TALMUD IN SOUTH KOREA

If only the Jews were as diligent as the Koreans....

Subject: TALMUD IN SOUTH KOREA

Just when you thought that you saw it all in the Jewish world.
Talmud Study is now Mandatory in South Korea

The following fascinating article was translated by The Muqata from YNET.

Close to 50 million people live in South Korea, and everyone learns Gemara
(Talmud) in school.

"We tried to understand why the Jews are geniuses, and we came to the
conclusion that it is because they study the Talmud," said the Korean
ambassador to Israel. And this is how "Rav Papa" became a more well known
scholar in Korea than in Israel.

It is doubtful if the Amoraic scholars, Abbaye and Rava, imagined their
discussions of Jewish law in the Beit Midrash in Babylon would be taught
hundreds of years later in East Asia. Yet it turns out that the laws of an
"egg born on a holiday" ("ביצה שנולדה ביום טוב"), is actually very
interesting to the South Koreans, who have required that Talmud study be
part of their compulsory school curriculum.

Almost every home in South Korea now contains a Korean-translated Talmud.
But unlike in Israel, the Korean mothers teach the Talmud to their children.
In a country of close to 49 million people who believe in Buddhism and
Christianity, there are more people who read the Talmud-or at least own
their own copy at home- than there are in the Jewish state of Israel. Much
more.

"So we too will become geniuses"

"We were very curious about the high academic achievements of the Jews,"
explains Israel's ambassador to South Korea, Young Sam Mah, who was recently
a host on the program "Culture Today."

"Jews have a high percentage of Nobel laureates in all fields: literature,
science and economics. This is a remarkable achievement. We tried to
understand what is the secret of the Jewish people? How they-more than other
people-are able to reach those impressive accomplishments. Why are Jews so
intelligent? The conclusion we arrived at is that one of your secrets is
that you study the Talmud."

"Jews study the Talmud at a young age, and it helps them, in our opinion, to
develop mental capabilities. This understanding led us to teach our children
as well. We believe that if we teach our children Talmud, they will also
become geniuses. This is what stands behind the rationale of introducing
Talmud Study to our school curriculum."

Young says that he himself studied the Talmud at a very young age: "It is
considered very significant study," he emphasized. The result is that more
Koreans have Talmud sets in their homes than do the Jews in Israel.

"I, for example, have two sets of the Talmud: the one my wife bought me, and
the second was a gift from my mother."

Groupies of Jews

Koreans don't only like the Talmud because they see it as promoting genius,
but because they found values that are close to their hearts.

"In the Jewish tradition, family values are very, very important,"
explains the South Korean Ambassador.

"You see it even today in your practice of the Friday evening family meal.
In my country we also focus on family values. The respect for adults, and
respect and appreciation for the elderly, parallels the high esteem in my
country for the elderly."

Another very significant issue is the respect for education. In the Jewish
tradition, parents have a duty to teach their children, and they devote to
it lots of attention. For Korean parents, their children's education is a
top priority.