Can virtue be taught? This is the underlying assumption of the Lithuanian yeshiva
That is the idea of learning Torah for its own sake and not in order for it to be source of money . The idea is that by learning Torah for its own sake one will be taught and influenced to be virtuous and also he will be living the good life.The life of men as men were meant to be.
The Boy Scouts was also founded on this idea that virtue could be taught. [Within the context of outdoor skills.] Nowadays the boy-scouts is not an option but still the basic idea is valid. Perhaps something similar could be done as part of a yeshiva program. For example to set aside a few hours per week and to bring in some Eagle Scout to teach the students a few skills.]
But we know that it is not possible to teach virtue. There are children of righteous people that are not righteous. If virtue could be taught the righteous person would have tried and succeeded in teaching it to his own children. But it is not innate either. If it was it would be seen when children are young. But many times children turn out very differently than they seem to be when young.
On the other hand we see that wickedness can be taught. We see people born into a belief system in which evil is condoned. And they follow that path.
From what we know from Howard Bloom [the Lucifer Principle] it is the society the super-organism that is the most determinate. So if we go with the super-organism idea of Howard Bloom we can see the idea of a Lithuanian yeshiva is a correct idea. Something that society and one's own family can't do often a good immediate environment can do.
But by the same idea we can see how yeshivas are in general damaging because of the same idea. Most are not authentic and are not good environments where people learn virtue. Most yeshivas are chatter boxs that contrive and scheme all day how to extract money form secular Jews during the short time periods that they're not cursing them.
Yeshivas are factories of chatter. It is rare to find the real authentic place that learns Torah for its own sake.
And I showed above one needs a real place of Torah. It is not enough to learn on one's own. But if there is no place around that is authentic what you need to do is to get your own Shas and go through it. [Actually I mean the whole Oral Law. That is the two Talmuds, Tosephta, Sifra Sifrei and the Midrash Raba. That should not need more than about 40 minutes per day to go through one "Amud" [half a "daf"] with Rashi and Tosphot. [The thing is when you have finished the Babylonian Talmud you go on to the Jerusalem Talmud.]
That is the idea of learning Torah for its own sake and not in order for it to be source of money . The idea is that by learning Torah for its own sake one will be taught and influenced to be virtuous and also he will be living the good life.The life of men as men were meant to be.
The Boy Scouts was also founded on this idea that virtue could be taught. [Within the context of outdoor skills.] Nowadays the boy-scouts is not an option but still the basic idea is valid. Perhaps something similar could be done as part of a yeshiva program. For example to set aside a few hours per week and to bring in some Eagle Scout to teach the students a few skills.]
But we know that it is not possible to teach virtue. There are children of righteous people that are not righteous. If virtue could be taught the righteous person would have tried and succeeded in teaching it to his own children. But it is not innate either. If it was it would be seen when children are young. But many times children turn out very differently than they seem to be when young.
On the other hand we see that wickedness can be taught. We see people born into a belief system in which evil is condoned. And they follow that path.
From what we know from Howard Bloom [the Lucifer Principle] it is the society the super-organism that is the most determinate. So if we go with the super-organism idea of Howard Bloom we can see the idea of a Lithuanian yeshiva is a correct idea. Something that society and one's own family can't do often a good immediate environment can do.
But by the same idea we can see how yeshivas are in general damaging because of the same idea. Most are not authentic and are not good environments where people learn virtue. Most yeshivas are chatter boxs that contrive and scheme all day how to extract money form secular Jews during the short time periods that they're not cursing them.
Yeshivas are factories of chatter. It is rare to find the real authentic place that learns Torah for its own sake.
And I showed above one needs a real place of Torah. It is not enough to learn on one's own. But if there is no place around that is authentic what you need to do is to get your own Shas and go through it. [Actually I mean the whole Oral Law. That is the two Talmuds, Tosephta, Sifra Sifrei and the Midrash Raba. That should not need more than about 40 minutes per day to go through one "Amud" [half a "daf"] with Rashi and Tosphot. [The thing is when you have finished the Babylonian Talmud you go on to the Jerusalem Talmud.]
