is there a science to improve one's thinking skills or does it only depend on the DNA we inherit?
Yeshivas, by their nature, use the study of Talmud as a vehicle for developing advanced thinking, debating, and analytical reasoning skills. The Socratic, back-and-forth style of learning with a partner (or chavrusa) and the rigorous analysis of complex texts are central to this process.
Certain yeshivas are particularly known for their emphasis on these skills, employing methodologies such as the "Brisker method" to dissect legal principles and create conceptual frameworks. The "Brisker method" is a reductionistic and conceptual approach to studying Jewish law (Halacha), developed by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk (Brest, Belarus). It is not a method for dissecting legal principles and creating conceptual frameworks in general Western or secular law, but its methodology can offer parallels for abstract legal analysis.
The nature of debate and critical thinking in yeshiva culture
The tradition of intellectual debate (machloket) is a cornerstone of yeshiva learning and Jewish thought itself.
- Text-based arguments: The primary form of debate is in the detailed analysis of classic Jewish texts, such as the Talmud and its commentaries. Students debate interpretations, reconcile contradictions, and construct complex arguments. So what they are reading are the famous debates of discussions in the Torah and how they came to their conclusions. That's the format of the Talmud. Hillel the Elder Hillel (Hebrew: הִלֵּל Hīllēl; variously called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian; died c. 10 CE) was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim. He was active during the end of the first century BCE and the beginning of the first century CE.
- The most famous rabbinic partners known for their vigorous debates and the development of the method of pilpul were the Houses of Hillel and Shammai, which were founded by the sages Hillel the Elder and Shammai. Each had his own Yeshiva or House where students came.
- The historical partner in debate with Hillel the Elder was Shammai. The two sages were contemporaries in Jerusalem during the first century BCE and founded opposing schools of thought in Jewish law, known as the House of Hillel (Beit Hillel) and the House of Shammai (Beit Shammai
- The nature of their debates: The disagreements between Hillel and Shammai formed the basis for much of the Talmud, with hundreds of debates recorded between their two schools on topics of Jewish law, ethics, and ritual practice.
- Contrasting personalities and views: The sages had notably different personalities and teaching styles.
- Hillel was known for his patience, gentleness, and compassion, and his school generally took a more lenient approach to interpreting Jewish law.
- Shammai was known for his strictness and impatience, and his school often took a more stringent or restrictive approach.
- The outcome of the disputes: Though their debates could be heated, the Talmud considered their disagreements to be "for the sake of Heaven," and both viewpoints were considered valid. However, the legal rulings (halakha) of the House of Hillel were most often accepted as normative for Judaism..
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAVxiPi_TH0
- Pilpul and Lomdus: High-level yeshivas may engage in pilpul, a method of intricate and sharp dialectical analysis, or the more abstract and conceptual Lomdus used in the Brisker method.
- Chavrusa learning: The chavrusa (study partner) method provides a constant practice of back-and-forth debate and clarification, forcing students to articulate their arguments clearly.
- All this is how our rabbis came to their conclusions about what the Biblewas saying. The sages conducted their religious discussions primarily in Jerusalem, where they led the Sanhedrin and their respective schools. Their debates took place during the first century BCE and the first century CE, during the reign of King Herod and the Roman occupation..
- The Greek, Socrates, evidently taught this type of thinking. The Socratic method is a teaching tactic where a teacher uses a series of open-ended, probing questions to guide students toward a deeper understanding of a subject, fostering critical thinking rather than providing direct answers. Named after the Greek philosopher Socrates, this inquiry-based approach encourages students to examine their own reasoning, assumptions, and biases, leading to intellectual growth and a greater appreciation for different perspectives.
- Socrates c. 470 – 399 BCE)or about 2,475 years ago was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no texts and is known mainly through the posthumous accounts of classical writers, particularly his students Plato and Xenophon. I'm afraid he was way before Hillel the Elder in his debating for a skill in thinking.
- These accounts are written as dialogues, in which Socrates and his interlocutors examine a subject in the style of question and answer; they gave rise to the Socratic dialogue literary genre. Contradictory accounts of Socrates make a reconstruction of his philosophy nearly impossible, a situation known as the Socratic problem. Socrates was a polarizing figure in Athenian society. In 399 BCE, he was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth. After a trial that lasted a day, he was sentenced to death. He spent his last day in prison, refusing offers to help him escape.
- I ask you to recreate classes where every student is able to take a class in debate and experience the thinking involved. How times have changed, charging him with corrupting the youth for teaching them to think. Even back then children were wanted by parents to be robots! My own son took Debate in high school; a rural community 400 miles from the famous Portland, Oregon that had a terrific Debate teacher. My son and his partner (in this corrupting activity) went to Salem, the capital of Oregon, and took 2nd place!!! His partner became a lawyer in Portland. This is why we have so many lawyers throughout our males in the Jewish religion. They've had ancestors who attended Yeshivas besides well-known universities, and/or they have attended themselves. It's in the family to think and to use questioning and responding instead of just barking out direct orders that must be obeyed. Salem Debate Team
Salem High School’s dominating debate team has once again won the state Class 4 title, giving it Coach Mark Ingerson’s 20th commonwealth championship. Salem blew past Dominion High 32–8. It is the second straight title for the Spartans.
Ingerson’s teams have won 188 speech/forensics titles and two in debate.
Salem won individual state championships in 3 of 4 events, led by senior captain Claire Rawlins, who won the school's first Lincoln-Douglas title with a 6–0 record, debating whether Artificial General Intelligence is immoral.
- There is no current information indicating Salem, Oregon is hosting state-wide high school debate finals; the search results show news about Salem's own debate team winning a state title in Virginia in April 2025,Trump and Biden
- When Debates are held on TV between important personalities, they are not following the rules of Debate, a standard. They just seem to argue as they wish.
- .Resource:
- https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/osaa
No comments:
Post a Comment