I agree with Rabbi Wallace Greene in his letter “The Debate About Secular Studies” (Jewish Link, August 1, 2024). However, I have a problem with his rationale, which is basically that it is important in today’s modern world to be relevant in order to vie for suitable employment opportunities. While this may be true, I feel that the main reason is much broader than an employment issue, and that many so-called “secular” studies, including the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math), are part and parcel of Torah and Talmud.
The Torah and Talmud are replete with discussions of, or references to, science, astronomy, agriculture, architecture, metallurgy, animal husbandry, anatomy, medicine, personal and communal hygiene, epidemiology, mathematics, entomology, nutrition, physiology, and animal, avian and marine life. In addition, there are other “secular” subjects besides STEM, which comprise large parts of their content. For example, law, economics, government, warfare, philosophy, marriage counseling, psychology, sociology, ethics, art, literature and poetry.
It is hard for me to imagine a proper study of Torah in yeshivas, without exploring these and other “secular” subjects. To deny their relevance and reject their study may be tantamount to denying the relevance of major portions of Torah itself.
