Biblical Perspectives on Child Development
INSTRUCTOR: SHOSHANA MATZNER - BEKERMAN
rbekerman@netscape.net
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Welcome to the first session of the JUICE course on "Biblical
Perspectives on Child Development"! I hope you find the course
enjoyable and stimulating. Whether you are a parent, teacher,
social worker, or policy maker, this course is intended to familiarize
you with the most ancient source of wisdom about child development
so that you may base your child rearing, educational or social
policies on time-tested and authenticated values for the benefit
and well being of the child.
Since the time of our ancestors Abraham and Sarah, a bond has united
all Jewish parents in all four corners of the earth in every generation.
This bond, the force that binds the major elements of Judaism
together has contributed to Jewish survival despite a history
of exile, trauma and oppression.
Much has been said and written about the Jewish mother, the Jewish
familv and even the Jewish father, sometimes with awe and respect-
other times with exaggeration. If we are to summarize all that
has been written on the subject, we could define the Jewish perspective
on child rearing and child development with one word: commitment
- a deeply rooted, unequivocal, imprinted commitment to children
(whether one's own or those in the the community and nation).
The Jewish value of "giddul banim" (child-rearing) is
based on the development of the child as a living vehicle for
the continuation of the Biblical heritage.
The conception of childhood in any society is shaped by three major
factors: 1) the cultural ideology pertaining to children; 2) attitudes
concerning the child as an object of parental affection and concern,
and 3) the child as an object of formal study. In order to comprehend
the Biblical perspective on child-rearing and child development,
we will take a look at each of these factors within the framework
of the Judaic sources on the subject.
THE ROLE OF THE CHILD IN JUDAISM
In Judaism, childhood is considered a period of purity, joy, and
beauty to be valued and cherished. The Talmud states "childhood
is a garland of roses." To emphasize the concept further,
one rabbi states of children that "their very breath is free
of sin."(Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 152,119a)
Childhood is a symbol of creation, a time when the development
of the human being is in its most crucial stage. Since the child
is "not a thinker and is unable to distinguish good from
evil," (Bachya ibn Paquda, Duties of the Heart) the parent
(or caretaker) has the ultimate responsibility of guiding child.
"And you shall teach them [the words of God] to your children
in order that you lengthen your days and your children's days
upon the earth." (Deut. 11:18) Moreover, as the Book of Proverbs'
states: "Listen my son to the instruction of your father,
and forsake not the teachings of - our mother." (Proverbs
1:8)
According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, "The decisive age
in education is just that period in which most people neglect
education completely, and this is the period of childhood, the
first years of life in which we must try to remove in advance
a obstacles which might arise on the road towards the education
of the children in future years." (Yesodot Hachinnuch, chapter
1)
Childhood is the period in which the personality is molded and
the physical and mental faculties develop. The process of human
development, in essence, supplements the creation and mystery
of the universe. Childhood is a time of joy and pain, happiness
in development, and wonder at learning and exploring. The Talmud
sums up the period of childhood in the following passage: "Better
are the late fruits we ate in our childhood than the peaches we
ate in our old age." (J-m Talmud, Pe'ah 87:4) Children are
regarded as the hope of the future in every society, yet among
the Jewish people this concept is enhanced by the view that children
are a divine trust. This is stated in no uncertain terms in the
Book of Psalms: (127:3) "Children are an inheritance from
the Lord, a reward for the fruit of the body " The prophet
Malachi notes that children are the "seed of the Lord."
(Malachi 2:15)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DEVELOPMENT
Parents set the stage for successful child-rearing by committing
themselves to caring for the child and his/her emerging role as
the foundation for the future of the Jewish people. Rabbi Yochanan
tells the story of a man who planted a carob tree, which is known
to bear fruit only after seventy years. When asked whether he
thought he would live to eat from the tree, the man replied: "I
am doing as my ancestors did. Just as they planted a carob tree
for their children, I am planting for my sons." (T.B., Taanit
23a)
The principle underlying all aspects of the parent-child relationship
is the goal of ensuring the continuation of the Biblical heritage
from one generation to the next. This is aptly brought out in
Psalms: (127:3)"Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons."
