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NEWS
Principles of Torah Chinuch

From The Teachings of Maran HaRav E.M. Shach zt"l


3

This article was originally published in 1998.

"I remember," said Maran HaRav Shach in a shmuess, "that in my native Lithuania mothers used to sing a lullaby to their children: `My children! Near the wagon stands a white goat. The goat will bring you raisins and almonds. The raisins and almonds are indeed sweet — but studying Torah is much sweeter.' This song mothers sang to their children when they would feed them or rock them to sleep" (BeZos Ani Botei'ach, pg. 87).

In another shmuess Maran set forth a rule for education: "We must educate children by way of actual practice, not starting off with reasons and explanations. There is then hope that they will go in the Torah way. After getting a taste of the mitzvah they will crave it and want to do it correctly" (Michtavim UMa'marim, 4:160).

HaKodosh Boruch Hu promised Eretz Yisroel to Avrohom Ovinu a'h: "For I have known him" — an expression of love — "that he may command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Hashem to do justice and judgment" (Bereishis 18:19). In connection with this Maran commented: "Avrohom was already a hundred years old and had only one son. During his whole life he preached about serving HaKodosh Boruch Hu and loving Him — that this is the pinnacle of man's objective in life. Finally, after living a hundred years and having an only son, HaKodosh Boruch Hu commanded him to slaughter this son.

Avrohom Ovinu, however, did not raise any doubts about Hashem's wish. He did not ask any questions; he started the journey to the place where he was to slaughter his son. In the middle of the way Yitzchok asked him `Where is the sheep?' During the Akeidah Yitzchok understood that he was in fact the sheep, and Hashem had commanded his father to slaughter him as a korban. Yitzchok, like Avrohom, did not ask any questions and gladly agreed to be a korban for Hashem.

This was Avrohom's chinuch: not to ask any questions. If Hashem said something, that is the way it would be and that is what we should do. `For I have known him' — I love him, because `he will command his children and his household after him'! HaKodosh Boruch Hu loved Avrohom since he left after him a son who would continue his work. Even after he died he left behind a son [who would continue doing justice and judgment]. This is the level of greatness demanded from man" (Michtavim UMa'marim 6:164).

"At the present we are required to educate girls in the spirit of the Torah just as boys. Without such an education they will be subject to anti-religious influences. I believe that the expense incurred in teaching girls Torah is included in [what the gemora in Beitzah 16a writes], `a man's sustenance is fixed for him from Rosh Hashanah until Rosh Hashanah, except for the expenses for his sons' — and also his daughters — `for Talmud Torah'" (ibid., 1:134).

Radio is the source of all miseries and ruins children's chinuch, says Maran. "It is an absolute issur according to din to possess a radio or listen to it, since it reports about all sorts of lowly and corrupt events, and by letting them listen to it one is altogether ruining his children's chinuch" (ibid., 5:187).

How should a parent rebuke his child? "Surely it is sometimes essential to rebuke a child, so as to constrain his yetzer and the like. But even necessary rebuke should be done in a pleasant way — `him that Hashem loves He rebukes' (Mishlei 3:12). Everything should be done to create a refined atmosphere, until the child is imbued with happiness of being privileged to be a link in the golden chain of those who inherited the Tradition" (ibid., 3:137). "Every word that draws a child nearer, every good word, every act that talks to the child's soul and makes him love the holy Torah, is part of an educator's mitzvah" (ibid.).

Maran writes in a letter of guidance concerning the problem of sibling quarrels: "Do not worry. It happens often that children become jealous when another child is born. Beforehand the parents showed more interest in him, and now he sees them taking care of another child. Perhaps sometimes the parents really show more love to the new child. It is therefore advisable to increase the care one gives to the older child, to show him more love, and to praise him excessively. I am familiar with this situation from several incidents where this happened. Do not worry and do not get angry at [the child] and hit him. On the contrary — deal with him pleasantly and lovingly" (ibid., 4:28).

We are today doubly obligated to be concerned with our children's Torah education. "Fathers, tell me: Can you allow your sons and daughters to go outside? Can you rely on them? Tell me: How can someone at such a time sit passively and at ease, wear a tallis and sit in the beis midrash, without knowing where his children are wandering outside? We should go outside and scream: `Oy, gevald! There is a fire burning!' At such a time we cannot remain composed.

"Every father must know where his daughter is going and what she is studying. His duty is to imbue her with as much Judaism as possible. He must explain to her [the principles of Judaism], to help her understand them, to strengthen her in emunah. She will then educate her children and grandchildren in this way. . . . This is what needs to be strengthened today" (ibid., 5:177).

In a shmuess that Maran recently gave he said: "Surely each father needs to watch over his children. A father must oversee his son's progress, to look into his plans and thoughts and that of his friends. He must always ask him: `What did you study today? How did you daven today?' Likewise the father needs to study with his son, to set a time during the day, an hour or a fixed time, or to make a chevrah (a study group) that will study mishnayos or gemora with the children on Shabbos."

