Bucking the Trend of Darkness and Distraction
in Today’s Education
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
Nowadays when asking parents about their children’s education I get frequent and routine responses. It goes something like the following. There are more distractions than in previous generations, maybe more than ever before. This makes it beyond challenging to get them involved in their education therefore we can only try our best and hope that things will work out.
In a Sicha for this week’s parsha of Vayeira the Rebbe explains the Hayom Yom for the 9th of Cheshvan which states: “When my father (the Rebbe Rashab) was four or five years old he went to his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, on Shabbat Vayeira, and began to cry as he asked, "Why did Hashem show Himself to our father Avraham - but He does not show Himself to us?" The Tzemach Tzedek answered him: "When a tzadik decides at the age of ninety-nine years that he should be circumcised, he deserves that Hashem appear to him."
Whenever the Rebbeim shared stories about their parents and grandparents, the previous Rebbeim, it was not to point out their greatness rather to teach a lesson for each of us in our daily lives. The story mentioned above is no exception. The Rebbe Rashab was an innovator and a revolutionary in the field of education. By founding the Yeshiva of Tomchei Temimim the Rebbe brought the study of Chassidus to an entirely new level. The focus of study of the concepts of Chassidus became similar to the involvement required in learning an in-depth sugya in the Gemara. This revolution in education did not begin at the founding of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim rather much earlier, in this story from the Rebbe’s youth.
The Rambam says that when teaching a child the Torah one should give him treats to draw his attention into the learning. This should continue until he arrives at learning the Torah for its own sake. When the Rebbe Rashab was a child his desire was for the revelation of Hashem. The Rebbe didn’t desire candies. The reason that this story was shared with us is to teach a new and revolutionary pathway in education. It sets a new vision and goal in education. The new vision is to see to it that a child's primary motivation should become focused on wanting the revelation of Hashem and to bring the coming of Moshiach. We should not fear pursuing this idea nor should we consider it unattainable. Why was this story revealed in our times and not in previous generations when they were on a higher level? It was revealed now because the Rebbeim have given is the power over the distractions that are caused by the increased darkness of our times. We have the ability to tap into this power and guide our children towards a higher goal of even greater and more explicit focus on learning for it’s own sake, to experience closeness with Hashem, and to feel Hashem’s direct involvement in our lives. It is known that the darkest point of the night is immediately before the dawn. Therefore stronger inspiration is required and this is what the Rebbeim and the study of Chassidus accomplishes. This is what the Yeshiva system from childhood through Tomchei Temimim offers. When we follow the guidance of the Rebbeim, learn Chassidus and educate our children in this spirit we have the necessary inspiration and strength to buck the trend of galus together with all its darkness and distractions. We have the power to reveal G-dliness in the world with the coming of Moshiach now.
A Good Shabbos