Judaism has special esteem for children, considering them to be
the hope for the future and the basis for the perpetuation of
the Torah: Rabbi Meir said: "When Israel stood before Mount
Sinai to receive the Torah (Bible), the Holy One. blessed be He
said to them "Shall I give you the Torah? Bring me good sureties
that you will adhere to it and then I will give it to you..' They
replied: "Sovereign of the Universe. our ancestors will be
our guarantors. Said the Almighty to them "Your sureties
need sureties themselves. I have found fault with them. They answered.
"Our prophets will be our guarantors. The Almighty replied:
"I have found fault with them also. Then the Israelites said
"Our children will be our guarantors. To which the Almighty
replied "In truth these are good guarantors. For their sake
I will give it to you." (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:4)
Children are the vital links in the continuation of the unbroken
chain of the Biblical heritage throughout the ages. It is said
that the Shekhinah (the spirit of the Almighty) hovers over Israel
when the spiritual heritage of the Almighty is transmitted from
one generation to the next. " unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee." (Genesis 17:7) The Talmud comments on this verse
that when the children follow the traditions of the parents, the
Shekhina is found among them, whereas if the children do not follow
their parents' ways, where shall the Shekhinah rest-on trees and
stones? (Yevamot 64a)
The importance attached to children as a vehicle for perpetuating
the Biblical heritage places them on a separate level from other
groups. The Midrash pronounces that "children receive the
presence of the Shekhinah" (Kallah Rabbati 8)
Rabbi Judah said: See how beloved are little children to God.
When the Sanhedrin went into captivity, the Shekhinah did not
go with them: when the watchers of the priests went into captivity,
the Shekhinah did not go with them. But when the little children
went into captivity, the Shekhinah went with them. For it says
in Lamentations: "Her children are gone into captivity"
{Lam. 1:5}. and immediately - after: "From Zion her splendor
is departed"(Lamentations Rabbah 1:33 on 1:6)
Another indicator of the special status of children in Judaism
is the fact that the Almighty's relationship with the people of
Israel is compared to that of parent and child: "You are
the children of the Lord your G-d" (Deut. 14.1)
This special relationship is especially evident when the text discusses
the observance of the Biblical heritage: "My son, observe
my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee….My
son, attend unto my wisdom, to my understanding incline thou thy
ear".(Deut 1:4, Proverbs 7)
Finally, we find clearly stated: "Beloved are the people
Israel who were called the children of the Lord; an abundance
of love is given to them, for they were called the children of
the Lord." (T.B. Avot 3:18) This passage has further implications
for the role of the child in the Jewish family because the emphasis
on parental love and care is exemplified by the Lord's relationship
with the people of Israel.
THE CHILD IN THE JEWISH FAMILY
"It is said that at the time the fetus is created in the
mother's womb, there are three partners in his creation : the
Lord, his father and his mother."(Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5)
This Midrash links the unique relationship between the Lord, the
parents, and the child as the basis for the principles underlying
child-rearing in the family. The child has occupied a central
role in the Jewish family throughout the ages. In the Bible, we
find that the first commandment which God gave man in the form
of a blessing is "peru u-revu" - be fruitful and multiply,
in order to give meaning to the creation of the universe. ( Gen.
1:28, with Rashi commentary)
The fundamental nature of this principle is stressed by the comments
in the Talmud concerning the psychological importance of bearing
children.(Nedarim 64) This is exemplified in the Bible by Rachel,
who said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die."
(Genesis 30:1). When she gave birth to a son, she said: "G-d
has gathered in my shame".(Genesis 30:2-3)
In the Biblical perspective, children are a blessing to the family.
"The crown of old men are children's children, and the ornament
of children are their fathers"(Avot 6:8) The rewards in the
parent-child relationship are reciprocal: When the children are
blessed, the parents by this very token are blessed (ZoharI, 227b).
