Is There a Disconnect between Torah Learning and ... - Hakirah.org

52 : Hạkirah, the Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought
much stronger chance that later in real life when the boy finds
himself in the status of a ‏,שואל he will make the connection. Without
that connection, it is likely that the different spheres of knowledge in
his mind will remain neatly and safely compartmentalized without
touching each other. Thus in one memory network of his mind he
will have a set of interconnected propositions about the various
and their obligations. And in a totally separate memory שומרים
network in his mind he will have a set of interconnected ideas about
how he borrowed something from a friend, how it broke by accident,
and perhaps, how when he was a little boy and broke something by
accident his mother said it was ok. If we want to make Torah learning
have an impact on life, we must make the connections for our
talmidim at the time of learning, as we teach.
Making Specific Connections:
There is much evidence from research studies that shows that people
seek consistency between their attitudes and their actions. They
would like to behave in ways that are consistent with their beliefs.
There is however, just as much evidence showing, that quite often,
people simply do not behave in accordance with their clearly stated
and even deeply held attitudes and beliefs. Amongst the reasons cited
for this failing are situational factors like social pressure and selfinterest
that pressure a person to act in ways that contradict his
beliefs. Another factor is the level of specificity in the attitude and the
behavior in question. 57 Thus, for example, if I believe that I should
not steal, I am unlikely to place my hand in somebody’s pocket and
take some of his money. However, I might not hesitate to lie and tell
a storekeeper that I could get the item for less, elsewhere. My belief
about stealing may not have reached this level of specificity, and I
may not see the connection, or even ask a shaila. It’s the old, “I love
humanity, it is people that I can’t stand” phenomenon. If my belief
did not reach this level it is because I did not learn to think about it at
this level.
57 Ajzen, I & Fishbein M, Attitude-Behavior relations: A theoretical
analysis and review of empirical research, Psychological Bulletin, 1977,
84, 888–918.