memory, since forgetfulness might prove as fatal in its consequences as ignorance or
neglect of the Law.71 Very early the child must have been taught what might be called his
birthday-text - some verse of Scripture beginning, or ending with, or at least containing,
the same letters as his Hebrew name. This guardian-promise the child would insert in its
daily prayers.72 The earliest hymns taught would be the Psalms for the days of the week,
or festive Psalms, such as the Hallel,73 or those connected with the festive pilgrimages to
Zion.
64. Kidd, 29 a.
65. Sanh. 99 b.
66. Kidd, 30 a.
67. Meg. 6 b.
68. Sot. 22 a.
69. Succ. 42 a.
70. The Shema .
71. Ab. iii. 9
72. Comp. 'Sketches of Jewish Social Life,' pp. 159 &c. The enigmatic mode of wording
and writing wa s very common. Thus, the year is marked by a verse, generally from
Scripture, which contains the letters that give the numerical value of the year. These
letters are indicated by marks above them.
73. Ps. cxiii. - cxviii.
The regular instruction commenced with the fifth or sixth year (according to strength),
when every child was sent to school. 74 There can be no reasonable doubt that at that time
such schools existed throughout the land. We find references to them at almost every
period; indeed, the existence of higher schools and Academies would not have been
possible without such primary instruction. Two Rabbis of Jerusalem, specially
distinguished and beloved on account of their educational labours, were among the last
victims of Herod's cruelty. 75 Later on, tradition ascribes to Joshua the son of Gamla the
introduction of schools in every town, and the compulsory education in them of all
children above the age of six. 76 Such was the transcendent merit attaching to this act, that
it seemed to blot out the guilt of the purchase for him of the High-Priestly office by his
wife Martha, shortly before the commencement of the great Jewish war.77 78 To pass over
the fabulous number of schools supposed to have existed in Jerusalem, tradition had it
that, despite of this, the City only fell because of the neglect of the education of
children.79 It was even deemed unlawful to live in a place where there was no school. 80
Such a city deserved to be either destroyed or excommunicated.81
74. Baba B. 21 a; Keth. 50 a.
75. Jos. Ant. xvii. 6. 2.
76. Baba B. 21 a.
77. Yebam. 61 a; Yoma 18 a.
78. He was succeeded by Matthias, the son of Theophilos, under whose Pontificate the
war against Rome began.
79. Shabb. 119 b.
80. Sanh. 17 b.
81. Shabb. u.s.
It would lead too far to give details about the appointment of, and provision for, teachers,
the arrangements of the schools, the method of teaching, or the subjects of study, the
more so as many of these regulations date from a period later than that und er review.
Suffice it that, from the teaching of the alphabet or of writing, onwards to the farthest