4 Leaders Who Were Dedicated to Chinuch

By Rabbi Aryeh Citron

Many famous leaders of the Jewish people were involved in educating young children, above and beyond the education given by them to their own children.

Here are 4 of them:

1. Mordechai HaTzadik

The Midrash relates how Mordechai, upon hearing of Haman’s decree against the Jewish people, gathered 22,000 young children and studied Torah with them. This was instrumental in averting the decree (Esther Rabbah 9:4 and Yalkut Shimoni Remez 1057).

The Lubavitcher Rebbe pointed out that if Mordechai, the leader of the Jewish people, went out and personally taught the Jewish children, how much more so each and every one of us must realize our obligation to do the same. No one should say, “This is beneath me, how can I take time from my many affairs to be involved in educating the young?”

One should realize that it is of utmost importance that he dedicate at least part of his time to educate young children, to imbue in them the fear of Heaven and self-sacrifice for all holy matters… This will assure the continuity of the Jewish people… and nullify all bad decrees (Igrot Kodesh vol. 5 page 254).

2. Rabbi Chiyah

The Talmud (Bava Metziah 85b) recounts how Rabbi Chiyah would trap deer, use their skin to make parchment, write Torah scrolls on those parchments, and go from city to city teaching young children Chumash and Mishna. (Some say that he was willing to do this but did not actually do it [Torah Chayim on ibid].) He would teach each child one of the five Chumashim or one order of the Mishnah and then instruct them to teach what they had learned to the others. This ensured that the Torah not be forgotten by the Jewish people.

Several lessons can be gleaned from Rabbi Chiyah’s behavior.

Teaching to Teach: Although Rabbi Chiyah was a great Torah scholar who studied with Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi and was an author of many Braitot, he took the time to personally teach the next generation. In addition, from the outset he taught the students the importance of teaching others (Torat Menachem 5743 vol. 2 page 708 and on).

For Heaven’s Sake: The fact that Rabbi Chiyah would personally trap the deer (and even grow the flax to make the nets with which to trap them) and produce the parchment is because he wanted every aspect of this process to be done for the sake of Heaven, without any interest in personal gain (Maharsha). This is the key to success in education and in strengthening Torah: to work for the sake of Heaven and not for ulterior motives (Rabbi Chaim Freidlander in Siftei Chaim, quoted in the Metivta Shas on Bava Metzia ibid).

3. The Baal Shem Tov

Before the Ba’al Shem Tov was revealed as a Tzadik, he was a teacher’s assistant. (In Yiddish this is called a bahelfer.) This entailed bringing the children to Cheder, saying Yehei Shemei Rabbah with them and teaching them the Alef Beit (Hebrew Alphabet).

Teaching such simple matters to young children seems like a simple task for a tzadik of the caliber of the Baal Shem Tov. Yet this the job which he took for himself was the foundation of all of their Torah study in the future.

In fact, it was in the merit of his teaching these children that the Baal Shem Tov became the spiritual leader of the Jewish people.

In this respect, he was similar to Moshe Rabeinu and King David, who were chosen to be leaders after they [respectively] showed care for a single lost goat and every lamb individually (Likutei Sichot vol. 8 page 251 and Sichot Kodesh 5726 page 88).

4. The Tzemach Tzedek

The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn of Lubavitch known as the Tzemach Tzedek, would test the students of his young son’s class (who would later become the Rebbe Maharash) on a monthly basis to see how they were progressing in their studies.

Afterwards he would reward the children with monetary gifts. This occurred in the year 1841 (approximately). At that time the Tzemach Tzedek was actively leading the Lubavitch movement which included hundreds of thousands of Chassidim. He was also frequently writing Halachic responsa to major Halachic questions of his day. In addition, he frequently represented the Jewish community to the Czarist government in St. Petersburg.

Despite all of these important and time-consuming tasks, the Tzemach Tzedek made time to test a class of seven-year-olds. He did this because he recognized the importance of being personally involved in the education of his son and that of Jewish children in general.

This is a lesson for all of us to give of our time and effort for the sake of educating Jewish children in a holy manner (ibid and Likutei Sichot vol. 11 page 197).

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The rest of this article (and some of the above material) is gleaned from Sha’arei Chinuch (published by Heichal Menachem, Jerusalem 5767) which includes various teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe about chinuch (Jewish Education).

A Woman for Girls: It is best to have a woman teach girls, as women (generally) have greater yiras shamayim (fear of G-d) than men, and this will be apparent in their effect on their students (page 284). [It is best for women not to teach boys, see Kiddushin 82a.]

A Married Man (or Almost Married): It is best for male teachers to be married in accordance with the ruling of the Mishnah ibid). Those who teach and are single should be obligated and encouraged to marry as soon as possible in keeping with the above-mentioned Mishnah (Sha’arei Chinuch, ibid).

Modest Dress: The modest attire of female teachers is extremely important, not just in the higher grades but even in the lower ones. One should pay great attention to this as one’s external attire is a sign of one’s inner spiritual level (ibid).

Religious Teachers: A Jewish school should hire religious (Jewish) teachers to teach secular subjects as well. If this is not possible, it is better to hire non-Jews than non-religious Jews, as a non-religious Jew is more likely to influence the students [in spiritually negative ways] than a non-Jew (lehavdil) [ibid pg. 286].

Similar Backgrounds: One who is fluent in the language and understands the backgrounds of his students is able to influence them to a greater degree. As such, one should choose to teach in a school similar to where one was educated [if possible] (ibid page 227).

May we merit to educate our youth in a holy manner!

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Dedicated in honor of Rabbi Yaakov Roth‘s 50 year Anniversary (Yovel) of teaching at Lubavitch Educational Center in Miami. May Hashem give him many more years of Hatzlacha, Good Health and Nachas.

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