Parshas Vayeira — 20 MarCheshvan
1. In connection with 20 MarCheshvan — the birthday of the Rebbe (Rashab), of blessed memory[1] — my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, related[2] a story about the one whose birthday it is, which took place when he was a child of four or five, on Shabbos Parshas Vayeira.
The Rebbe Rashab went in to his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek (to receive his blessing in connection with his birthday), and burst into tears, saying: Why did G‑d appear to Avraham our father, and to us (to him) He does not appear?
The Tzemach Tzedek answered him: When a Jew, a tzaddik,[3] at ninety-nine years of age, decides that he must circumcise himself, he is worthy that G‑d should appear to him.
2. We have already spoken several times[4] about the lessons in the service of G‑d that can be derived from this story — like all the stories of our Rebbeim, our leaders, that have come down to us (and especially those which they themselves publicized), which contain lessons for every single person. Let us now dwell on one more point in the story.
My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, was precise, in telling the story, to note that the one whose birthday it is was then a child of four or five. And since the words of a leader of Israel — especially when he speaks in public and then has them printed — are certainly calculated and utterly precise,[5] we must say that this detail of the story too is not only meant to bring out the greatness of the Rebbe Rashab
[that even in his early childhood it bothered him why G‑d does not appear to him, and this affected him so much that he burst into tears],
but it too is a lesson in the service of G‑d for every single person.[6]
And from this it is understood that although the story contains many lessons for each and every person (as above), it is nevertheless a principal lesson (also) for those who are at the age of four or five —
and not only for one advanced in years who in his spiritual state is like a small child of four or five, who has not reached (the completeness of) education[7] — i.e., one who has so little understanding that not only does he not understand (on his own), but he also cannot receive influence from another — that he too can demand, and with inner force [like the matter of weeping, which shows that the thing touches him with a force beyond his measure and limitation], that G‑d should appear to him, to the point of — as He appeared to Avraham our father[8]
[the reason being — since Avraham our father is one of the three Patriarchs — of each and every Jew in all generations — every Jew (every one of the children) possesses by inheritance the qualities that were present in the Patriarchs][9],
but (mainly) for a small child of four or five in the literal sense — that he too can be educated in such a way that he will demand forcefully, to the point of weeping, that G‑d should appear to him as to Avraham our father.
3. At first glance one could ask: What resemblance and comparison is there between the Rebbe Rashab and every Jewish child?
The Rebbe Rashab, being holy from the womb, a leader son of a leader, already in his childhood showed a glimmer of his later greatness (as our Sages say,[10] “A gourd is known from its blossom”), and it is understood that already then he had more understanding than others, even adults. How, then, can we learn from him regarding the education of every Jewish child, when the “measure of education” is “for each child according to his sharpness and knowledge”?[11]
And although it is clear, as above, that the content of the story applies (not only to a leader of Israel, but) also to each person — for, as said earlier, the very fact that the story was told in public and afterwards printed proves that it is not one of the matters of the leader who “from his shoulders and upward is taller than all the people,”[12] but one of his matters to which everyone among the people has a connection —
it would seemingly be enough, however, to say that this is a lesson for those advanced in years (even including those who in spiritual matters have not reached the completeness of education, as above). Why must we say that it applies (also) to a child in the literal sense (in years)?
4. This will be understood by first noting that we find many set measures in the matter of education. Although “the measure of education … is for each child according to his sharpness and knowledge,” as above, there are nevertheless a number of matters that are tied to a specific age,[13] including the general law that “under six, do not accept him; at six, accept him and stuff him like an ox”[14] — that Torah study with a child in the manner of “stuff him like an ox”[15] [which brings about a higher completeness of education in general,[16] as is understood] begins only at “age six.”[17]
And although in this matter too it is said to depend on “the strength of the child and his physical build”[18] (and for a “weak” child one waits until “about seven”[19]), nevertheless “under six, do not accept him,”[20] even if he is a strong child,[21] even more so than another who is already “about seven.”
That is, the measure of “age six” regarding “stuff him like an ox” — the completeness of education — does not depend on the understanding and strength of the child; it is like the measure of “thirteen for mitzvos,”[22] that even if a child is a person of exceedingly great understanding,[23] even more than another who is already an adult in years,[24] he is exempt from mitzvos (by Torah law), he does not count toward a minyan, and so on.
