Children's Holiness Code: SOTC Text Study

(25) God made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And God saw that this was good. (26) And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.”
(27) And God created humankind in the divine image,
creating it in the image of God—
creating them male and female. (28) God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”

§ Rabbi Ile’a said that Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Ḥanina: In Usha the Sages instituted that a man should sustain his sons and daughters when they are minors. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Is the halakha in accordance with his opinion or is the halakha not in accordance with his opinion? Must a man feed his young children in practice or not? The Gemara answers: Come and hear: When they would come before Rav Yehuda to complain about a father who refused to sustain his children, he would say to them: The jackal [yarod] bears offspring and casts the obligation to feed them on the residents of the town? Even a jackal feeds its young, and it is certainly proper for a father to support his children. When they would come before Rav Ḥisda to register a similar complaint, he would say to them: Turn over a mortar for him in public, as a raised platform, and let that father stand up and say about himself: The raven wants to care for its sons, and yet this man does not want to support his sons. The Gemara questions this statement: And does the raven want to feed its sons? But isn’t it written: “He gives to the beast its food, to the young ravens that cry” (Psalms 147:9)? This verse indicates that the parents of young ravens do not feed them. The Gemara responds: This is not difficult, as in this case it is referring to white ones, and in that case it is referring to black ones. There are different types of ravens, some of which feed their young while others do not. The Gemara further relates: When an incident of this kind would come before Rava, he would say to the father: Is it satisfactory to you that your sons are sustained through charity? All these incidents prove that the halakha is not in accordance with the enactment of Usha; although these Sages stated forcefully that it is proper for a father to support his children, they did not force him to do so by the authority of the court. The Gemara adds: And we said this halakha only when he is not wealthy and must toil hard to provide food for his children, but if he is wealthy we coerce him against his will to sustain them. Like this case of Rava, who coerced Rav Natan bar Ami, who was a wealthy man, to donate to charity, and collected from him four hundred dinars for charity. This shows that even in the absence of a particular obligation, the court will compel a person to give charity if he can afford it. The same reasoning certainly applies to a man’s own children.

From the roots of this commandment is that it is fitting for a person to acknowledge and return kindness to people who were good to him, and not to be an ungrateful scoundrel, because that is a bad and repulsive attribute before God and people. And he should take to heart that the father and the mother are the cause of his being in the world; and hence it is truly fitting to honor them in every way and give every benefit he can to them, because they brought him to the world, and worked hard for him when he was little. And once he fixes this idea in his soul, he will move up from it to recognize the good of God, Blessed be He, who is his cause and the cause of all his ancestors until the first man (Adam), and that he took him out into the world's air, and fulfilled his needs every day, and made his body strong and able to stand, and gave him a mind that knows and learns - for without the mind that God granted him, he would be 'like a horse or a mule who does not understand.' And he should think at length about how very fitting it is to be careful in his worship of the Blessed be He.

(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—so that you and your children shall live—

HALAKHAH: “Any commandment the father has to fulfill towards his son,” etc. “To circumcise him, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to teach him a trade, and to marry him to a wife. Rebbi Aqiba says, also to teach him to swim in water.” To circumcise him, “on the eighth day, he shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.” “To redeem him,” as is written: “Any firstborn human among your sons you shall redeem.” To teach him Torah, “you shall teach them to your sons.” To teach him a trade, Rebbi Ismael stated: “Choose life,” that is a trade. To marry him to a wife, “make it known to your children and grandchildren.” When do you have children and grandchildren: if you marry off your sons when young. Rebbi Aqiba says, also to swim in water. “That you shall live together with your descendants.” How is this? Is it a commandment or is it obligatory? Let us hear from the following: Bar Tarima came to Rebbi Immi and said to him, talk to my father that he should marry me to a woman. He talked to [the father], but the latter refused. That means it is a commandment, for if it were obligatory, he should have forced him. From where that if his father did not do these things for him, he is required to do them himself? The verse says a human you shall redeem”, “you shall circumcise” them, “you shall study them”, “you shall know” yourself, “that you shall live.”

(10) If one's father or mother has become mentally disordered, he should make an effort to behave toward them according to their state of mind until they will be shown mercy [and get cured]. But if he is unable to endure the strain any longer, because they have become utterly insane, he may leave them and go elsewhere, charging others to take proper care of them.

(1) A conversation with teachers and parents of the children [who will be taught from this book]

(2) King Solomon said in Proverbs (22, 6): "Teach the lad according to his way, so that also in his old age he will not turn from it." This is the core of education: that not only at the time the child is young and in the domain of his father that he will listen and do according to the commandments, rather also when he grows up and is in his own domain, even when he becomes elderly he will not turn from it. Because education is not only commands, that one should command his son or student "Do such and such," so too is it not just habit, that one accustoms his son or student to good deeds. Education is far, far beyond commands or habit, and these two things, commands and habit, are simply tools used in its implementation which the educator is forced to use, to command or to habituate, in order to educate on the path of the LORD.