To cite just two concrete examples. we find that Noah found favor
in the eyes of the Lord on account of his offspring. (Tanhuma,
Noah 2) and that Abraham was saved from the furnace on account
of Jacob. (Genesis Rabbah 63:2)
Although, as we have noted, Judaism acknowledges the great challenge
posed by the task of child-rearing (known as tza'ar giddul banim),
parents are more than compensated for their toil, for children
are a bond of union between husband and wife. (Ketubbot 50a) Indeed,
the entire nation benefits from the presence of children. When
each family has children, there is no need for the process of
chalitzah (release from the obligation of levirate marriage),
and consequently there are fewer argument and lawsuits over property,
as each child receives his birthright.(Kettubot 50a)
The child in the Biblical perspective has been awarded love, compassion
and respect throughout all of history. In contrast, research points
out that many nations often considered children either as chattels,
economic burdens or miniature adults. Tracing the history of childhood
from the earliest times, several authors have noted the abuses
carried out by the Greeks, Romans. Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Chinese,
Indians, and other peoples, who killed, neglected, or sacrificed
their children, drowned daughters, and practiced cannibalism or
the newborn taboo. Maltreatment of children was not limited to
prehistoric times or early civilization - it occurred in "enlightened'
European nations as late as the nineteenth century and is the
bane of the most modern societies to the present day. (Philippe
Aries, Centuries of Childhood) By contrast, as G.H Payne points
out in his study on The Child in Human Progress (1916) , the Jewish
nation introduced humanitarianism to the world, as shown in its
attitude toward children, especially in the condemnation of child
sacrifice as illustrated by the story of Isaac.
The cornerstone of the Biblical attitude toward children is the
love and respect accorded by those who care for them as inscribed
in Jewish law. This is a natural result of the view that children
are a divine trust. As we see in the Biblical text, Joseph said
to his father, Jacob: "These are my sons whom the Lord hath
given me." (Genesis 48:9)
Since all human beings are created in the image of G-d, children
have the right to be loved and cared for. As the Talmud says:
"Beloved is man, who was created in the image of the Almighty;
an abundance of love is given to him, for he was created in the
image of God" (Avot 3:18)
The life of the individual from the period of infancy is considered
holy, so much so that we find the ruling: "One desecrates
the Sabbath for the sake of a one day old baby, but not for the
dead body of David, King of Israel." (Shabbat 15b) Thus,
the sacredness of human life is applied to the infant as soon
as he is born.
Each individual has the right to feel that the world is created
for his own sake. (Sanhedrin 38a) As a logical consequence of
this view, each child is entitled to be loved and cared for so
that he may have the possibility of developing to his/her maximum
capability. Love for the child is the essential ingredient for
successful child-rearing for "true compassion and true love
exist only among children and for children" (Zohar II, 276b)
In the Midrash we find the following observations:
" He has set the world in their heart" (Eccles.
3:2) Rabbi Jonathan interpreted the words to refer to the
love of children which God has put in men's hearts. Like a
king who had two sons: the elder honored him, the younger
was corrupt; and yet, he loved the younger more than the elder."
(Eccles. Rabbah 3 on 3a)
Rabbi Issachar said of a child who says "Masha" instead
of "Moses," "Ahran" instead of "Aaron.-.
and "Aphron" instead of "Ephron that the Almighty
says about this: "Even his stammering I love.". A child
may jump over the holv name of the Almighty again and again and
he is not punished; yea, moreover, the Almighty says, "His
very jumping I love ". (Numbers Rabbah 11:3)
How, then, are we to show our love to our children and at the same
time provide guidance and discipline for their benefit? The Talmud
provides the following answer: When dealing with a child, "be
it ever your way to thrust off with the left hand and draw him/her
to you with the right hand." (Sotah 47a) This principle has
practical implications in all aspects of the parent-child relationship
and provides an effective guideline for the rearing and development
of children according to the Biblical perspective.
