Stop Dummying Down Judaism
In his classic book “God In Search of Man,” the great spiritual teacher Abraham Joshua Heschel opened by saying:
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull and oppressive. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion – its message becomes meaningless.”
In no area of religious instruction does Heschel’s message ring more painfully than in the failed teaching of religion to its youngest audience – children and teenagers. In a recent Torah portion – Parashat Ekev – one of the most famous mitzvot appears in plain, simple and direct language:
“You shall teach your children” (Deuteronomy 11:19).
If this is so important, why do we continue to fail in this area? Why do so many rabbis and educators insist on dummying down Judaism, turning a sophisticated tradition into simplistic slogans that make Twitter and Instagram look deep by comparison?
Even worse, why do so many parents completely neglect this mitzvah, teaching their own kids absolutely nothing at all about their own Jewish identity? For those who take that irresponsible approach, the great Torah commentator Rashi provides some shocking food for thought:
“From the time a child can speak, we shall teach them Torah. But if a parent fails to do so, it is as if that parent buries their child.”
This shocking metaphor of a parent burying a child reflects the early spiritual damage that a parent can inflict by ignoring a child’s Jewish education. This trend to “bury” our young ones has extended to teenagers and young adults, with many Day Schools, Hebrew Schools and synagogues deciding to replace serious Jewish learning with sound bytes, slogans and videos. Microwave or Google Judaism: instant, simplistic answers – no thinking.
Children are filled with sophisticated questions and curiosities about life, and gifted with creative and imaginations. They have deep spiritual yearnings that demand sophisticated, sensitive and creative responses.
The Torah spells it out simply: “You shall teach your children.” But “simply” should not be mistaken to mean simplistic.
For the sake of their future, and that of the Jewish people, it’s time we stop dummying down Judaism and give our children, teenagers and young adults the respect and sophistication they deserve.
Think Maimonides, not memes.