(3) As Rashi, may his memory be blessed, explains the word chinukh (education), in the verse (Deuteronomy 20:5), "who built a house but did not dedicate it (chankho) - "Chinukh is a term for beginning." But it is obvious that we would not say, chinukh, about any beginning. For example, when the Gemara (Pesachim 116a) says about the order of the Haggadah, "One begins with disgrace and ends with praise," we would not say, "One is mechanekh with disgrace, etc." And likewise regarding the Sanhedrin (Sanhedrin 32a) - that we begin from the side - we would not say that, we are mechankhin from the side. However in Parashat Lech Lecha (Rashi on Genesis 14:14), Rashi explains it further to us, as follows: Chanikhiv, etc. whom he had trained in the commandments. It is a term for introducing a person or a thing, for the first time, to some particular occupation in which it is intended that he should remain. It has a similar sense in (Proverbs 22:6), "Chanokh the lad," in (Numbers 7:84) "the dedication (chanukat) of the altar" and in (Psalms 30:1) "The dedication (chanukat) of the house."

(4) However the term, chinukh, would not be said even about a craftsman that begins his work, if he is already able to do it. Likewise would the term, chinukh of the house, not apply to a house when we begin to build it. Rather, the term, chinukh only applies to the one who is coming to teach himself the craft, or to the [new] use of a house that has already been built. And this is a precise inference from the words of Rashi, "for the first time, etc. in which it is intended that he should remain." It is not about the craft or work, but only about the person. The term, chinukh, applies to the readying for a craft which is within the inner potential of a person to do; or the readying of a house or a vessel for a particular purpose. The word, chinukh, is specific (it is not the same as beginning). It is said about bringing out the readiness that is in a person or a thing from the potential to the actual. If we do not bring it out, it will stay hidden. So we need to bring out and ready (lechanekh) a particular man to do a particular craft, or a house or a vessel for its use - every room for the use for which it is meant; and [every] vessel for the use for which it is meant.

(5) And when this word is used about educating children, the intention is to expand and develop the nature and talent of the child found in small measure, in potential or even in hiding - and to reveal it. And since the essence of God and a Godly soul is hidden and stored away in a Jew even when he is a child, we must raise him and educate him to bring it out, to reveal it and to have it flourish - so that he will be a faithful Jew to God. [Then] he will desire His Torah on his own, so that also in his old age he will not veer from His path. But one who commands or habituates the son or student cannot be sure that [the child] will do according to his command also when he grows up and becomes independent. And that is why Solomon commanded, "Teach (Chanokh) the lad, etc." - you must delve inside him and reveal the Jewish holiness that is hidden there. And only then, "also in his old age he will not veer from it."

(6) But King Solomon did not only inform us of the goal of education, which is to is to bring him to, "also in his old age he will not veer from it." Rather he also explained to us the manner and method of how to reach this, with the words, "Teach (Chanokh) the lad according to his way." For this is the essence of it. As one who only commands and habituates does not need to pay attention to the son or student, to know his nature or intellect, etc. He only has to command, "Do this and that," and that is enough. He will also not feel his own need to treat each and every student differently. He is able to command many students of the same age with one command - "Do this and that." For this thing is not dependent on the student or child, but rather only on him. He will command and that will be the end of it. But an educator who wants to reveal the hidden and stored away soul of the student, to uplift it and set it on fire with a divine fire that reaches the Highest Holy One, such that all of him - even the powers of his body - grows in holiness and pines for God's Torah, he is required to soften himself towards the student that he is educating. He must delve into his juvenility and smallness until he reaches the spark of his stored away - or even hidden - soul, bring it out, develop it and grow it.

(7) And since this is so, education is not the same for all children. It depends upon the nature, intelligence, character traits, etc. of each and every child. These must be recognized by the educator, and it is not enough for the educator to simply know himself and his own mind. For the matter is dependent upon the one being educated. He may not only use his own strengths to act command and instruct; but must also grab onto, use and bring to bear the mind and strengths of the student. So he may not command and educate the one what he commands and educates the other; as he is different from the first in his nature, will, character traits, etc. And this is what King Solomon hinted to us [when he said], "Teach (Chanokh) the lad according to his way" - each and every one, according to his way.

(8) Our intention here is not to instruct about the pedagogical tools of education - how to work with a student's intellect, and the methods through which one can broaden his understanding in order to know the simple meaning of the Torah. For we are not just seeking the intellect of the student here, but rather the whole student. We seek the spirit, essence and soul (nefesh, ruach veneshamah) of the Jewish child, in order to connect him to the God of Israel, such that he will be a God-fearing Jew whose every desire is towards Him, may He be blessed.

