You might recall from my previous post “Then And Now” Part 1 that this 42-year-old man was in cheder decades ago. Surely today the teaching is much better and methods have improved? Unfortunately, I believe that today the situation is even worse.
Last week a chassidishe mother of a 15-year-old boy reached out to me telling me she had read my book and thought perhaps perhaps I could help her son. I evaluated him. He literally had no foundation skills whatsoever. Whatever he knew, he knew only by heart. This was further compounded by the fact he had no way to distinguish between “I”, “we” and “my”, they all end with the “nee” sound in the chassidisch pronunciation. Because he only learned orally, he couldn’t see the differences, which can only be distinguished through reading.
I recommended a crash course in Loshon Hakodesh. The mother agreed and embarrassingly asked if she could join too. I agreed to the “two for the price of one” arrangement. For the first time, the boy was so happy with himself. He didn’t feel stupid. After all, he simply lacked the skills. I suggested he test out his new-found knowledge on his classmates, to see how they fared. He reported back that none of his classmates could translate. The whole class and probably the rebbi also needed an upgrade! This was a big encouragement to the boy, who no longer felt that there was something wrong with him. But clearly, there is something wrong with the institution and its chinuch methodology.
It is a major problem. In most institutions, foundation skills are not taught. If they are taught, it is only haphazardly. This is not only a problem for the chassidim. The Litvish schools have similar problems.
I am currently dealing with a student in his 20s. He spent 20 years in the Lakewood system. After the evaluation, I told his father: “he’s not ready for the Chumash program yet, let alone the gemara”. The poor father was shocked. “What have they been teaching my son for the past 20 years?” Now we are into the foundational skills program and the boy is translating and catching on fast. I reassured him that he was not stupid and that we would make quick progress.
Schools that fail to teach the necessary foundation skills put kids at risk. If students lack foundation skills, they will not be able to enjoy learning. They will look elsewhere for happiness. I have often thought that the reason more and more religious Jews are getting involved in the musical entertainment industry is because they are not happy with their learning. In Israel, many frum students join the IDF. They don’t enjoy Torah learning and need to look elsewhere for meaning and purpose in their lives. Gedolim speaks of the dangers of the internet, but the real danger is not being able to learn, because Torah learning is the antidote to the Yetzer Hara.
Barasi yetzer hara, barasi Torah tavlin (kiddushin 30b)
That is why if we want to keep our kids safe, we need to make sure they know how to learn. Torah is the spice. We don’t have to do anything to make it more tasty. Just make sure they have the skills to learn it properly.
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At a time when we need Torah learning more than ever, how can we stand by
when the jewish educational system is failing so many?
A top educator told me that 70% of students are leaving Yeshiva without having
basic foundational skills in independent Torah learning. These are not all the
obvious “off the derech; or “failure of the system” types of kids. I have personally
taught maggidei shiur and shoelei u’meishiv who lacked foundation skills!
Artscroll translations abound….. but the lost art of translation – a basic skill for
independent learning – can rarely be found.
We need change.
This is why I wrote my book. Endorsed by the BMG Mashgiach, Rabbi Matisyahu
Salomon shlit”a, is an attempt to reverse this crisis in Jewish education and
bring back the original mesorah of chinuch to our jewish mosdos.
“I Can’t Learn” provides insights, strategies, and practical tools to equip the
a student with the foundation skills for independent Torah learning, enabling him or
her to feel like an accomplished and successful learner.
This book belongs in your home, and in the home of every Jewish family that
cares about the future of Jewish education!
“I Can’t Learn” is available for purchase at all Jewish bookstores or online at
For evaluations, speaking engagements or to sponsor my seforim, please contact my office at Tel. (514) 739-3629
Cell/Whatsapp (514) 993-5300
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 school principals to improve students’ underdeveloped skills.