The truth about questions

A recent study came out that doesn’t seem very shocking: children are more likely to ask Google a question than a parent.

Most will agree that there’s nothing wrong with looking up a word in an online dictionary as opposed to a physical dictionary. What’s concerning is the notion that technology is being used as the authoritative place to go for information, not only to look up the meaning of trivia words, but for all types of information that a child might have asked a parent about. It’s difficult to sift out real information from pseudo-information, and this certainly applies to children.

Moreover, there’s an additional concern about children consulting Google instead of their parents. The learning experience, certainly when it comes to Torah, isn’t just about getting the information. There’s something valuable about the interaction between two or more people discussing something of interest. Google isn’t going to help children make sure they understand the information they’ve just read. Google isn’t going to help make the message personal. Consulting Google doesn’t contribute to the child’s relationship with Google, and certainly not the relationship with the parent.

This week we read about the Parah Adumah, a mysterious law that involves taking the ashes of a particular animal – a completely red heifer – and mixing it with water to produce a potion that, when sprinkled on a person defiled by death, made him or her pure again. This is an example of law in the Torah which is considered completely above human comprehension.

What are we achieving by reading this section? I believe the Torah is teaching us that we need to continue asking questions, seeking truth even when it seems not to make sense.

Questioning is a human trait and vital component of Judaism.

One should seek to understand by delving deeper into the profundities of the Torah. There are, however, certain limitations. One must know what to ask, when to ask, and whom to question.

The type of question one asks and its presentation reflects the character of the questioner. Knowing when to speak and when to remain silent also indicates one’s motivation. Is one truly seeking an answer or merely making a statement in order to echo one’s own opinion? Whom one asks is equally critical. Some individuals ask questions only of those who will offer them an anticipated desirable response. They won’t ask if they expect that they won’t like the particular answer.

There are a number of reasons why people don’t ask questions. Complacency, ignorance, apathy, self-consciousness, and insecurity seem to be superficially valid reasons for not inquiring. Perhaps the most destructive reason for failure to question, however, is refusal to accept the answer. The individual with this trait doesn’t desire to develop intellectually.

The red heifer teachers us about the need to question. In order for an individual to find the truth, he needs to learn to listen.