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Holiness and Imitatio Dei: a Jewish Perspective on the Sanctity of Teaching and Learning

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religions Article Holiness and Imitatio Dei: A Jewish Perspective on the Sanctity of Teaching and Learning Isaac Calvert McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; [email protected] Abstract: Research in Jewish studies as well as key passages from Judaism’s sacred texts describe teaching and learning as being among the most important, efficacious and sacred of God’s command- ments. However, while this description is well-documented, the specific dynamics of education’s role within a framework of Judaic holiness remains underexplored. This article first lays a thorough foundation of Judaic sanctity, illustrating a theistic axiom at its core surrounded by several peripheral elements, including connection to God, knowledge of God, holiness as invitation, reciprocal holiness, awakening sacred potentiality and, as the purpose and apex of the entire system, imitatio dei. Having illustrated imitatio dei as a culminating purpose atop the entire system of Judaic holiness, I describe how teaching and learning as prescribed in sacred Jewish texts can be a potent means of achieving this end. Considering that teaching and learning are called kaneged kulam, or equal to all the other commandments of Judaism combined, I argue that education conducted in sacred ways prescribed by Jewish scripture can be considered among Judaism’s most sacred commandments, as well as a most efficacious means of realizing imitatio dei within a Jewish frame. Keywords: holiness; sacred education; religious education; Jewish studies; Judaism; imitatio dei 1. Introduction Citation: Calvert, Isaac. 2021. Within the corpus of Judaism’s 613 laws, teaching and learning are not described Holiness and Imitatio Dei: A Jewish as just another commandment made sacred by virtue of a connection to God as its au- Perspective on the Sanctity of thor, but as kaneged kulam, equal in importance, power and sanctity to all the other com- Teaching and Learning. Religions 12: mandments combined (Mishnah Peah 1:1). Many religious Jews consider fulfilling the 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/ commandment to teach and learn “the breath of their nostrils, their greatest joy and the rel12010043 finest portion of their lives (Montefiore and Loewe 2012, p. xvii).” As a divinely-prescribed practice that both sanctifies humanity (Neusner 2003, p. xvii) and links them to Heaven Received: 1 December 2020 (Kadushin 1972, p. 213), “in studying, Jews see themselves as performing [nothing less Accepted: 30 December 2020 than] a holy act ordained by God (Holtz 1984, p. 24).” In short, “to Judaism ... the processes Published: 9 January 2021 of learning are sacred and study a holy pursuit (Steinberg 1947, p. 67).” Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- So, while the idea that Judaism considers teaching and learning sacred may be well- tral with regard to jurisdictional clai- established in Judaism’s sacred texts as well as scholarship in Jewish Studies, the question ms in published maps and institutio- of how teaching and learning function within that sanctity remains underexplored. More nal affiliations. recent scholarship (Alexander 2001, for instance) discuss the role of God as teacher in a Jewish context. However, such scholarship neither describes Judaic holiness in sufficient detail nor provides an adequate description of education’s role as holy within such a rigorously-established framework. These are precisely the contributions I propose to make Copyright: © 2021 by the author. Li- in this article. censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. First, I will review key academic literatures that describe the sacred, pulling from This article is an open access article both classic and contemporary sources, in order to lay a foundation for a framework of distributed under the terms and con- the sacred in which Judaic holiness, or kedusha, might be considered in an academically ditions of the Creative Commons At- rigorous way. Having laid this foundation, I propose an outline to the various dimensions tribution (CC BY) license (https:// of Judaic holiness, along with how each of these functions with regards to humanity, with creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ imitatio dei as its apex. Within this framework, I illustrate one way in which teaching and 4.0/). Religions 2021, 12, 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010043 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions 2021, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 16 Religions 2021, 12, 43 2 of 15 imitatio dei as its apex. Within this framework, I illustrate one way in which teaching and learning could be considered among the most potent means by which humanity might learning could be considered among the most