LEARNING FROM CHILDREN
Dear Family,
I hope everyone is well.
Mazal Tov Freida and Mendel on the birth of a beautiful boy. We are so fortunate to be with you at this very special time, and be accommodated in your new flat BH. Wishing you many more simchos! Mazal tov to Reuven and Chana Lieba on your anniversary next week. Wishing you much continued happiness together. And another Mazal Tov from the Family in Sharon - Happy birthday Sarah for your birthday on the same day as your parents anniversary. Wishing you (and Aaron) a great year. I know that it was mentioned last week about Dani's graduation, for which we extend a big Mazal Tov, but I also heard that she won an award for creating on campus environmental control (she obtained an Environment Science major) Mazal Tov Dani, and also for all your efforts in Judaism!
BH we have had a number of CHILDREN born in the Family, in the last few weeks, and a barmitzvah and an opsherin, and I heard an intersting dvar Torah at the barmitzvah last week. This was based on a mishneh in Pirkei Avot of last week: 'Elisha ben Avuyeh said: When a child learns Torah, to what is this compared? Like ink on a new and fresh paper. And when an older person learns Torah, to what is this compared? Like ink written on a used paper.'
To this The Rebbe poses a question: Why was it necessary for the Mishneh to add the second part about older people? Is this not going to discourage older people from studying Torah. It could have been left out, and just give over the message about the beauty of children learning Torah?
The answer given, was that even though we adults have 'duller' heads due to our super-imposed views and ideas which interferes with our learning, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEARN FROM THE CHILDREN, AND RE-INTRODUCE THIS PURITY INTO OUR LIVES. THIS IS ACHIEVED BY BEING *BITUL *(puting aside our egos) AND OPENING UP TO HASHEMS TORAH, AND ABSORBING IT IN A WAY OF PURITY, LIKE A CHILD. Far from discouraging us, the Mishneh is teaching us how to get past our obstacles in learning.
Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos, and success with the education of children (and our own self-development in the process)