(9) Behold that even though every father and teacher knows that the small children or students before them will not remain small but rather grow into adults - possibly even great Torah scholars and servants of God - nevertheless, some only see their goals based on what is before their eyes. And since they only see children, their only goal is to educate them to be good children; they only want to inculcate Torah and fear of Heaven according to their age - and they think that is enough. However such a teacher or father is sinning against God and His people. A teacher or father must know that they must educate and reveal the children of God and the great men of Israel. They must see the children sitting in front of them as great souls that have not yet been chiseled; and that it is incumbent upon them to raise them and make them flourish. He is a gardener in God's garden who must work it and guard it. And even if he sees children who appear to him to be bitter and have bad character traits, he should know that this is the nature of young souls that are not yet ripe - they are bitter when they just blossom, but [sweet] when they mature.

(10) The Baal Shem Tov and his students after him - holy Jews - taught us that there is no completely evil trait or nature in a Jewish child. However we must know how to make use of them and refine them. For example, if one has a stubborn student - which is a bad character trait, from which the teacher may suffer greatly - he must reflect that when [this student] grows up and accepts the yoke of Torah and service to God, his service will be tenacious and marked by self-sacrifice. He will not be flighty and unstable, but will rather be the type of Jewish man we find in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 39:3), "If he erects his words like a wall" - see there - he will be strong like a fortress wall regarding everything having to do with divine service. And if he sees a student with the trait of anger - though it is true that the way the student now uses his anger is very bad, is that enough of a reason to decide that his root is wormwood and gall and that he is bad and lowly by nature? Would we not be playing the fool who hears the praise of the citron and then plucks it to eat the seed or to eat it when it is unripe, and then yells out and makes a fuss, saying, "The citron is bitter and harmful?"

(11) Are the principal and teacher able to imagine the great benefit they can bring out from the bad temper of the angry child when they delve inside him and draw him near, so that his heart and soul burn with self-sacrifice for God? His anger will turn into holy fire - every act of service will burn like glowing coals; all of his words spoken for God, in Torah [study] and prayer, will be with a voice that thunders and draws out fiery flames. And see the explanation of the Rabbi (R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi), may his memory be blessed, in his Siddur on Kegavna - and these are his words: The passion of anger that spins off from the passion in the heart, and any man that is angry by nature, are prone to be enthused with the glowing fire of fervor [for God's service] - see there. Even more certain is that such a person will be filled with anger and rage when he finds a problem or stain in himself. He will have his desire for the good (yetzer hatov) get angry and fling away - even obliterate - the evil within himself. And if he chastises others and rebukes them about their lowliness to their face, he will not mock them nor curse them. Rather he will speak simple words, but words that will seethe like a bubbling cauldron and flow like a raging sea; such that he will melt and uproot even the illnesses and stains from the souls of others.

(12) When we see how the younger generation has become heretical and unbridled, God forbid, our hearts are grieved and our hair bristles. It has no faith, fear or Torah [knowledge]. They hate God and His Jewish servants. The directors and heads of yeshivot - whose heads and hearts are in their yeshivot and with their students - only see fine young men before them. So they are consoled, saying, "It is true that there are many secular Jews now, but Israel is no widow: There are also sons of Zion who are outstanding in halakha and whose hearts are with God." Yet they should please stick their heads out of the four cubits of their yeshivot and please see the great masses of secular Jews, God forbid. 'Tyre is only built from the destruction of Jerusalem' - study halls that were full of Torah students have emptied out, and clubs and organizations the goal of which is heresy and the disparaging of Torah, God forbid, have grown in their place.

(13) Even craftsmen and businessmen who - though they were not Torah students - were previously faithful Jews, have now become heretics like the youth; they have wandered away and fallen into the pit of destruction, God forbid. So should we just suffice with the nucleus of students in our yeshivot? Is that the entire Jewish nation?

(14) And are we even so sure about the students in our yeshivot? Have we already done what is incumbent upon us to do with them? It is true that we can be more certain that the students who have already reached the higher levels - and especially the ones that have become rabbis and filled their insides with Torah and divine service - will, with God's help, remain in God's holy sanctuary and involved in divine service. However, will all [our students] reach the higher levels? How many students in the lower levels will find it impossible to continue their studies until then and will - willingly or unwillingly - go out to do business or learn a trade? It is as it is stated in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 2:1), "A thousand come in to study, but only one of them goes out to become a rabbi." And why should we be certain that on the day after they leave the yeshiva - or shortly thereafter - they will not become unbridled and profane the Shabbat, God forbid, as our saddened eyes have already seen. So why don't we also devise a strategy for them when they are still with us? Is every lad who later becomes unbridled not in our hands when he is a child, being raised in our schools? So why do we leave him and his spirit without a connection to God and His Torah during his childhood, so that it will also exist until the time of his old age?

