Failure Was Academic: Shoftim

Can scriptural interpretation’s depth be enhanced by both personal experience and education? Is it possible to become a better student? A Torah Portion Shoftim analysis can answer these questions.

Education

My undergraduate studies, legal studies, and life circumstances offer a unique perspective to a Shoftim Torah Portion passage which addresses academics.

The passage reveals the nature and extent of education at the time of scripture. One common theme in scripture is that it makes an effort to describe the populace’s educational opportunities. Their presence at the recitation of laws occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible. If one wondered why the Israelite populace often failed with their covenantal commitments, the Hebrew Bible, itself provides the evidence. The pedagogy for the populace was not royal treatment as Shoftim will reveal; An educational gap existed in antiquity.

To understand the gap, one must appreciate study techniques, My personal story of academic redemption connects to the Shoftim’s message.

College

From third grade, I was in gifted programs. School was never a problem. Everything changed in college. In my first couple of years as a UCLA undergraduate, my raw intelligence compensated for poor study habits. This strategy bombed. Surrounded by diligent students, I found myself to be part of the middle-of-the-curve.

Eventually, I turned it around hanks in a large part to my friend’s sister.

My friend’s sister was a recluse. Absent classes, she essentially hunkered down in their condominium all quarter-long sitting Indian-style and staring at her notebooks. Occasionally, she would write something down.

She was special; she owned one of the highest GPAs on campus. She may have been her classes’ valedictorian.

Fascinated by her success, I studied her more than I did my actual classes. I made mental notes of her habits. I queried her on her routine. She, in turn, was gracious enough to be an open book; she shared her methodology. After gaining a good understanding of her process, I took her techniques and fashioned them into an academic success plan.

The Plan

The plan was simple. I replicated much of what she did. Every week, I copied my class notes into a master outline. I would then study the notes from the beginning of the quarter to date. Every week, I would completely review of the entire quarter’s material.

After this change, something happened. I began a period of academic domination. The smart kid from high school returned. Sometimes, I received the highest grade in a class of hundreds of students. These classes weren’t in my major. Success’ cost- of course- was methodically working the material; a serious time commitment.

I remain indebted to my friend’s sister. She was my sherpa to success.

This academic prowess continued into law school employing the same technique. There, I graduated in the top ten percent and earned three American Jurisprudence Awards (Highest grade in a class.) Additionally, I was awarded the Order of the Coif.

The Irony

My irony of my success was my major; Cognitive Science. I studied how the brain worked as an information processing unit. In essence, I learned about how people learned. I learned that academic success largely falls upon proper study techniques. Writing and reading the material repeatedly was a key. It created a greater ability to recall information.

From this experience, as the Shoftim portion reveals, the Israelite populace’s scriptural failures were, in part, academic.

Shoftim

The Torah Portion Shoftim passage of interest clearly reveals a possible cause as to why the Israelites’ failed to maintain a commandment abiding relationship with their deity. The Shoftim passage tells of the prospective Israelite monarch’s educational requirements.

Moses noted:

‘And it will be, when he sits on his kingdom’s throne, that he shall write himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in front of the Levite priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he with learn to fear the Lord, his God, to observe all the words of this instruction and these laws to do them, so his heart will not be elevated above his brothers, and so he will not turn from the commandment, right or left…” Deuteronomy 17:18-20. [emphasis added]

From this Shoftim passage, it is clear that future Israelite kings would have an outstanding education concerning the knowledge of both their role and the law.

What about everyone else?

In contrast to this well-crafted plan, there was no major plan for the Israelite population. Unlike the king who was literate, the same cannot be said about the general population.

Israelite Populace Instructions

The Israelite’s instructions were quite different from the prospective monarch.

For them, even with the Ten Commandments, they are simply told to “listen” and “learn.” See Deuteronomy 5:1. There is no expectation that when the Decalogue recited that they would be taking notes.

With the famous “Shema,” the Israelites are told to listen. While they are told to speak about the commandments and have signs concerning them, they are not instructed to engage in the acts of writing or reading. See Deuteronomy 6:1-9.

Arguably, the most epic moment of Israelite populace’s educational deficit comes from the Book of Nehemiah. After returning from exile, the Judean people meet at the Water Gate in Jerusalem. There, it is Ezra, the scholar, who brings the scroll of the Torah. There, all the men and women and all of those who could listen and understand heard Ezra read the Torah. See Nehemiah 8:1-2.

At that point however, there was even a problem with listening and understanding among the populace. The Book of Nehemiah tells how the Levites helped the people understand the Torah. It is told that “They [the Levites] read in the scroll, in God’s Torah, clearly, with the application of wisdom and they helped [the people] understand the reading.” Nehemiah 8:7-8. (Note: This explanation may have included some translation. Given the exile, not everyone present may have been fluent in Hebrew.)

Scripture clearly reveals a literacy gap.

Impliedly, the text shows that the Levites were the literate of the population. They essentially acted as instructors to both the monarchy and the populace. Perhaps, given a number of factors which included limited educational opportunities, limited available written materials, limited writing surfaces, and limited need for vocation, low level literacy among the was to be expected.

With modernity, times have changed. Scholars are able to royally consume scripture. They can even read and write their own Torah. In essence, they have access to everything which, in antiquity, was considered special; fit for a king!

In sum, reading, writing and instruction was the educational design originally meant for royalty. Now, it is essentially available to all who seek it. There are many people well versed on the Hebrew Bible.

Conclusion

Educational techniques matter. Writing and reviewing material is an excellent way to gain a solid grasp of material.

The Shoftim passage revealed, however, that not every individual was expected to educate themselves with the same rigor with respect to the law. The Israelite Monarchs had greater expectations laid upon them; they were to both write and read the law.

The populace, on the other hand, were only required to listen and converse in it. While these techniques are beneficial in learning material, they fall short from having reading, writing, and Levitical assistance. As such, one must wonder whether this educational difference played a role in Israelite populace shortcomings.

In the present, however, circumstances have changed. Individuals from all walks of life have immense opportunities to learn. An abundance of books and writing materials have changed education. As such, the barriers that once existed in antiquity have significantly eroded. People are now able to study like a king!

Be well!!

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