Torah U’Parnasa
The approach to secular wisdom described last week is different from what could be called “Torah u’parnasa,” which locates the value of secular education in the fact that it facilitates an opportunity to make money. There is nothing fundamentally better about being a doctor than flipping houses or selling door knobs on Amazon; whichever one makes the most amount of money with the least amount of time and effort should be chosen—as it will facilitate the most amount of time for talmud Torah.
To be clear, the imperative to support oneself and his family cannot be overstated; “Torah u’parnasa” is absolutely a kiyum of that necessity. What we are describing is a level beyond that: To reach for a parnasa that provides for one’s family while also making a meaningful, significant impact on some slice of the world, based on the “package” that Hashem granted you when He brought you into the world. This approach is rooted in “bechol derachecha daehu” and “kol maasecha yiheyu leshem Shamayim,” holding fast to the ideal that everything in life should revolve around Hashem, while recognizing the breadth of what that circle can contain within its orbit.
The Humanities
Much of what has been said so far has applied more to the sciences—biology, chemistry, psychology—than to the humanities—literature, history and philosophy. What is the value—if any—of exploring the humanities?
In the essay, “The End of Learning,”1 Rav Aharon Lichtenstein quotes from Milton’s “Of Education,” that our ultimate goal should be “regaining to know God aright,” which can be accomplished by investigating the world that He created (in addition—for us—to getting to know Him through His Torah; see Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvos Asei 3 and Yesodei HaTorah 2:2). Assuming that man is the clearest representation of Hashem (as much as that is possible), as expressed by Hashem’s declaration of “naaseh adam betzalmeinu kidmuseinu,” to understand man in a deep way is to best approach and develop an awareness of God.
Is it conceivable, then, that anyone could consider contemplation of God’s handiwork as adequate, while omitting study of its fullest manifestation? … But what about man do we primarily seek to know? … The committed Jew, tzelem Elokim … Is it possible that of all people, Bnei Torah—who vigorously challenge “Darwinism” because it defines metaphysical man in purely animal terms—should commend biology but disdain literature, and confront man as body but not spirit? The study of man as spirit is, however, what the humanities are all about.
On sensitivity to language: “The humanities, through direct linguistic instruction as well as by the teaching of literature, instill sensitivity and precision with respect to what we have to say, and what we hear and read.”
On the ideas contained in literature: “But the humanities do not simply teach us language in general. They initiate us into the world of ruach memalela (a speaking spirit) at its finest, introducing us—in Arnold’s celebrated phrase—to ‘the best which has been thought and said in the world.’ Great literature presents either a rendering—factual or imaginative—of aspects of the human condition, or a record of the artist’s grappling with the ultimate questions of human existence: man’s relation to himself, to others, to the cosmos and, above all, to the Ribbono shel Olam … great poetry may be imaginative and passionate—and, as such, inspiring, exhilarating and ennobling.”
On history: “As a record of human existence, of man’s achievements and failures, of his aspirations and shortcomings, history deals with both individual and society—and often with their interaction. It helps us to study sefer toledot Adam, and, as well, to contemplate the ways of Providence, in fulfillment of the mandate, ‘Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, thine elders and they will tell thee,’ (Devarim 32:7). Obviously, however, history presents us with much more than a record. Covertly or overtly—depending upon the historiographic orientation—it conveys clear moral import … As we learn to perceive pattern and structure, we deepen our understanding of the dynamics of human existence, so that study of the past helps us not only to relate to the present, but … to anticipate the future.”
Rav Aharon detailed the benefits of three areas of the humanities: language, literature and history. Each one contributes to a better understanding of man, the apex of creation made in God’s own image—either as an individual or as part of a tzibbur, in the past, present and future. He wrote: “The humanities, in sum, enable us to expand our horizons with reference to man and society beyond the bounds of narrow personal experience that ordinarily circumscribe us, wherein we are confronted by what Bacon called the idols of the cave and the marketplace. In doing so, they significantly enhance our ability to cope with the two primary challenges of the moral and spiritual life: tikkun of self within this antechamber to the world-to-come; and tikkun of the antechamber proper.”
“To be sure, the challenges in all areas—and especially the humanities—are great. On the most basic level, any time devoted to these subjects is necessarily stolen from learning or direct maaseh mitzvah; time is our most precious asset, and every minute should be justified. Once we allow other pursuits any modicum of value, it automatically becomes a struggle to maintain the primacy that Torah and direct avodas Hashem are meant to enjoy. On the level of content, many writers do not share our values; it is our responsibility to ensure that we are ‘picking out the fruit and leaving the rind,’ but that is not an easy task; it takes a Rabbi Meir to do it with confidence.2 If the content crosses the boundaries of halacha—no matter what we stand to gain—the ends do not justify the means; we must recoil, affirming that the ultimate goal was not wisdom, but avodas Hashem.”
Tzvi Goldstein graduated from Yeshiva University with semicha and a degree in psychology. After making aliyah, he taught in Yeshivat Hakotel for five years and now edits sefarim for a number of publishers. He recently published a sefer with Mosaica Press called “Halachic Worldviews,” exploring Rav Soloveitchik’s approach to developing hashkafa from halacha, and writes at tgb613.substack.com. You can reach him at [email protected].
1 Printed in “Leaves of Faith,” Volume 1, pages 105-117.
2 See Chagigah 15b.