(15) In fact, we have become accustomed to looking to the heretical youth as if only they were to blame about the matter, and as if we were completely clean. But from all of the righteousness of our father, Abraham, God [specifically] mentioned (Genesis 18:19), "For I have known him, that he will instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord." Each and every generation in Israel is a link in the chain of our legacy, the beginning of which is bound to our father, Abraham, and the end of which is with our righteous messiah - may he come speedily in our days. A generation receives its Torah, its faith and its fear [of God] from the generation that preceded it; then uses them to serve God, and passes them on to the next generation. "That he may instruct his children, etc." is the essence of our survival. And if in our generation, the chain were to, God forbid, be interrupted - such that we not pass on the Torah to the next generation - would they truthfully be the only ones to blame? Are they not from the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and do they not have holy souls?

(16) And why should we fool ourselves with empty excuses and say, "We want to pass it on to them, but they are to blame, since they refuse to accept it." For as greatly as the younger generation is to blame about this and as much as they are refusing to listen, we should nevertheless, I plead, imagine what these sinners of today would have been had they lived in earlier generations. Would they also not have accepted [the Jewish tradition] then? Even with all of their responsibility for this, and even with their spiritual infirmities - the likes of which did not exist in pervious youth - would not almost all of them also have been tzaddikim, or, at least, simple faithful Jews? That is because their elders, their parents and the whole of their previous generation would have been generally more God-fearing than us. So too, in this matter of educating the younger generation, they were much more God-fearing, and blazed like fiery torches. So they wouldn't have been negligent and simply watched with equanimity and coldness while the younger generation was drowning in the nethermost pit and the people of God falling to heresy, God forbid. They would have risen with outrage and sacrificed their entire beings and possessions to save them and educate them in the path of God through various theories and plans.

(17) And if so, will we - the generation above them who educates them and bears the obligation to pass on God's holiness, His Torah and His service to them - be able to say with a clear conscience, "Our hands have not spilled this blood of the Jewish souls into the pit of destruction?" What shall we say before the One who sits on high? How shall we justify ourselves before the One who dwells in the skies when He comes to take account of His lofty army upon the earth and of the younger generation whom He deposited in our hands and entrusted to our responsibility? God will roar from on high and give forth His voice from His holy abode - "Where are My children, My beloved children, the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Where are they!"

(18) And if we truly want to repent to God and repair what we have made crooked in this, we must recognize our part of the guilt. For even if they have an infirmity which did not exist earlier in youth, why have we abandoned them without investigation and without curing their spiritual ailment while they were still small and it was possible for us to know how and with what to heal them - since they would then follow everything we would [tell them]? Would a father or guardian of a child congratulate himself by saying, "I am devoid of guilt for the defects of the child" - if the beginning of the sickness was only a small infirmity which could have been healed, but on account of his negligence, it spread and rotted [the child's] limbs? With all of their guilt and all of their corruption, let us please not push all of the guilt only to the youth. We need to feel pain and concern also about our own negligence. And only then will we be able to seek a plan about what to fix and what to do to heal what is broken in our nation. And let us pray to God that He will guide us in His path and remove the heart of stone from our youth, so that we can all merit to serve Him together in truth and with a full heart; and that we may be among those in Israel through whom He is glorified and [about whose child] it will be said, "Look at this son that I have brought before You!"

(19) Not by conjecture, but by sound methodology and solid facts must we first of all explain the difference between the generations: Why is it that in previous generations any type of education was effective - almost all the students of every teacher and almost all the children of every father were servants of God - but now it is no longer so? The simple and main reason is that youths are thinking that they are already adults before their time. What we are saying is not a fanciful conjecture, as the whole world laments this now. We are not coming to give a reason and cause for this here - as to why children are doing this. But regardless, it is a fact. This spirit of insanity has taken hold of youth to think of themselves as having the mind and will of adults, while their minds are still unstable and their wills, unripe and bitter. Moreover, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, informed us from the beginning (Sotah 49b), "In the time before the messiah, brazenness will grow." This too is brazenness - for a child to think of himself and his mind as trustworthy and reliable, such that they can be depended upon. This has become so accepted that we are sometimes amazed to see this independence and false boldness already bubbling up in the smallest infants who already think of themselves as adults.

(20) There are two evils that grow out of this. The first is that as a result, a lad will look at every advisor, teacher and educator as a foreign tyrant that is overbearingly coming to control him and take away his independence, his opinions and his ability to choose. So a type of opposition, even hatred, wells up inside the child towards his teacher and father - to the point that he pays no attention, to listen to their words and how he should internalize them. Instead, he only thinks about how to get rid of them and escape their hands.

(21) And the second - which may cause even more damage than the first - is that it used to be that the personality and independence of a child would not crystallize and develop so quickly while he was still immature. Likewise would his emotions and opinions, as well as his worldview and aspirations, not develop so quickly before their time. The child was a type of blank slate with a pure soul that would absorb the depictions and words that his teachers and rabbis impressed upon him. So they could truly 'stuff him like an ox.' And it was not only words, but their souls that [the teachers] brought into them, and engraved into their souls. And so when the glimmerings of the child's spirit, feelings and aspirations later began to slowly bubble up, they found him as a lad who had already been enriched by the richness of Torah and had been 'anointed with holy anointing oil.' And so the glimmerings of his emotions and aspirations were an additional force and 'extra soul,' to add to the Torah and service of God that his rabbis had brought into him, through which he was educated and in the holiness of which he grew up. This is not the case today when the personality and independence of the child crystallize and develop quickly before their time; and when his emotions, aspirations, opinions and worldview blossom quickly while they are still immature, bitter and poisonous. And it is with them that he begins to examine and investigate every matter (even things that are forbidden to him) as an adult would for himself; and to emote and be enthused with unripe emotions. And is it possible that from his mind and from his poisonous emotions and enthusiasm, he will piece together a worldview that is not defective and poisonous?

