“The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” This statement, known as the Socratic Paradox, lays the groundwork for the perspective that knowledge is not something to be attained.
In modern psychology and educational literature, this is expressed in the distinction between achievement and mastery orientations. People with an achievement orientation want to demonstrate that they have accomplished and learned, while those with a mastery orientation want to develop their abilities, irrespective of actual attainment of a goal or an understanding of a particular piece of knowledge.
Those who display a mastery orientation tend to do better academically, put in more effort, persist through challenges, and love learning more than those with an achievement orientation.
In a striking passage, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv (Chochma U’Mussar, p. 344) uses this idea from Socrates as a springboard to discuss the view of the Sages, which he suggests is identical to that of Socrates. Featured most prominently in his argument is the traditional term used to describe a person engaged in Torah study: “talmid chacham.” Even the greatest sage, who has amassed encyclopedic knowledge and can plumb the depths of Talmudic analysis, is still called a student.
To bolster his argument, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv quotes the Baal HaTurim (Shemot 25:18), who suggests, based on the Gemara (Sukkah 5b), that the keruvim that sat above the ark were fashioned in the image of children. This understanding is based on the fact that the word “keruv” is usually spelled kaf-reish-vav-vet but in this instance is spelled without the vav (kaf-reish-vet). Rabbi Abbahu connects this spelling to the Aramaic word “ravya,” which means child. The keruv is “ke’ravya – like a child.” A child represents never-ending curiosity, thirst, and a quest to learn and discover.
The Kli Yakar sees this same idea embedded within the dimensions of the ark. The altar’s dimensions were 5 x 5 x 3; the table’s dimensions were 2 x 1 x 1.5; and the ark’s dimensions were 2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5. In other words, the altar was defined by whole numbers, the table by a mixture of whole and half numbers, and the ark completely by half numbers.
Half measurements, he argues, symbolize incompleteness, and the ark symbolize Torah. Together, they represent the teaching that every learner should see himself as an unfinished product. There is always more to learn. There is always room to grow.
This message is countercultural. Our society is obsessed with certificates, grades, accolades, and accomplishments. Our systems, institutions, and classrooms tend to foster achievement. Yet, we can never become complete and whole in our learning – there is no graduation.
To the extent that we can cultivate a mastery orientation for ourselves, for our children and for our students, the better learners we will become. We are all students, we are all keruvim, we are all children, we are all incomplete. The only thing we really know is that we know nothing.