5. The explanation of this is bound up with what the giving of the Torah accomplished in the service of Torah and mitzvos before the giving of the Torah:
The mitzvos (and service) before the giving of the Torah reached up only to the root of created beings,[25] and therefore what mattered in them was only the perfection of the person (the created being) in his service of G‑d (through which he drew down G‑dliness from the root and source of the created being); but it did not matter so much in what manner (with what physical object, and the like) he performed the service and the mitzvah.[26] That is why Yaakov our father accomplished the drawing down that is effected through tefillin by means of his service with the “rods,” as explained in the Zohar.[27]
Whereas the service of Torah and mitzvos after the giving of the Torah draws down from the Emanator, blessed be He, Who is above the root of created beings. A created being cannot accomplish this drawing down on its own, but only because the Emanator so arranged it, that when one performs such-and-such a mitzvah, the drawing down from the Emanator takes place below. Consequently the drawing down is accomplished specifically when the mitzvah is performed precisely according to the measures[28] and specifications that were given from Above (at the giving of the Torah).
[For so too now, if there were a tzaddik like Yaakov our father, he could accomplish through “rods” what Yaakov accomplished — but that is only a drawing down from the root of created beings (according to the greatness of the tzaddik’s service); it does not contain the drawing down from the Emanator, which is the service after the giving of the Torah.]
And similarly regarding the measures of the time of obligation: the fact that a child may possess greater understanding than an adult in years concerns only his own perfection (that of the created being);[29] regarding the matters of the giving of the Torah, however — the drawing down from the Emanator — there is a measure set from Above, that this begins only at the age of thirteen years;[30] and similarly in the matter of education — the completeness of education (in the manner of “stuff him like an ox”) is from age six.
6. From this it is also understood in our case: since the Rebbe Rashab was then “under six,” then regardless of his greatness in understanding and so on already at that age, he was nevertheless still (regarding the matters of the giving of the Torah) on the level of “under six,” who has not reached the completeness of education.[31]
And since in publicizing the above story — which shows that it is not a matter unique to the leaders of Israel, as above — the Rebbe [my father-in-law] was precise to relate also the detail that the Rebbe Rashab was a child of four or five, it is understood that this applies to every Jewish child who is “under six,” since according to the measure of the Torah of truth he is in the same category and level of education.
7. In light of the above — that by publicizing the story the Rebbe [my father-in-law] intended a lesson in the education of a young child in the literal sense — we will also understand how the story contains (not merely a lesson in the service of G‑d, even for young children, but) a fundamental innovation regarding the manner of education:
It is known that the Rambam[32] elaborates on the manner of teaching a young child, that one must motivate him “with things that are beloved to him because of his young age … ‘Read, and I will give you nuts…,’” because due to “his young age and the weakness of his intellect he does not understand the value of that good.”
And here one demands of a child that what should “touch” and “affect” him, even to the point of weeping, is not physical good and the like, but — why G‑d does not appear to him. That is, one must educate a child so that G‑dliness becomes “a part of his life”[32*] (“things that are beloved to him”), to the point that it pains him greatly that G‑d does not appear to him, and in the manner in which He appeared to Avraham our father.
Had the above event with the Rebbe Rashab not taken place, one could not know whether it would be possible to bring about such a feeling in every Jewish child; for since by his nature he is drawn, as in the Rambam above, to physical things, one must educate and motivate him with those things “that are beloved to him.”
But after the above event took place — and especially after my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, related the event in public and had it printed — it is clear that this revealed, and more than that, opened a new channel[33] and path in the matter of education: that now, through proper education, one can now[34] break through the natural limits of Jewish children and accustom them to want spirituality, to the point of calling forth in them a wondrous yearning that G‑d should appear to them.
And when one sees a Jewish child who is not bothered that G‑d does not appear to him — it is not because he has no connection to this, but because the educator does not speak to him about it with words that come from the heart.
8. Just as the lesson of the question and the weeping of the Rebbe Rashab is for every Jewish child, as explained at length above, so too it is understood that the answer of the Tzemach Tzedek to the Rebbe Rashab — “When a Jew, a tzaddik, at ninety-nine years of age, decides that he must circumcise himself, he is worthy that G‑d should appear to him” — is an answer that applies to every Jewish child (and consequently to his education):
The meaning of the Tzemach Tzedek’s answer is surely not that G‑d appeared only to Avraham (because at ninety-nine years of age he decided that he must circumcise himself), but that to others, and especially to someone like the Rebbe Rashab, it has no relevance — for then the Tzemach Tzedek should have answered briefly that one cannot compare oneself to Avraham our father;[35]
rather, the meaning is that this is a lesson in how everyone can come to “And G‑d appeared to him”: through the decision that whatever spiritual state one may be in (even when one is a tzaddik at the age of ninety-nine years), one must circumcise oneself — that is, one must guard oneself and toil to remove the covering, the concealment and hiddenness of the world.[36]
And this feeling applies to every single Jew. For although Avraham was “a tzaddik at ninety-nine years of age” — years that were “complete days”[37] in his service of G‑d — and consequently his decision that he must circumcise himself (guard himself against the concealment of the world) is a far greater novelty than the decision of one who is not a tzaddik[38] —
it is nevertheless known regarding the matter of “opening”[39] that after someone has toiled at a certain matter and drawn it down into the world, he thereby opens the channel for others, so that afterwards they too can attain that matter with much less toil
[and all the more so after the giving of the Torah, when one can accomplish, through much smaller and easier service, what the Patriarchs accomplished through great service and toil[40]].
