1. Early Training Steeped in Ancient Traditions (Fragment)

Hebrew schooling

Little Leon started his schooling by learning the Hebrew language. The reason for this was that according to rabbinical tradition, the firstborn son who was dedicated from childhood to follow his father’s rabbinical footsteps, should start by learning the holy language called “Lashon ha‑Kodesh.” (The Biblical Hebrew was not used then in everyday conversation). At the age of three, Leon had to say his first prayers in Hebrew. According to Talmudic tradition, Abraham first came to the knowledge of God at that age, therefore it was considered expedient to begin religious instruction of a child as early as possible.

The first grade in a Jewish elementary school is considered as a “foundation laying” institution. What the pupil acquires there determines whether or not he is to proceed with rabbinical studies. Generally, the “Melamed Tinoketh” (the instructor), aware of the privilege and responsibility of laying the foundation of future rabbis, takes his position very seriously and watches over the infants entrusted to him, to see that they make every possible progress in the short time under his care. Each pupil is cared for individually. The Hebrew alphabet is taught in the first few days, the teacher points to each letter with a little stylus to keep the pupil’s attention to the form and shape of each letter, until he grasps it. To acquire the desired progress and fluency of reading, the child has to repeat every letter and every word aloud. The later studies in the rabbinical schools, such as “Bet ha‑Midrash,” or Rabbinical Seminary, require real scholarship and much intelligence.

Believing in the methods mentioned in the Bible, Leon’s teacher followed the instruction of the wise King Solomon — not to withhold the “rod” from the child, because use of it is proof of love and will not kill the child. (Prov. 15:24) He used a lash, by use of which he made the little ones obey and learn — his maxim being “Ye must know.” Progress had to be made at a fast tempo.

Leon’s mother watched her son with delight when he learned to read in Hebrew his morning and evening prayers. The first thing he did in the morning was to chant, “I praise Thee, Living and Everlasting King, that Thou hast returned to me my soul, and this because of Thy great mercy and the abundance of Thy faithfulness. May it be pleasing to Thee for a minute, not to become a cause of Thy disfavor.”

Again before going to bed he prayed, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who makest the bands of sleep to fall upon mine eyes, and slumber upon mine eyelids. May it be Thy will, O Lord my God, and the God of my fathers, to suffer me to lie down in peace and to let me rise up again in peace. Let not my thoughts trouble me, nor evil dreams, nor evil fancies, but let my rest be perfect before Thee. O lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, for it is Thou O Lord, Who givest light to the whole world in Thy glory, God, faithful King. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Blessed be His Name, Whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever. In the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel, may Michael, the Angel be at my right hand; Gabriel, Angel, at my left; before me, Uriel; behind me, Raphael, and above my head the Divine Presence (The Shekinah glory) of God.”

Leon’s parents truly did their best to assist him at home in his religious education, ceremonies and rituals of the feasts. But before all this came the learning of the Hebrew language.

Hebrew was the only acknowledged language to be used in approaching God and in studying the Holy Scriptures. That was the reason why the Jewish scribes in Judea did not acknowledge the translation of the Bible into Greek, the “Septuagint.” To them Greek was a pagan language. They likewise rejected the Jewish religious writings which were written in Greek, and which they called “apocryphal” or “unauthenticated.”

There are only three translations which were tolerated and are still used by religious Jews: the so‑called “Targumim,” written in Semitic language, namely, the Aramaic or Palestinian dialect, or the one mixed with the Syrian dialect. These “Targumim” are the ones of Jonathan Ben Usyel and of Uncaleth, who was himself a proselyte, and then, the “Jerusalem Targumim.”

Those Jews who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, who had fled from Judea at the time of the siege of the Holy Land by King Nebuchadnezzar, of whom many became followers of the teachings of the philosopher Philo, using the Greek language, forgot the Hebrew, and needed to have a translation of the Scriptures in that language (Greek). Because of this, they were despised by the Palestinian Jews and were branded with the name “Grecians” (“Helenos”). Many of these, when they returned to Judea and became again acquainted with Hebrew, were allowed to join the Hebrew Synagogues along with the other Jews. These were the Grecians mentioned in the New Testament, whom the Apostle Paul found in various places in the Jewish synagogues on Sabbath days where they gathered with the other Jews for worship. Having been quite broadminded and tolerant, they listened eagerly to the proclaiming of the Gospel by Paul. It is obvious that they were not heathen Greeks who as such would never have attended Jewish places of worship.