The Jewish child : its history, folklore, biology, & sociology / by W.M. Feldman ; with an introduction by Sir James Crichton-Browne.
- William Moses Feldman
- Date:
- 1917
Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Credit: The Jewish child : its history, folklore, biology, & sociology / by W.M. Feldman ; with an introduction by Sir James Crichton-Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![22 The Jewish Child [chap. R. Beracliia said^ that if one sees that knowledge dies out in his offspring, one should marry his son to the daughter of a learned man. This is based on Job xiv. 7-9: ''For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again. . . . Though the root thereof wax old in the earth . . . yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. Again, E. Parnach said^ in the name of R. Jochanan that everyone who is himself a learned man, and his first and second generations are learned, may be sure that knowledge will never die out from among his descendants, because the Torah will always return to its own residence. On the other hand, the Talmud asks a question, Why is it not the rule that learned men have learned children? and R. Joseph replies: That it should not be said that the Torah is an heirloom to them. R. Shisha the son of Idi says: In order that they should not be proud ; and Mar Zutra says: ''Because they are proud (therefore they are punished).^ For a learned man to marry the daughter of an ignoramus and vice versa is like planting a vine-tree among thorns.^ The statement in Zech. iii. 3, that Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, is inter¬ preted by the Talmud to mean that he did not prevent the marriage of his sons with unsuitable wives —г.е., wives not fit for priestly families.® If, says Euripides (Fr. 9 [Meleanger]), one were to yoke good with bad, no good ofíspring would be born; but if both parents are good, they will bear noble children.® ^ Pessachim 4:9a and b. ^ Baba Metzir, 85a. ^ Nedarim 81a. * Pessachim 49&. ® Sanhédrin 93a. ® Quoted by Allen G. Roper, Ancient Eugenics, Oxford, 1913, p. 36.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b18023022_0055.JP2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
