פרשת ואתחנן
ושננתם לבניך | דברים, ו', ז
And teach them (Torah) thoroughly to your children.
Rashi, quoting the Sifri, explains that the children referred to here are one’s students.
The Gemara relates how Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Gamla instituted the concept of Torah schooling. Previously, the task of teaching children Torah fell upon the father. Children without a father or with an unlearned father, would therefore miss out on a Torah education.
This was due to the erroneous reading of the verse ולמדתם אותם את בניכם (teach them to your children) which was instead interpreted as ולמדתם אתם (you shall teach them), implying that only a father is obligated to teach his son.
According to the above Sifri, however, the verse ושננתם לבניך specifically obligates one to teach his students Torah. If so, how could the verse ולמדתם אתם be misinterpreted to mean that only the father is obligated to teach his son Torah?
Hagaon Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l explains that the verse ושננתם לבניך would have been understood to mean that if one has begun teaching someone else’s son Torah, he is obligated to continue since this disciple is now deemed to be his son.
This would not, however, obligate one to commence teaching another’s child. Hence, the need for the institution of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Gamla.
By teaching Torah to our students they become our children!
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.