Did Moshe Rabbeinu Set Homework? Part 1 | Rabbi Dovid Abenson

Homework is a hot topic that always elicits strong opinions on both sides. My view on homework is based on the approach of my Rebbi, Rav Mattisyahu Salomon, shlita who writes:

“School should be the place to learn and the home should be a place of refuge and time with the family.” (With Hearts Full of Love, Artscroll/Mesorah. P. 79-83). Setting homework, therefore, in my view, is clearly going against daas Torah.

I cannot find any source for setting homework within our Mesorah. It seems to be something that crept into our schools from the non-Jewish educational system. In America at least, it appears to have been brought over in the 19th century by Horace Mann who was impressed by the Prussian school system, where homework was used as a means of demonstrating the nation state’s power.

Rebbeim and menahalim have told me that parents demand homework. It enables them to keep track of their child’s learning, it keeps kids occupied in the evenings and helps the rebbe cover more ground. But “parental insistence” should not be a reason for something that may have detrimental effects on chinuch.

We might argue that reviewing pesukim is better for our kids than playing video games or wandering the streets. What could be so bad?

Sometimes homework is set in order to cover up the rabbe’s own inadequacies. He is unable to cover all the material in a way that ensures all students understand the lesson. Many rebbeim tell the parents to hire a rebbe at night so that their son can learn the Gemara before class. I have heard this first hand from rebbeim themselves. Since many rebbeim are supplementing their own incomes from tutoring, there is little motivation to end this practice.

As mentioned above homework infiltrated the Torah world from the non-Jewish world. Their shorter school days leave more time to do homework. But even so, teachers are trying to change the homework tradition. Many studies suggest that most homework, at least as traditionally conceived, doesn’t improve learning.

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Rabbi Dovid Abenson can be contacted at: Tel. 15147393629, Cell/Whatsapp 15149935300, Email: [email protected]. Rabbi Abenson is the founder and director of ShaarHatalmud, a unique yeshivah-based online program, which incorporates learning all Kodesh subjects, from Kriah up to learning Gemara, Rishonim, and Shulchan Aruch. He also conducts evaluations, remediation, and training, and consults with Roshei HaYeshiva and Menahelim to improve students’ underdeveloped learning and textual skills.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The purpose of homework is for the student to review and repeat that which he learned in school so that it becomes part of his knowledge base. It is something for the parent to do. If it is designed so that the parent does part of it, it defeats its purpose.
    At the same time the teacher or rebbe must make sure that it’s not so burdensome as to be resented.
    As a teacher many years ago, I would structure my class so that if the students behaved and I was able to cover the material, I would give some time at the end of the class so that the students could do part or all of it. This had multiple benefits: the kids behaved because they wanted the time, the homework wasn’t such a burden, and I could give them help if needed, and of course the parents had more time for their other children whose teachers burdened them.

  2. there is no clear yes and no here. There are many different situations. I can’t claim to know what Rav Matisyahu holds in each situation as I never discussed it with him. Many gedolim agree that homework makes sense (within reason).
    The author does a disservice with his oversimplification and once again, uses his forum to speak negatively about rebbeim and yeshivos.

Comments are closed.