The practical implication of this guideline is the creation of
an atmosphere of trust based on love as the foundation for the
acquisition of the Biblical values. In the Jewish family, the
most tangible element of parental love is the great dedication
and effort consecrated toward the child's education. The major
educational institution for children mentioned in the Bible is
the family (public education was not instituted until the days
of Joshua ben Gamla in the first century CE ). All family relationships
were clearly defined in order to ensure the necessary atmosphere
of love, respect, and mutual trust-now generally recognized as
the essential psychological foundation for healthy mental development
and learning.
THE STUDY OF CHILDREN
The commitment to the child as an individual who forms a link
in the eternal chain of Biblical values obliges us to study and
understand the development of children. Whereas according to some
authors, the concept of childhood was not fully developed in most
societies up to the seventeenth century, (Aries, Centuries of
Childhood) we find at the very basis of the Biblical perspective
that the child is recognized as an individual with needs and rights
different from those of the adult. The Bible singles out the katan
("minor") as not having the strength or knowledge that
entails responsibility and obligation, and for this reason the
Talmud considers the katan exempt from certain religious duties.
The child is also called "olel" " yonek",
and "tinnok" (feminine: tinnoket). The last of these
"suckling," but it became a term of endearment and was
also applied to children who had already passed the nursing stage.
Three basic factors shape the Biblical viewpoint on child development.
The first is the necessity of studying and understanding the child's
growth process, the second is the knowledge of the child's stages
of development, and the third is the importance of each individual
created by the Almighty. These guidelines have been reiterated
in the contemporary field of child study. In the tenth century,
the Jewish sage Bachya bar Joseph ibn Paquda wrote:
"It is our duty to study the development of the human
being: his birth, the formation of the parts of his physical
frame, the joining together of his 1imbs, the use of each
1imb, and the necessity., which caused his being made in his
present form. Next, we should study man's advantages; his
various temperaments, the faculties of his soul, the light
of his intellect, his qualities - those that that are essential
and those that are accidental; his desires and the ultimate
purpose of his being, When we have arrived at an understanding
of the matters noted in regard to man, much of the mystery
of the universe will become clear to us. since the one resembles
the other." (Duties of the Heart)
Translated into modern terminology, this passage outlines contemporary
child-development study on the birth, physical development, personality
formation, heredity, emotional and intellectual and environmental
factors in development.
The responsibility for the way children develop in a society is
shared by everyone who touches the lives of its children some
way. This obviously includes parents, teachers, and social workers,
yet it also includes policy makers and researchers whose work
influences society's conceptions of childhood and attitudes toward
children. Anyone who affects a child's development has the power
to build or destroy. The developmental continuum consists of different
dimensions: intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. Each
of these has its own distinct processes, yet they are all basically
intertwined. To work effectively with children, it is necessary
to understand and into account the various aspects of development.
Although no single theory proposed by child psychologists explains
all the changes that occur in the process of growth, the Biblical
perspective on child rearing encompasses all the dimensions of
development, as we shall see in subsequent sessions.
The study of child development has yet another dimension in Judaism
as expressed by Bachya ibn Paquda:
And thus some sages declared that philosophy is man's knowledge
of himself; that is, knowledge of what has been mentioned with
regard to the human being [his developmental process] so that
through the evidence of divine wisdom displaved in him he will
become cognizant of the Creator: as Job said, "From my flesh,
I see the Almighty" (Job 19 26). (Duties of the Heart)
The study of child development is itself considered something
of value, for it makes us aware of the wonders of the process
of human development and enhances our reverence for the Almighty,
the Creator.
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
How does a child develop from an embryo to a fetus, a neonate,
an infant, a toddler, a preschooler, a schoolchild, an adolescent
and finally an adult? Jewish sages have always recognized that
development is a continuous process which proceeds stage by stage
in an orderly sequence. Each stage marks a degree or of maturity
in the sequential cycle of development. The study of child-development
involves the behavioral changes that accompany growth at each
stage and takes into account individual differences determined
by nature and the effects of environmental forces. Although these
stages of development have systematically formulated only recently
by modern child development theorists, we find a number of philosophical
statements about the stages of development in the various branches
of Jewish literature. According to the Tikkune Zohar, "A
man's life has three periods: the period when his body develops,
the period when his thought develops, and the period when his
deeds develop." (tikkun 19,67b) A student of Piaget would
define these three periods as the sensorimotor phase, the preoperational
(and phase of concrete operations), and finally the period of
formal operations.
