By Verbal Command or by Silent Example: Two Pedagogical Models in Early Rabbinic and Monastic Traditions

Within the Palestinian rabbinic academy the predominant educational approach was exemplified by oral recitation and transmission of traditions. However, upon close examination of rabbinic sources the presence of a competing mode of discourse appears. In contrast to the verbose model of verbal repetition, the rabbis conveyed an alternative pedagogy based upon the idea of the teacher as an exemplar for proper practice rather than simply a storehouse of knowledge. In this paper I explore the tension between these two competing paradigms, particularly as it emerges from the polarity between verbal transmission and the act of remaining silent in the face of confrontation as a model for imitation. I argue that the valuation of silence within rabbinic circles constitutes a counter pedagogical discourse drawing strength from contemporaneous monastic culture which similarly emphasized the importance of silence. Surveying a number of monastic sources which promote silence as a general ascetic practice, and particularly the role of silence as an educational model for imitation, I demonstrate how these traditions illuminate the minority voice within those Palestinian rabbinic sources that endorse silence. Understanding the multidimensional role of silence within monastic sayings allows us to appreciate how leadership by silent example, rather than through verbal dictation of proper praxis, also proves to be an important model for teaching within rabbinic sources. Ultimately I conclude that together the verbal model of transmission and the exemplar approach of modeling silence serve as complimentary modes of instruction for early Palestinian rabbis.