02_explanation Of Rashi Vaetchanan

‫בס“ד‬

In this weeks Torah Portion we find what may be the most famous Jewish prayer!

We find the Shema:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one

‫בס“ד‬ Near the beginning of the Shema, Devarim Chapter 6, Verse 7, the Torah says:

7. And you shall teach them to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Rashi quotes the words from the verse and explains them as follows: to your sons: These are your disciples. We find everywhere that disciples are termed “sons,”

‫בס“ד‬

Why does Rashi explain that “children” here means “students.” Isn’t it a lot simpler to explain children according to the simple meaning of the word?    

The Midrash does explain that the meaning of children is students here. But as we have discussed numerous times, Rashi is the simple explanation of the verse!

‫בס“ד‬

Rashi quotes three proofs that students can be called children.

“You are children to the Lord your God” (Deut. 14:1), and it says: “The disciples [lit. sons] of the prophets who were in Bethel” (II Kings 2:3). So too, we find that Hezekiah taught Torah to all Israel and called them children, as it is said: “My sons, now do not forget” (II Chron. 29:11). And just as disciples are called “children,” as it is said “You are children to the Lord your God” so too, the teacher is called “father,” as it is said [that Elisha referred to his teacher Elijah by the words] “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel…” (II Kings 2:12) (Sifrei 6:7).

‫בס“ד‬

This itself poses a number of questions!

hy does Rashi need three proofs, when one would have sufficed? . In the Torah portion of Bamidbar, it says alls Aaron’s children the children of Moshe. Rashi states there simply that this teaches us that students are called children. et there he doesn’t find it

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The questions continue:

3. The proofs which Rashi does quote are all from verses that the child who is learning Chumash has not yet learned. Why can’t he use the previously quoted verse as a proof? 4. Rashi could have used the book of Proverbs as a proof, where King Solomon says “my son” and means

‫בס“ד‬

Still more questions!

5. Hezekiah calls his “students”  children once in Chronicles, which is a  chronicle of history (albeit a book of  the Bible). King Solomon calls his  students children over twenty times in  Proverbs which is a book which  teaches us important things, and  comes before Chronicles in the order of  the Bible! 

‫בס“ד‬

We have one possible answer to  all of our questions!

Previously, in Shemot 34, 32, Rashi  explained the order in which the Jews  would learn each thing Moshe heard  from G-d. First he would teach it to  Aaron, then to the children of Aaron,  then to the Elders, then to the masses.  According to this the people only heard  it once. However, that is not so,  because each one repeated it, so  everyone heard it four times!

‫בס“ד‬

The difficulty goes on!

he reason everyone had to learn the Torah  four times was in order to know it well.  Once was not enough! But why were the  elders responsible to teach it to the  people? Without Rashi, one only needed to  teach Torah to his children! his is the reason that Rashi explains that  “your children” means “your students.”

‫בס“ד‬

This seems to present a difficulty!

he entire proof from the way that the Jewish people learned Torah in  he wilderness, just means that there is some commandment to learn Torah with  others. It does not prove that students are  called children! Aside  rom that, the order of study was  established at the beginning of the  orty years, and this commandment

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The Explanation!

n the end of the Book of Bereishit,  aakov our forefather gives his son  himon a blessing that he and his  escendants would earn their living by being scribes and Torah teachers. If every father is obligated to teach  is son Torah, the only ones they could  each would be orphans (G-d forbid). side from that, the student knows that he is in  a class in a school, and his father is not 

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The Explanation!

owever, after everything is said and done,  t does say “your children!” Therefore Rashi  needs to show that we find students alled children throughout the Bible. e begins with the verse “You are hildren to the Lord your G-d,” because G-d  teaches us! owever this does not suffice! aybe it is a term of endearment! nd even if it is not, maybe it refers  o the fact that we receive our life from 

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The Explanation!

herefore, Rashi needs to quote a second  erse, telling about the Children f the Prophets. Prophesy was not passed  rom father to son! The Children of the Prophets  were  people who were fit for prophesy, but needed to  know how to go about it. Hence we see that students  are called children! There is, however, one problem  with this! The Hebrew word for child, “Ben,” or “Bar”  in Aramaic, also has the meaning of a person. We see  this from the fact that a “Bar Mitzvah” does not mean  the son of a commandment, but rather one who is  commanded to fulfill commandments!

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The Explanation!

herefore, Rashi needs a third proof  rom Hezekiah who taught all of the Jewish  people Torah, and referred to  hem as his children! here is a problem with this answer as  well, because the job of a king is to take  care of all of the needs of his nation.  Perhaps that is why he called them  children? Therefore we need the other  proofs!

‫בס“ד‬

The Explanation!

e are still left with a question! Why  doesn’t Rashi quote from “the  hildren of Moshe” or the Book of Proverbs  as we asked before? ashi wants to show that students  re referred to as children all over the  Bible. That is why he brings three  roofs. The fact is that it does not call Aaron’s children the “children”  f Moshe, but the offspring of Moshe. 

‫בס“ד‬

The Deeper Explanation!

e seem to have taken care of all  f our questions. However, on  deeper level, we are responsible o teach Torah to all of our students. f Divine Providence placed us ith a fellow Jew, we are obligated to teach  him. Remember that a poor person also  must give Tzedakah. Poverty is relative.  There is always someone that  e have more than, and someone that