Talmudic Maxims that Express Esteem for Learning and their Educational Implications.
Talmudic Maxims that Express Esteem for Learning and their Educational Implications.
| Jewish Proverbs* | Educational Principle |
|---|---|
| I have learned from all my teachers [Psalms 119.99 with Avot 4.1] | One must be willing to learn from everyone; do not miss a learning opportunity |
| Sit in dust at the feet of Sages and drink their words thirstily [Avot 1.4] | Seek out and strive to learn as much as you can from scholars |
| Find yourself a teacher and acquire a fellow student [Avot 1.6] | Responsibility for study is the student’s; look for a mentor and study in tandem with a friend (small-group learning) |
| It is one’s duty to hear the preaching of scholars [Babylonian Talmud (BT), Yevamot 20a] | Strive to attend the teaching of prominent teachers |
| A very strict teacher cannot teach [Avot 2.5] | Teaching demands flexibility |
| Educate a child according to its abilities [Proverbs 6.6] | Student-centered teaching |
| One who is embarrassed easily is not able to learn [Avot 2.5] | Encourage all students, even the meek, to participate and ask questions |
| May the honor of your student be as precious as your own honor [Avot 4.12] | Respect the students |
| If you see a pupil whose study is laborious, his study is badly arranged [BT, Ta’anit 7a,b] | A well-considered curriculum eases the learning process; a teacher must follow the progress of students and, if necessary, make adjustments to meet their needs |
| I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students [Ta’anit 7a] | Preparing for a lecture augments one’s own learning, but learning from the questions of one’s students can be even more enlightening |
| Make regular time for learning Torah (the law) [BT, Shabbat 31a] | Set a fixed time for your learning |
| If you forsake study for one day, it will forsake you for two [Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 14d] | Learn every day; become a life-long learner (continuing medical education) |
| Do not say, “when I have time I will study,” lest you not have time [Avot 2.4] | Make learning a priority that is not deferred |
| One who studies his lesson a hundred times is not the same as one who studies it one hundred and one times [BT, Hagigah 9b] | Repeated learning over and over again is beneficial and well advised even when seemingly superfluous for it deepens knowledge and understanding |
| It is not incumbent on you to complete the whole task, but you cannot neglect it [Avot 2.16] | A good student (and doctor!) never gives up |
| Any talmudic scholar whose inside is not like his outside is not a talmudic scholar [BT, Yoma 72b] | Educational and professional integrity |
| Every place of study has its own innovation [BT, Hagigah 3a] | New ideas are generated in every academic environment |
| Who is a scholar? One who can quote the law at any time and place [BT, Shabbat 114a] | Become an expert in what you do |
| The wits of a scholar are sharpened by his fellow scholars [Bereshit Rabba]
As iron whets another, so scholars sharpen each other’s wits [BT, Ta’anit 7a] |
Discussion and debate ensure deeper understanding and learning |
| Study leads to action [BT, Kiddushin 40b] | Theory precedes and modifies practice |