9. And this is the lesson (from the Tzemach Tzedek’s answer) regarding education, also for young children:
After calling forth in the child the wondrous yearning that G‑d should appear to him, one must explain to him that the path to this is through the decision that one must always “circumcise” oneself — guard oneself and remove the concealment and hiddenness of the world.
That is, one must educate a child not to be impressed by the concealment and hiddenness of the world — he should not be swayed by what the “world” says, but by what the Torah wants; and this decision should be so strong in him that “even when he grows old he will not depart from it”[41] — it is so deeply rooted in him that he always remembers, even when he is already on a higher, and a far, far higher level in the service of G‑d, that he must “circumcise” himself.
And this brings about that already in his childhood he will have “And G‑d appeared to him,” which illuminates him together with his surroundings, in the manner of “G‑d shall be for you an everlasting light.”[42]
10. Just as our Rebbeim opened a new channel in education regarding matters “between man and G‑d”
— that now one can educate Jewish children to long for matters of Yiddishkeit (not for the sake of reward and the like, but) in such a way that they (these matters) become a part of their life, to the point that it pains them so much that G‑d does not appear to them as He appeared to Avraham our father —
so too we find this point in matters between man and his fellow, also in a story about the one whose birthday it is, from the days of his childhood:[43]
When the Rebbe Rashab was four years old, the tailor once brought a garment that he had sewn for his mother, the Rebbetzin. While the garment was being examined, the Rebbe Rashab innocently pulled a piece of fabric out of the tailor’s pocket. The tailor was embarrassed and began to excuse himself, saying that he had forgotten about the piece of material that had remained with him, and so on.
Afterwards, when the tailor had left, his mother the Rebbetzin remarked that because of him the tailor had been put to shame. When he heard this, he burst into bitter tears.
Some weeks later he went in to his father (the Rebbe Maharash) and asked him how one can rectify the sin of shaming another person. When his father asked him why he was asking this question, he answered that he wanted to know, without relating what had happened.
When his mother the Rebbetzin asked him why he had not wanted to tell his father the whole story, he answered: It is enough that he had stumbled in shaming another; should he also transgress talebearing and lashon hara?!
11. At first glance there was nothing “terrible” about the shaming that occurred here — for, as is precisely stated in the story, the Rebbe Rashab pulled out the piece of fabric “innocently,” i.e., unintentionally[44] [and moreover, it was not in public[45] — only his mother the Rebbetzin was present] — and nevertheless, as soon as he heard that the tailor had been embarrassed, it affected him so strongly that he wept bitterly.
This shows that what pained him was (not so much that the shaming had come about through him, that he would deserve punishment and so on, but) the very fact that a Jew had been put to shame.
And that is also why he did not want to tell his father about it — although not answering his father’s question might perhaps touch upon the obligation of honoring one’s father, and so on; and moreover, telling would have been solely for the sake of rectifying the sin — because he could not bear the very fact that something not good about a Jew should be spoken of (in any manner whatsoever).
And since this story was told to us together with the emphasis that the Rebbe Rashab was then four years old, this is proof that now one can educate every Jewish child, even at that age, in this manner.
12. From all the above we also learn how great is the obligation upon every single Jew to exert himself in the matter of education, both regarding his own children
— as in the well-known saying of the one whose birthday it is:[46] Just as putting on tefillin every day is a Biblical commandment upon every Jew, without distinction between a great Torah scholar and a simple man, so is it an absolute duty upon every Jew to think every day for half an hour about the education of children, and to do everything in his power, and more than in his power, to see to it that the children go in the path in which they are being guided —
and regarding other Jewish children, whose parents (for whatever reason) have not given them a proper education, in which case the obligation rests upon every wise person in Israel[47] to see to it that the child receives a proper education.
And through this one raises up the “hosts of G‑d” who will go out of exile — “with our young and with our old… with our sons and with our daughters”[48] — through our righteous Moshiach, very soon indeed.
(From talks of Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, 20 MarCheshvan, 5736 and 5737)
Key Lesson
A child of four or five can be taught to long for G‑dliness so deeply that he weeps because G‑d does not appear to him as He did to Avraham. Since the Rebbe Rashab’s childhood tears opened this channel, every Jewish child can be raised this way — and a child who is not moved is usually one who has not heard words that come from the heart. Teach children that the way to G‑d is to “circumcise” themselves, not being swayed by what the world says, and to be sensitive to another Jew’s dignity. Every Jew should give real daily thought to the education of his own children and of others’ children.