EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN
Excerpts from Shevet Mussar (20:5), the chapter on Raising Children....
A person should be careful to pray for his children and his children's
children throughout all the generation from now until the end of the
world that no blemish should come out from them. Thus the Shlah Hakodesh
writes in Shnai Luchot Habrit about a chasid who always cried at
midnight with his prayer that no blemish should come out from him. He
merited to seven sons who were all talmedai chachamim.
It is also written in Tana Debai Eliyahu that a person should pray that
his children will be proper and kosher. It cites the following story
from a midrash.
A kohen (priest) had great fear of G-d, although he kept his piety
hidden. He had ten children from one wife, six boys and four girls.
Every day he would fling himself into the dust and pray that none of his
children should commit a sin, and that no unseemly thing should come out
from them.
Before he completed a year of this practice G-d aroused many Jews
together with Ezra to ascend from Babylon to the Land of Israel. Within
the next fifty years this priest did not go to his world without seeing
his sons and grandsons serving as priests in the Temple and appointed
High Priest. Concerning him it was written, "Trust in G-d and do
good..." (Psalms 37:3).
"Trust in G-d forever and ever, in Yah who is G-d..." (Isaiah 26:4).
This means that you should trust in G-d for both worlds, this one and
the next one.
The Talmud learns from the name of G-d appearing in the conclusion of
the verse, Yah (composed of the two Hebrew letters, Heh and Yod) that He
created the world to come (with the letter Yod) and this world (with the
letter Heh). Thus, the overall meaning of the verse is that you should
trust in G-d for both worlds, this one and the one to come.
A person who truly trusts in G-d will never be embarrassed, as it is
written, "Blessed is the man who trusts in G-d; G-d will be his trust.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the water..." (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
The following is from Raisheet Chochmah, the chapter on Raising
Children.
A person must always endeavour to teach his children Torah, and he
should not neglect it despite the burdens of raising children. The
burden of raising children is very great, as we have learned from the
midrash on the verse "Unto the woman He said, `I will greatly multiply
your sorrow and your pregnancy, and you will conceive in sorrow...'"
(Genesis 3:16). Besides the pain of childbirth this verse implies three
troubles which were decreed upon women: the sorrows of pregnancy,
menstruation and child rearing.
Rashba said that it is easier for a person to raise olives in the
Gallilee than to raise one child in the Land of Israel. The Gallilee is
relatively cold and it is not a good place to raise olives. The Land of
Israel is a relatively good place to raise children. Its fruits are good
for sustenance, its water and air are healthy, and Chazal have said that
the atmosphere of the Land of Israel enlightens. Therefore, it is a
relatively good place to raise children. Nevertheless, it is easier to
raise tons of olives in the Gallilee, although it is a very hard thing
to do, than to raise one child in the Land of Israel.
The burden of raising children mostly falls upon women, and therefore
their reward is very great when they raise their children to go in the
proper way. Thus, the Talmud teaches that the guarantee which G-d
promised women is greater than that which He promised to men, as it is
written, "The women who are at ease shall arise and hear My voice; the
daughters who trust shall listen to My speech" (Isaiah 32:9). And what
is their merit? They merit by bringing their children to the Talmud
Torah and to the synagogue, and by waiting for their husbands to return
from the House of Study.