(22) If we delve into the spirit of the youth and evaluate them with a pure and completely honest investigation, we would see that a lad will usually not veer from the ways of God all at once. He does not profane Shabbat instantly, nor does he suddenly go from the study hall to, mutatis mutandis, the theatres. The Gemara (Shabbat 105b) says, "That is the craft of the evil inclination. Today it tells him [to] do this, and tomorrow it tells him [to] do that, etc." At first glance, we see in the Gemara that only when he is already about to do bad things, God forbid, does he not begin with weighty sins from the start, but rather descends into the pit of destruction gradually. But as we see - even before he comes to the first, most insignificant deed - the internal break in his mind also does not happen suddenly and all at once. Rather a year ago or more, his mind became slightly infirm - infirm, but not infirm. 'It appears like a blemish in the house' - only like a blemish. And the smallest thought bubbles through from it, to look at the Torah and divine service as something disgraceful and as a waste of time; and at the outside world of licentiousness, ignorance and wildness as beautiful and good. Even the most insignificant thing can cause such an infirmity. Since at first, it is tiny and does not do much to him or his deeds, his rabbis - and even his closest friends - do not see any difference in him. But, little by little, it deepens itself into his spirit and spreads into his thoughts, to destroy him, from the spirit to the flesh. Then suddenly a loud voice is heard, that he has left the House of God and fallen into the pit of destruction, God forbid.

(23) Generally this internal blemish in the spirit comes from the selfhood and [resulting] opposition written about above. Once he has his own selfhood; and his opposition - even hatred - bubbles up inside him against his father, rabbis and educators, the opposition will not only arise against them. Rather he will also begin to look with scorn and hatred at what they taught him, at their behavior and their path - the holy path.

(24) What comes out of our words is that earlier, any advisor or father could educate Jewish children and teach them the path of God, even if he was not exacting to educate "according to his way" - according to the way, mind and essence of each child, as King Solomon hinted to us. Even if he only accustomed and commanded them, he was still successful. For the child was a clean spirit while a youth, and even while a young adult. Moreover, he himself felt his own emptiness and the weakness of his mind inside. So he had an inner thirst inside himself to listen to the words of God from any teacher or advisor. And even if there were times when the lad would be mischievous and refuse to listen, he himself would feel that he had sinned; that his father or teacher who disciplined - or even struck - him was right and that he was the sinner. His spirit would fall a little inside himself and make sure that he would listen to their voice from now on, and negate his will to their will - so that, little by little, he would absorb God's Torah into his being and become a faithful Jew. Though one may have been more of a ben Torah and one may have been less, they were all Jews who served God.

(25) It is not like this now, when the child's selfhood and independence jell early before their time. And together with them, his feelings, aspirations and worldview are revealed while they are still immature. As a result, the division and hatred between the children and their parents is intensified. The children of our generation who were fit to be faithful Jews have left and are no more. They have turned upon us as enemies; they laugh and scorn us and our faith. And this is what King Solomon saw from the beginning, with the wisdom of God that he had, and warned us to teach the lad according to his way - not only with a command, but with education - to teach each and every one, according to his way.

(26) For above we said that the spirit of every Jewish child is a storehouse of holiness; it is just that we need to know how to act upon it; and the same thing is true in this matter. It is true that the personality of the Jewish child has been contaminated by the spirit that has affected all of the world's youth, to jell and develop while still immature; but what personality is it that jells and goes out? Is it not the Jewish personality? Hence we must hasten to soften ourselves to his personality, so that we can grab onto it and act upon it for holiness, before he turns into our enemy. If our teacher Moses, all of the prophets and all of the tzaddikim softened themselves from the high levels of their righteousness towards us for our sake, would it not be a sin for us not to soften ourselves towards each [child] - to teach him according to his way? While he is still at a crossroads as to whether to become a faithful servant of God or, God forbid, a Jewish sinner - we must soften ourselves towards him and speak in his language; almost to turn into a child and speak with him according to his mind and according to his level.

