Sunday, March 13, 2011
Holy or Inappropriate?
Is it appropriate to read the narratives of the Torah, with all of their violent and sexual details, to young children? These details often comprise the main part of the narrative - Cain and Abel, Yehudah and Tamar, Dinah, etc. Were these passages of the Torah only meant for adults?
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The Torah was written for grown-ups. Not every part of it (you left out Sota) is appropriate for kids.
ReplyDeleteThere seems no rational reason to think that every part SHOULD be appropriate for kids, if we are to understand it as a guide to all parts of life, and also believe that it's better for kids not to know about some parts of life until they get older.
The non-Jews and non-religious made it into a kids' book. We don't have to accept their assessment.
My point is that a MAJORITY of the narratives would normally be deemed inappropriate for children. Go through sefer Beraishis, and you will find that almost every single episode therein involves either violence, sexual promiscuity, or both. If these episodes are omitted, almost nothing is left to tell children.
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