פרשת שלח
ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עינכם | ט'ו – ל'ט
“You shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes.”
Chazal interpret the words לבבכם אחרי as a warning against having heretical thoughts.
The Chofetz Chaim elaborates that this is also a warning against the belief that one can be a “Jew at heart”.
Contrary to what some people think, serving HaShem entails significantly more than simple being a “Jew at heart”, but rather requires putting into practice what the Torah commands.
This concept is understood by the next Possuk which continues ועשיתם את כל מצותי, you shall observe all my commandments.
We should stress to our students how we have to avoid a disconnect from what we learn to what we practice.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.