Knowledge of the various phases of life is especially important
in the process of education. A noted child psychologist used to
say: "Never ready until the nervous system is ready"
(Gesell, Ilg,Amers,Rodell, Infant and Child in the Culture of
Today, pg 3) The child's nervous system is manifested in his maturational
age, and this is the criterion one must consider in attempting
to teach the child - whether one is teaching how to scribble with
crayons, or toilet training, or playing with a ball, or reading
and writing. It is for this reason that Rav said to Rav Shmuel
bar Shilat: "Do not receive a pupil under the age of six
years, but after that age stuff him like an ox" (T.B. Bava
Batra 21a).
The Mishnah sets forth the following stages of development:
At five years of age, one learns the Bible. At ten years one studies
the Mishnah. At thirteen, the individual reaches the age of mitzvot
( is responsible for obeying the Biblical commandments). At fifteen,
one learns the Talmud. At eighteen one is ripe for marriage. At
twenty, one is ready to pursue a vocation. At thirty, one is at
the height of one's strength. At forty years of age, one has attained
wisdom. At fifty, one is capable of giving advice. At sixty, one
reaches old age. At seventy one turns gray. At eighty one is venerable.
At ninety, one is stooped. At one hundred years of age, a person
is as if he were dead." (Avot 5:24)
Bachya ibn Paquda describes the stages of development from conception
through the growth of the fetus in the mother's womb to the infant
who "has emerged into the world all its senses, except those
of touch and taste, being weak." "Later on, the infant's
physical faculties grow stronger, so that it is able to distinguish
sights and sounds." "The offspring passes from infancy
to childhood." (Duties of the Heart, ch. 5)
These stages of development are relatively stable characteristics,
and imply a universality of sequence in growth. Every child's
growth obeys laws of development applying to the entire human
species as well as patterns unique to himself. The knowledge of
the universal aspects of development enables us to appreciate
human diversity. The factor of individuality is so strong that
each child is unique at any given stage of development despite
the central trends of human growth.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL
The Biblical concept of human nature envisages man as a creature
of the earth and at the same time a child of the Almighty infused
with the divine spirit. Each individual has the potential for
good or evil. Each person is physically and mentally unique. It
is noted in the Talmud that "when man makes coins with one
stamp they all resemble one another, but the Almighty coins each
person with the stamp of Adam and not one person resembles another.
For this reason every individual must say: "The world has
been created for my sake. " (Sanhedrin 37)
The practical application of this principle is that each child
has the right to be accepted for what he/she is and should be
accorded love, respect, and care as an individual. Every child
is unique in his innate temperamental qualities, as has been emphasized
in contemporary research findings. (Thomas and Chess, Temperament
and Development) This factor must be taken into account in our
relationship with the child in the fields of discipline, learning,
and socialization.
A basic principle closely related to the importance of the individual
is the value the Bible places on human life: "For this reason,
man was created alone - to teach you that he who destroys one
human life is compared to one who destroys the entire world, and
he who sustains one human life from the people of Israel, it is
considered as if he has sustained the entire world. (Sanhedrin
37)
The task of child-rearing is considered in the same light in Biblical
thought. Anyone who is involved in the care and development of
a child sustains a life and thus is compared to one who sustains
the whole world.
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT:
Why is it important for us as parents, teachers and policy makers
to learn about child development?
How does knowledge of the Biblical perspective on child development
help us understand the challenges we face in shaping the future
of the Jewish people?
In what ways does the role of the child in Judaism differ from
the contemporary view of childhood?
How can our knowledge of the Biblical Perspective on Child Development
help us cope with difficult dilemmas in child rearing in modern
society?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Future sessions will include related web sites, reading lists and
recommended exercises.
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