פרשת שמות
...את יעקב איש וביתו באו | שמות א', א'
…with Yaakov, each man and his household came
It would seem like this verse is superfluous. This posuk begins by saying "ואלו שמות בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה" – and these are the name of the bnei Yisrael who came to Mitzrayim. Was not Yaakov also included?
The Chofetz Chaim explains, that this teaches us an important lesson. The שבטים themselves would not have agreed to be exiled with their families to Mitzrayim which know for immoral behaviors. They feared that they might be influenced by those that they will live amongst. But since Yaakov was going along with them too, they agreed to go down to Mitzrayim with the knowledge and confidence that their father Yaakov would protect them from mingling and learning from them. That is why the posuk specifies את יעקב איש וביתו באו. The had the zechus of their father with them.
We are “raising” students in a time when the outside influences bombard us daily. To protect our students from these “attacks” we need to contribute to being their “Yaakov”. We are the role models that can protect this generation!
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.