potent means by which humanity might attain holiness from a Jewish perspective. While I attempt to do this in such a way as to attain holiness from a Jewish perspective. While I attempt to do this in such a way as to pay pay due respect to Jewish traditions of reverence for education, my position is that of a due respect to Jewish traditions of reverence for education, my position is that of a scholar outsidescholar these outside traditions. these Withintraditions. this Within positionality, this positionality, I hope to bring I hope non-Jewish to bring scholarship non-Jewish intoscholarship the discussion into the while discussion at the same while time at honoringthe same thetime emic honoring perspective the emic of the perspective orthodox of Jewishthe orthodox communities Jewish whose communities beliefs form whose much beliefs of theform foundation much of the upon foundation which this upon article which rests.this Inarticle short, rests. I hope In toshort, illustrate I hope that, to illustra just as teachingte that, just and as learning teaching are and described learning as are the de- mostscribed holy ofas commandmentsthe most holy of in commandments Judaism, they could in Judaism, also be portrayed they could as also the most be portrayed powerful as meansthe most by which powerful humanity means canby which respond humanity to God’s can invitation respond to to participate God’s invitation in imitatio to partici- dei, forgepate a in connection imitatio dei, to forge God a as connection the ultimate to God source as the of ultimate holiness source and thereby of holiness achieve and whatthereby couldachieve be considered what could the be ultimateconsidered purpose the ultimate of holiness purpose in Judaism, of holiness that in is, Judaism, to become that like is, to God.become While like there God. are While significant there andare significant far-reaching and implications far-reaching for implications teachers, curriculum, for teachers, andcurriculum, philosophy and of education,philosophy my of purposeeducation, in thismy articlepurpose is toin reviewthis article the literature is to review necessary the liter- toature establish necessary this idea. to establish I look forward this idea. to enumerating I look forward and to exploring enumerating these and implications exploring forthese educationimplications in future for education research. in future research. WhileWhile the the Latin Latin phrase phraseimitatio imitatio dei deiplays plays a rolea role in in other other faith faith traditions, traditions, including including ChristianChristian and and (perhaps (perhaps most most notably) notably) Orthodox Orthodox Christian Christian theologies, theologies, Jewish Jewish ideas ideas sur- sur- roundingroundingimitatio imitatio dei deistand stand apart apart from from such such literatures. literatures. However, However, Jewish Jewish scholars scholars have have adoptedadopted the the term term to to refer refer to to their their own own traditions traditions as as a waya way of combiningof combining several several Hebrew Hebrew termsterms that that refer refer to to a similara similar thread thread of of Judaic Judaic theology. theology. Besdin, Besdin, for for instance, instance, equates equatesimitatio imitatio deideiwith with the the Hebrew Hebrewhitdamut hitdamut la’El la’El(Besdin (Besdin 1993 1993,, p. p. 24) 24) and and adds adds a supportinga supporting passage passage fromfrom the the Babylonian Babylonian Talmud Talmud (Sotah (Sotah 14a 14a). Kaplan). Kaplan further further establishes establishes a precedent a precedent for for Jewish Jewish a modern modern Hebrew Hebrew term term for) חיקוי האל authorsauthors using using the the Latin Latinimitatio imitatio dei, dei,equating equating itit with forthe the imitation imitation of of God, God, used used by by Kaplan Kaplan himself himself in in the the translated translated title title ofof his his article; article; see see also also(Kasher (Kasher 2012)), 2012)), the the more more formal formal Hebrew Hebrew term term hiddamuthiddamut, the, the Tanakhic Tanakhic Hebrew Hebrew halikhahhalikhah bi- bi-derakhav,derakhav, walkingwalking inin God’sGod’s ways ways (cf. (cf. Deut.10:12; Deut.10:12; 11:22) 11:22) or or the the rabbinically rabbinically inspired inspired phrase phrase halikhahhalikhah ahar ahar midotav, midotav,walking walking after after God’s God’s attributes attributes (Kaplan (Kaplan 2005 2005,, p. V).p. V). The The term termimitatio imitatio deideiis alsois also used used by by such such seminal seminal Jewish Jewish authors authors as as Kaplan, Kaplan, Shapiro, Shapiro, Harvey Harvey on on the the subject, subject, ratherrather than than its its Hebrew Hebrew equivalent. equivalent. TheThe widely-used EncyclopediaEncyclopedia Judaica Judaica notablynotably omits omits any anyreference reference toto Kaplan’s Kaplan’s Hebrew Hebrew terms, terms, instead instead
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