Many years ago, there existed a land in which man worked to dominate both nature and other men. His labor met with a great degree of success. To this day, certain achievements of this nation have baffled modern scientists. The sages of this nation could explain the phenomena of the cosmos and understood, in a most comprehensive way, extremely sophisticated concepts of construction, irrigation and marketing. Modern science looks with amazement at their undertakings, and to this day does not understand how this supposedly “primitive” nation accomplished much of their technology.
This nation allowed all decisions relative to the agricultural wellbeing of its inhabitants to be made by professionals. These professionals were not dependent on the wind or the clouds, on weather factors that, to this day, evade accurate forecasting. These professionals figured out how to fertilize and water their land despite the vagaries of unpredictable weather. When their river rose, they harnessed its resources and watered and fertilized their fields. The river provided fresh, nourishing soil that guaranteed that their own soil produced when there was no rain and did not deplete its own nutrients. The government authorities controlled the river’s blessings as they wished, using reservoirs and ditches built in an exceptional manner.
However, “order” in this country was not only the first duty of a citizen: it was his only duty. The citizens of the state were organized according to a very specific plan. The resulting system completely destroyed the individual’s right to self-development, self-reliance, and self-determination. “Normal” humans were no longer born. Everyone was assigned a role from birth, and they were to become “farmers,” “soldiers,” “priests,” or “laborers,” dependent not on their own inclinations but upon “society’s needs” as perceived by the “experts.”
This society was dependent on an agricultural system that required its members to remain on their lands. Therefore, they despised shepherds, who represent a profession independent of any specific land, as they wander nomadically from one pastureland to the next. Not only did the leaders of this people despise shepherds, they exercised mind control, training their society so that everyone despised shepherds. This they did because they could not control the actions or the minds of the shepherds. Free thought, different from what the intellectuals believed, was anathema to this society.
By now I presume that you have figured out that this ancient land was Egypt — perhaps the oldest culture known to history. Science and the knowledge of heaven and earth was the wisdom of the sages of Egypt. They were able to build pyramids, embalm mummies, and had many other skills that have baffled modern science!
At the same time, and perhaps this was the source of their “success,” Egyptian society utilized highly subtle and highly effective means of mind control. No one interested in their own professional success could consider thinking independently of what was accepted. That would lead to professional ostracism, and, after all, everyone’s goal is professional and financial success.
A friend of mine decided against pursuing a doctorate in an academic area in which he is highly qualified, because of the realization that his independent (and Torah-dik) ideas would probably result in him being unable to ever land a paying academic position. He can easily refute what is accepted in his area of academia as being scientifically inaccurate. He has written a book on the subject, but he cannot find a publisher because his approach is not accepted by those who rule the academic world.
Note that this control of ideas runs completely against the “bible” we were all taught regarding the objectivity and importance of applying the “scientific method” in an impartial manner. This problem exists in a wide range of academic disciplines.
If we apply our minds to learn and use Torah as our means of growth, we will indeed be able to grow as human beings, as Torah Jews, and also as honest scientists.
Let us use the pedagogy of Pesach to grow and to influence others to grow in Torah!