(27) It is not enough to just teach the lad that he is obligated to listen to the educator, and nothing more. For in the end, he will [still] see his rabbi as his opponent and as a foreign tyrant, as mentioned earlier. The main point is to bring this opinion into his heart: To know that he - the child himself - is the main educator. He is not a minor and a lad. Rather, he is the sprout of God's planting in the garden of Israel. And God has placed the responsibility to nurture and educate this sprout upon him, himself - to be a great tree of life and to make himself into a servant of God, a tzaddik and a Torah great. But since his mind and spirit are young, there is much Torah that he has not learned and his evil impulse is active. So if he is God-fearing and does not want to sin towards God and to destroy the vineyard of the the Lord of hosts - he will need to listen to the Torah of God and His path from his rabbi and his father, both regarding that which is explicit in the Torah and in the Shulchan Arukh and that which is not. The Torah was not sparing in warning about [the importance of] listening to the father and the educator: "Ask your father and he will tell you; your elder, etc." (Deuteronomy 32:7); "you may not veer, etc." (Deuteronomy 17:11); "Listen, my son, to the rebuke of your father" (Proverbs 1:8). And the wayward and rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) has not done any sin that is explicit in the written or oral Torah; and yet the Torah is very stringent about it, because his father and mother said, "He did not listen to our voice." And his very identity is not called, glutton and drunkard, based on his actions; but rather, wayward and rebellious, because he is rebellious towards his father and his educator. And [other examples] can be found in the verses.

(28) And as much as possible, the father and educator should make the lad understand and internalize this in his mind and intellect - that the obligation is upon the child to develop and educate himself into a Jewish adult, a tree in God's garden in Eden. And the father or the educator is just the guide that will instruct him how to educate himself, and about what God said. It is like one who comes to ask a question in matters of what is forbidden and what is permissible. [There,] the law is given by the decisor who advises one as to what is kosher, etc. But the main practitioner in the home is the homeowner - it is solely his responsibility that it be kosher and that he get rid of what is forbidden and unfit. And we gain much when we instruct him like this. First, when he will develop with this opinion, he will not see his father or teacher as a foreign tyrant and ruler who wants to rule over him, since the obligation is upon himself. So it is he - with his individuality and selfhood that have already developed in him - who is the ruler, and the one educating himself. And he must additionally be grateful to his father and his teacher for helping him [with this] and lightening his load.

(29) We also stand to gain that even the lads that are not distancing themselves from us so much and are not turning into enemies - but rather only disregarding their divine service from laziness and neglect - will also be stimulated to redouble their service. As the Gemara says (Eruvin 3a), "A stew belonging to two people will be neither hot nor cold" - it is a law of the human psyche that when one has on whom to rely, he will be neglectful and depend on the other. And so too a lad - even if he does not resist - will be neglectful by thinking that his father or teacher will do everything for him. But when he understands that the obligation is upon him and that only he himself is the guide and educator, he will make efforts and not be neglectful.

(30) However with these things alone, we will not yet have fulfilled our obligation. For even if we delve into the independent selfhood of the lad's intellect and make him understand to the point that he grasps intellectually that he bears the responsibility, and will want to strengthen himself in his divine service - nevertheless, have we not already said that it is not only his intellect that comes out prematurely to be like that of an independent adult? Rather it is the selfhood also in his emotions, his excitations and even his enthusiasm that cause him to be excited and enthused by the imagined beauty of the stupidities of the world - such as the theaters and all the other types of licentiousness and unbridledness in the world. So if we ourselves do not stimulate his spirit early on, to get excited from every commandment and to be enthused by the light of God's Torah, we will have done nothing, God forbid. As even if he will grasp intellectually that he bears the obligation to educate himself, his emotions and passions will nevertheless make him veer from the good path to the path that even he himself understands is bad. For is it not that most sinners themselves understand that their deeds are bad at first? Yet it is the excitement of their desires that overpowers their minds, to make them fall into the pit of destruction.

(31) And this is the essence of Chassidut. That a man not suffice with just his intellect in determining [the contours of] his service. For the connection of the intellect alone is not an enduring connection. He may subjugate it and know clearly in his intellect that he must only serve God in all the details of his thought, speech and action - but his heart and all of his body nevertheless be far removed. [Hence] he must connect his whole spirit, and the life force in his entire body; he must delve into his spirit to elevate it and stimulate it, that it should be enthused, spiritually delighted and rejoice over every commandment; by Torah and by prayer. And when he connects his spirit and even the life force in his body - beside the fact that the commandment and the service that he does will be more elevated and more holy - he will also be more certain that he will be able to stand up against his evil impulse and not be torn away from the Source of Life and cast quickly into the pit of destruction by the seduction of his evil impulse.

(32) It is true that we had always needed to wait with this service of emotions and enthusiasm with youth until they matured. For it is difficult for a child to be enthused with true chassidic enthusiasm. As even in general, whenever the Torah writes [both] statutes (chukim, laws the reasons for which are not obvious) and judgments (mishpatim, laws the reasons for which are apparent), it has the statutes come before the judgements. As the judgements are with discernment - and not just intellectual discernment, but also discernment of awareness. For just because a child does not [yet] have intellect, is he not clear and aware why he wants to kiss his father with his lips? Just the opposite, this is the essence of awareness! His heart desires to kiss his father; and this is more certain that any intellectual matter in the world.