About the great responsibility of a Torah educator and the heavy obligation hanging over him, Maran said the following:

"The fate of the future generation's character is in our hands. It certainly may be true that the blame for the present generation's ruin lays on us, the teachers and educators. Responsibility lies fully on us. If we had devoted ourselves to influencing others, if we had known how to influence others — most of all by being a role model — the way the generation looks would doubtless have been different" (ibid., 6:205).

In another shmuess he said: "Unquestionably, if we had devoted our full attention to the young generation, as they deserved, this whole generation would have looked different. Of all the blunders that we are to blame for, primarily we must condemn ourselves about how we have blundered with our children. We have sinned concerning their chinuch needs.

"A child nowadays is unfortunate. He is being raised in an substandard generation, and by nature a child is wide open to external influences. If we had concerned ourselves at the right time about granting him a proper education, the chinuch that would make him into a good Jew, he would have grown up differently. If we overlook him when he is young he will not grow up to be a righteous person. What can we answer when we are judged in Heaven? An educator can with one good word bring a child nearer to Torah, to life; and by doing the opposite, with one harmful word he can take him, chas vesholom, farther from Torah, from life. Who can say, `I am clean of blame?' How can we say for sure, `Our hands have not spilt this blood'?

"It certainly could be that if there are here and there berserk criminals, murderers, and those who shoot innocent people without reason, we are to blame . . . Also among ourselves, due to our many sins, there is still much to do but we are not doing it. There are many children whose educational needs we have neglected . . . How many parents are there who, if they had seen us putting efforts into improving their child's character and behavior, would not have brought him during the school registration period for a Torah education, and would have advised their neighbors to register their children too? . . ." (ibid, pg. 209).

One's personal example is a major factor in successful education. "A small child has a sharp eye and is the best expert in appraising his teacher. If there is any flaw in the teacher's personality, even the tiniest, the child immediately realizes it although adults will not discern it so easily. I am telling you this from my personal experience. I have seen it dozens of times. A teacher of small children must perfect his character, his yirah, and his middos. He should not pretend to know the meaning of the material he is teaching [but know it for real], and he must continually strive to ascend in spirituality" (ibid., 3:137).

"If a person trying to influence others is lacking in what he is trying to awaken others to, if the Rav is not impeccable in his ways, it is impossible in reality to impress others. Even what he is saying will not be absorbed by his talmidim, though they are attentively listening to what he is teaching them" (ibid., pg. 211).

"The most weighty element in education is the approach of the Rav to his talmid. The many tactics and educational systems do not mean as much in educating a talmid's character as does the developing of a heartfelt bond between the talmid and his teacher. The educator exerts himself to find the way, the fitting language, so that the talmid will love him. He must try to gain his trust until the teacher becomes a person instrumental in fashioning the talmid's life. This is the crown of educational methods and the key to the students' hearts. A teacher who has succeeded in getting his students to love him will succeed in later having an influence upon them and will leave a long- lasting impression on them.

"There is nothing comparable to the influence of a Rav that is carved on the soul of a young child. I remember myself that I was privileged when I was young to study with my uncle, the gaon R' Isser Zalman Meltzer zt'l, the author of Even HaEzel, who besides his genius in Torah excelled also in good character traits. Everything that I saw in him at that time was engraved in my heart and absorbed in my blood to this very day. Every story and every event that happened made an impression on me, and helped me gain understanding and discernment throughout my life" (ibid., pg. 200).

"The teacher who knows how to implant Torah in those who study under him will not be content only with what he is teaching them now, but will look into the future. He will do all he can so that they will continue studying in the yeshivos kedoshos. Through the power of the love they have for him, since he himself sees the yeshivos as being his life's goal, they will also be attracted to the botei midrash like plants reaching up to the sun." And here Maran adds: "I remember that my uncle HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer told me that when the botei midrash in Russia emptied out, after most young Jewish boys were attracted to secular studies in alien institutions and did not receive a Torah chinuch, he asked R' Chaim of Brisk whether perhaps it was proper to introduce a change in the way children study in cheder and by doing so save nefoshos, as the chadorim in Germany had succeeded in doing. He answered unambiguously that no change should be made. `In Germany it was permitted to make such changes, and therefore they succeeded, but here it is forbidden to make changes and therefore we will not succeed!'" (ibid., pg. 202).

We will conclude with what Maran said on Chanukah, 5738:

"To disseminate Torah and teach Jewish children is no insignificant matter. A person must have a special zchus to be fitting for such a position. A teacher of a class doubtless needs to gain expertise in his profession and have suitable qualifications for this delicate art that affects the woven threads of young souls and fashions them. However, he needs Heavenly Assistance even more, so that they will accept what he tells them. He must have abundant zechuyos. This is totally impossible unless the teacher possesses good character traits and demands perfection from himself and constant improvement both in matters between him and Hashem and in interpersonal matters. This relates especially to matters that can harm a child's nefesh, such as running after honor or anger" (Ibid., pg. 216).

 

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