A five-year-old beginning the study of Scripture wonders why his father is not personally fulfilling the mitzvah, “You shall teach them diligently to your children.” Rashi therefore explains, “We find everywhere that students are called children.” However, the child still wonders: It is understandable that a father must exert himself for his son, but why must a teacher undertake such demanding effort? Rashi therefore continues, “Just as students are called children, so too, a teacher is called a father.”
Rashi comments on the verse in our parsha (Devarim 6:7):
“‘To your children’—these are the students. We find everywhere that students are called children, as it is stated, ‘You are children of Hashem your G‑d’; and it states, ‘The sons of the prophets who were in Beis El’; and similarly, regarding Chizkiyahu, who taught Torah to all Israel and called them children, as it is stated, ‘My children, do not now be negligent.’ Just as students are called children, as it is stated, ‘You are children of Hashem your G‑d,’ so too, a teacher is called a father, as it is stated, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel,’ etc.”
We must understand: What is the basis, within the plain meaning of Scripture, for interpreting “your children” as something other than its literal meaning? Why must Rashi bring three proofs that students are called children? And why does he not bring the proof from Rashi’s own explanation of the verse, “These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe,” where Rashi explains that because Moshe taught them Torah, they were called Moshe’s descendants?
The explanation is as follows: On the verse, “I will divide them among Yaakov,” Rashi explains that the descendants of Shimon would become teachers of young children. Seemingly, fathers are obligated to teach Torah to their sons. Why, then, would there be teachers of young children?
A five-year-old beginning the study of Scripture knows that he attends cheder and that his teacher—not his father—teaches him Torah. He therefore wonders why his father is not fulfilling the mitzvah, “You shall teach them diligently to your children.”
Rashi answers this by explaining, “We find everywhere that students are called children.” To emphasize that this is the straightforward meaning—“we find everywhere”—Rashi brings three proofs.
(This also explains why the verse says “your children,” which leaves room for the mistaken assumption that it means biological children, instead of stating explicitly, “your students.” Rashi therefore explains that students are called children “everywhere.” For this reason, he does not bring proof from the verse, “These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe,” because the word “your children” is not used there.)
The necessity for all three verses can be explained as follows:
The verse, “You are children of Hashem your G‑d,” is not sufficient proof, because one could explain that the Jewish people are called Hashem’s “children” because Hashem gave them mitzvos. After all, the mitzvos are also fundamental to the very identity of the Jewish people.
Rashi therefore cites the verse, “The sons of the prophets.” However, one could still interpret “the sons of the prophets” to mean people whose essential identity was prophecy, similar to the expression “the people of the East.”
Rashi therefore cites the verse concerning Chizkiyahu. Rashi adds that Chizkiyahu “taught Torah to all Israel.” This proves that they were called his children because he taught them Torah, and not because he attended to their other needs. After all, the Jewish people were not called the children of the other kings. We must therefore conclude that they were called Chizkiyahu’s children specifically because Chizkiyahu, unlike the other kings, “taught Torah to all Israel.”
After all this, however, the five-year-old beginning Scripture still asks: The commandment, “You shall teach them diligently to your children,” requires that “the words of Torah should be sharp and fluent in your mouth.” This demands tremendous effort. It is understandable that a father must exert himself for his son, but why should a teacher be required to undertake such demanding effort?
Rashi therefore continues: “Just as students are called children”—as it is stated, “You are children of Hashem your G‑d,” and the Jewish people are consequently obligated to fulfill Hashem’s will at every moment—“so too, a teacher is called a father,” and he must therefore exert himself greatly for his children.
The proof that a teacher must exert himself is brought from the verse, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel,” etc. “The chariot of Israel” means that the teacher gives the student the tools with which he can wage an intellectual battle. When someone challenges his reasoning, the student will not stammer; rather, the words of Torah will be sharp and fluent in his mouth.
This also alludes to the continuation of the verse, “and its horsemen.” Sometimes there is a student who, even after the teacher gives him the “chariot”—the tools of intellectual battle—is still unable to prevail. The teacher must therefore also become “its horsemen,” showing the student how to use those tools.
The inner dimension of Torah teaches the following lesson: When a person encounters a student who requires not only a “chariot,” but also the personal involvement represented by “its horsemen,” he must recognize that this is a sign from Above that helping this student is essential to the completeness of his own Divine service.
Through devoting himself to the student, the teacher becomes a father. He then receives from Hashem’s unlimited power and consequently succeeds in his service of “You shall teach them diligently to your children.”
When the student ultimately learns independently—veshinantam, “you shall teach them diligently”—this serves as preparation for the coming of Mashiach, when “one person will no longer teach another.” This is also alluded to by the fact that the proof Rashi cites is from Eliyahu, the herald of the Redemption.