(33) With every commandment - whether understood or not - if the heart of the Jewish adult yearns, enthuses, connects and has strong and certain faith, it is a judgement for him, [both] certain and clear. And that for which he is not excited at all - in his mind or in his heart - is a statute. At first, the Jewish adult has to do many commandments, immerse himself in Torah and service and give himself - his mind, his thoughts and all of his spirit - over to God. And then the more he immerses himself in service and holiness, the more he will feel - at fortuitous times - how his spirit goes out and draws near to holiness and the Supernal Light. [At those times,] his soul attaches itself to God's soul, and he - and even his body - becomes enthused, is in awe, rejoices, yearns and takes pleasure. [But] at first, there are statutes that must be done, even without discernment and without emotion. And afterwards are the judgements with discernment and enthusiasm. So a child must first engage with the statutes, to immerse himself in them without feeling or enthusiasm.

(34) But what can we do with our [younger] generation, when their selfhood and feelings develop and solidify so quickly? If we do not move quickly to grab onto [the child's] enthusiasm - to harness it and to move it towards excitement about holiness - it will emote and become excited with enthusiasm for stupidity and for the reviled 'beauty' of the world, to be impressed by their ways and to covet their ugly mischief. For with the lad of our generation whose emotions and impressions have already matured and become pronounced, it is difficult to still connect him to statutes without emotions - or even to intellectual matters if it is only done with dry intellect. We must delve into his soul, arouse it and have it enthused - such that it feel at least a little of the pleasantness of the illumination of the illumination of the Highest Splendor, that it yearn [for it] and connect [to it].

(35) Hence if we want to connect the child and educate him such "that also in his old age he will not veer from it" - and who does so not only because he is commanded, but also because his spirit pushes him towards it - it is forbidden for us to wait. Rather we must educate them in the ways of true Chassidut from when they are still small. "Teach (Chanokh) the lad according to his way!" And the way required by the youth of our generation is true, hearty and spiritual Chassidut. And even if this will not yet be true chassidic enthusiasm, [the child] will nevertheless reach the 'tip of the staff' and connect. And to the extent that he grows and works on it, he will ascend and merit to become a true chassid.

(36) This is explained in Pardes Rimonim 10:1:5, in which it is written how the colors and physical visions act upon the supernal realms. [Such that] when He wants to act with kindness, He wears white; when He wants to act with strength, He wears red garments, etc. And he said in his holy words (besides the secrets in the matter), "If a person looks at the flow of much water with his eyes, a white liquid is stimulated, etc. So too is this matter. When the spring flows in his mind, he will find ten levels in this thing. As the colors that appear to our eyes - or in our physical mind's eye - impact on the [level of the] spiritual; the essence is stimulated by the spirit; and the soul by the essence. And from the soul, it goes from one state to another; until it rises to the place of its nourishment. So it is aroused according to the state of the [original] form." To here are his holy words

(37) And this is a fundamental concept in Chassidut - that one should get excited and enthused, beginning with lower things. And these physical emotions are able to stimulate him to holiness. So even though it is only physical arousal, the essence is stimulated by the spirit; and the soul by the essence.

(38) And this is the distinction between an adult and a child. Even though the adult chassid begins to be aroused, excited and enthused by something physical; nevertheless even at the time that he does a physical action like drinking alcoholic beverages among the chassidim or like conjuring types of thoughts that arouse him - as we will, God willing, discuss later in the book - it does not remain only a physical arousal. Rather the spirit, the essence, etc. are [also] immediately aroused; until even his soul is aroused and revealed inside him - each one according to his situation and timing.

(39) Even the menorah was lit with a foreign object; however the priest would not leave the menorah until the flame would remain lit on its own. But the child may remain on the level of physical stimulation and excitement. Nevertheless, even in him is there still a type of spark and the slightest filament of illumination of the spirit, shining from a distance. And this too is good, since even this is enough to connect his small body and spirit. For a lad that is excited on the night of Passover by the cleaning of the room, by the multitude of candles, by the beautifully set table - this is also good. As his body is excited, but his spirit is [also] bubbling inside and excited by the recitation of the Haggadah - to say it with a little enthusiasm to God - even though he doesn't know what it is and what it is about.

(40) And this is the "according to his way." As in this book, we want to accustom youth to the ways of Chassidut. Since they have matured early, and their emotions are impacting early, it is required by them and there is no other way. And even though they will not connect to their actual souls and they will not attain true spiritual enthusiasm - but rather only a physical one - that is also good. Since he will be emoting from holiness - his physical emotions would be from holiness - he will be connected through it. So when he grows older, it will be easier for him to be a true chassid. For does a child who begins [to study] Gemara and Tosafot understand them like an adult? And yet it is good, as this study and understanding connects him to Torah.

