Editing Ahad Ha'am (section)

=== Teen years and early adulthood ===
After moving the family to Gopitshitza, Ginsberg's father took tutors for his son. Asher excelled in the study of the [[Talmud]], which contributed heavily to his affinity for the moral, ethical, and mystical teachings of Judaism. Additionally, his aptitude for Talmudic learning gave hope to his father that Ginsburg would become a rabbi. His hopes were diminished, however, as Asher broke away from Hasidism around the time of the family's move to Gopitshitza. Although he displayed obvious intelligence, Ginsberg's father forbade him from attending high school, which would later complicate his attempts to enroll in a university. Ginsberg displayed an interest in literature outside of [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidism]], particularly [[Middle Ages|medieval]] Jewish works, the Bible, and [[Haskalah]] literature. His father did not forbid his reading outside of Hasidism, but did limit it heavily.<ref name=":1" />

In his late teens and early twenties, Ginsberg dedicated himself to the study of religion, as well as subjects outside of Judaism such as Russian and German. During his first visit to Odessa in 1878, he became acquainted with another young man staying in the same hotel as him. There, he was introduced to the literature of Russian philosopher [[Dmitry Pisarev]], who inspired him greatly. He returned home with the goal of enrolling in a university, and resolved to master the subjects required in a high school curriculum. However, he found that he had little time or desire to master the "intrinsically unimportant details"<ref name=":1" /> that students were required to learn in order to pass their exams, and abandoned the idea of enrolling at a Russian university. His subsequent attempts to attend university in Breslau, Berlin, Vienna and Leipzig faced various roadblocks, and his lack of higher education caused deep frustration.<ref name=":1" /> He experienced dissatisfaction with his lack of higher education, and this in part inspired his move to Odessa.<ref name=":1" />