When is the Most Critical Time in a Child's Educational Journey?

"We educate our children at home to believe in the Creator, to keep Shabbat, and uphold values. What is the harm if the school doesn't focus on these topics? We'll make up for what's missing at home!".

The answer to this question lies in the words of Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot 6:1): "It is human nature to be drawn in behavior and thought after one's friends and peers, acting according to the customs of those around them. Therefore, one must associate with the righteous and always sit among the wise to learn from their actions and distance oneself from the wicked who walk in darkness, so as not to learn from their deeds." The environment influences the individual, and being in a negative environment inevitably affects a person, even if not immediately.

Maimonides discusses this phenomenon concerning adults, but it becomes even more critical regarding children who have yet to develop stable and unwavering opinions.

Even a child from a good home, when sitting in a class with children from homes that don't strongly believe in the Creator, is influenced by those children, as evident from surveys we've referenced earlier.

In secular schools, some students come from families unaware of the dangers on the internet and therefore have no restrictions on internet usage. This inevitably affects other children in the class, exposing them to the dangers of the internet. Additionally, the use of social media among children both locally and worldwide, has led to instances of social exclusion and tragic events of self-harm and suicide.

"Now You're Crying?"

It is told about the sage Rabbi Michal Dov Weissmandl, of blessed memory, before whom a wealthy man came, his eyes filled with tears. After calming him a bit, the wealthy man began to tell him that his only son met a non-Jewish woman and now decided to marry her, thereby cutting off his entire Jewish lineage, leaving him without Jewish descendants in the world.

The Rabbi listened intently to the wealthy man, lowered his head, and after a short silence, turned to him: I will tell you a story. In one of the cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Jewish cemetery was located outside the country's border. As a result, every funeral procession required a special permit to cross the border.

After much effort, the Jewish community obtained a permanent permit for border crossing at any funeral, without the need for a special permit each time.

Eventually, crafty merchants began exploiting this permit to smuggle goods across the border in a coffin. During one of these smuggling attempts, a guard noticed the escorts laughing among themselves, which aroused his suspicion. He immediately requested to open the coffin, and discovered the valuable goods.

The smugglers were caught and were brought before the governor for trial a few days later. During their plea for leniency, the merchants begged the governor with tears, fearing the harsh punishment of exile to Siberia.

The governor replied, "Now you're crying? It's too late! Had you cried while transporting the coffin, the guard wouldn't have asked to open it, and your lives would have been spared...".  

The Rabbi looked back at the tormented guest and said to him with a tone of sadness: "Now you're crying? It's too late. You should have cried over him as a child—to have him educated on the values of Judaism and Torah education. Had you cried then and enrolled him in the right education, you wouldn't be crying now...".

The Time to Launch the Arrow

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth" (Psalms 127:4) – When a warrior holds a bow and arrow, while the arrow is still in his hand, he can aim it wherever he chooses. But once the arrow is released, he can no longer control it.

The sages teach us, that the same is true for children:

While a child is young and under the care of his parents, they raise and feed him, and he cannot manage without them. It is then in their power to shape his personality, influence his future, and guide him on moral and value-driven paths, much like aiming an arrow in flight. But once he grows up, his parents have no influence over him and can no longer change him, just like an arrow that has left the bow and its path determined.

What is the most critical time in a child's educational journey? When choosing a school for them!

Only when children have a Torah education from a young age, can they succeed in their education and bring joy to their parents, like a tree that can only be straightened when it is young and pliable or like an arrow's flight that can only be steered towards the target before being launched.

Are you looking for a Torah school for your children?

Contactthe "Lev L'achim" organizationat 1800-550-300for free comprehensive information on Torah schools in your area, guidance and advice in choosing the best school for your children, and support throughout the registration process.