(41) We are not coming here to specify every matter related to education. We have just pointed out the cause of its current destruction, and that we need to be more exacting with it than in earlier generations. And in this work, we have written down the approach that teachers, parents and children should want to use for the good; even with the contaminating poison - meaning, the selfhood of the child coming out prematurely. As for the other details about education - teachers and fathers should seek them out in our holy Torah, and they will find everything they need. For we are not coming to make any new changes here, God forbid. As our Torah is eternal and it will guide us forever towards the path through which we ascend to God; and what we must do regarding every detail and regarding every matter.

(42) For example, the Gemara (Shabbat 30b) says, "Rabbah, before he began teaching to the sages, would say something humorous and the sages would be cheered. Ultimately, he sat in trepidation and began teaching the topic." To here are the words of the Gemara. He said something humorous so they would be happy, since the Divine Presence only resides amidst joy - as the Gemara says there. However the Torah is like a hammer that breaks apart a boulder which lets off many sparks and many explanations. So in our generation, the Gemara is also hinting to a path for the rabbi or the teacher: The teacher must make efforts to win over the heart of the student and to keep bringing him close. And joy is one of the main vehicles through which he can win him over. The spirit of a child does not tolerate sadness, and the teacher should never appear to him like an irritable or disputative person.

(43) It is not that he should be light-headed in front of the student nor disgrace himself in [the child's] eyes, God forbid. Just the opposite, the teacher should make efforts that the student see him as a man of stature - yet still also as a good and easy-going man. Even when he shows them something humorous, the student should tremble. And even when he puts fear into him, there should be a pinch of joy mixed in. "And rejoice with trembling" (Psalms 2:11). [The child] should tremble in front of him differently than he does in front of an irritable, angry or violent man; but rather with fear that comes from honor, like from one of the lofty ones. If the rabbi is similar to an angel of the Lord of hosts when he gets angry at [the child], the student will not hate him on its account. And when he shows him a pleasant face, he will rejoice and love him and fear him even more.

(44) And the Shelah, may his memory be blessed, greatly enlightens us about our path regarding the education of our generation, when he says about the verse (Proverbs 9:8), "Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you": When you come to rebuke someone else, do not disparage him and do not curse him and say to him, "You are a scoffer." For he will hate you for this and not listen to you. Rather rebuke the wise - say to him, "Is it not the case that you are a wise man? So why are you doing this?" And so he will love you and listen to you. To here are his holy words.

(45) How very careful must we be about this in our generation, when the heart of a lad is already so removed from us. Moreover, to 'rebuke the wise man,' as above is needed in order for us to bring the heart of the lad close. It is also intrinsically very effective educationally, in that it brings out the physical and mental strengths of the student from their hiding places, to strengthen and galvanize them for Torah and divine service. There is a [relevant] analogy about someone who people are praising to his face as being generous. It is then possible that he will be strengthened to give a contribution that he was previously unable to overcome his character and give. [But] since they praised him as generous like this, they drew out the strength of his spirit to come out and overpower his trait of stinginess. The teacher and the parent must find a good trait in the student and praise him about it and strengthen him. They should say, "You have great talent and ability towards greatness in Torah and divine service, etc. waiting in you. If you only work, you will reach them." Yet the father or teacher must do this with intelligence and understanding, so that it will not bring the student to pride or negligence.

(46) We did not note all the places in the Torah and Shulchan Arukh that teach us the ways of education, about which we in this generation need to redouble our efforts and be exacting. For the more one seeks, the more one will find.

(47) It is appropriate for a teacher to study Midrash or Ein Yaakov several times a week with his students. The Sages, may their memory be blessed, already said (Sifrei Devarim 49:3), "Do you wish to know the One who spoke and brought the world into being? Learn aggadah." And the more advanced student can study [it] on his own. And when the teacher wants to speak about a matter from the books of Mussar (ethical instruction), it is good for him not to only speak about things related to punishments, but rather also about things related to the greatness of the Jewish soul and its coming close to God and raising itself up to the state of the angels. For even though the spirit of the lad is humbled by rebuke and punishment - not only does only speaking about this not bring him closer, it can also bring to light his aforementioned infirmity. But when he also speaks at length about the greatness of the Jew - the words of rebuke will also be effective; and the lad will be stimulated and enthused.

(48) And likewise should teachers and fathers not neglect parables. For the Sages, may their memory be blessed, already warned (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1:8) - And the Rabbis say, "Let not this parable be light in your eyes. As from this parable, you will be able to master words of Torah." To here are their words. And one must be very exacting with a parable, to tell it properly, in order as if the story actually happened. For this is the way of a child: Even though he knows that it is only a parable - when he hears it, he nevertheless sees the story in his imagination as if it actually happened. And he is more excited and aroused by it than by the analog (the lesson learned through it). And so in Chapter 3 of this book, we expanded on the parable a bit, even though it was not necessary for the main teaching - we described the behavior of the shoemaker and his prayer in such a way that the child will be enthused about it; and be a little aroused not to covet this world so much, but rather to come closer to God through Torah and true divine service.