General thoughts

I really, really, really dislike the word training. I am prepared to tolerate its use in the context of computer training at university (where I am not really learning to understand how computers work or indeed there fully potential), however in almost all other cases of learning I much prefer education, which at least for me implies a more personal connection with the subject(s) being studied. It is a personal thing, in almost all cases I think people teach themselves. This brings me to the reason why I am posting this here I have noticed that people tend to talk about ‘Rabbinic Training’, indeed I think I have probably fallen into this trap myself. Now I know that there will be some actual training say in the area of Layning (chanting the Torah), however I frimly believe that we should talk about rabbinic education (we are after all not monkeys. I also thing that it is a process of self-education with our teachers acting as facilitators rather than as instructors who simply push facts and skills into us.