PROVERBS 22:6
Train up a child in the way the child should go, and even when the child is old, they will not depart from it.
חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּי יַזְקִין לֹא יָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה:
BABYLONIANTALMUD, PESACHIM 8B
One who says: I’m giving this sela to charity in order for my child to live or to have a share in the world to come, is a fully righteous person.
האומר סלע זו לצדקה בשביל שיחיה בני או שאהיה בן עולם הבא—זה צדיק גמור
BABYLONIAN TALMUD, KIDDUSHIN 30B
The rabbis taught: A father has these [Biblical] obligations to his son: to circumcise him, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to get him a wife, and to teach him a trade. Some say, also to teach him to swim. Rabbi Judah said, "Anyone who does not teach his son a trade teaches him thievery." Thievery? Really? Rather, "it is as though he teaches him thievery." What is the difference between the two? Whether or not one can teach his child business.
תנינא להא דת"ר: האב חייב בבנו למולו, ולפדותו, וללמדו תורה, ולהשיאו אשה, וללמדו אומנות; וי"א: אף להשיטו במים; רבי יהודה אומר: כל שאינו מלמד את בנו אומנות - מלמדו ליסטות. ליסטות ס"ד? אלא, כאילו מלמדו ליסטות .מאי בינייהו? איכא בינייהו, דאגמריה עיסקא.
"THE FOUR CHILDREN," THE HAGGADAH
Blessed is God, blessed be Adonai! Blessed is God who gave the Torah to Adonai's people Israel, blessed be Adonai! Concerning four sons, the Torah speaks: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask. The wise one- what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statues and the laws which the Lord, our God, has commanded you?" (Deuteronomy 6:20-21) You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of the Pesach offering: one may not eat dessert after the Pesach offering. The wicked one- what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says "to you," thereby excluding himself. By excluding himself, he denies the basic principle of our faith. Therefore you should blunt his teeth and say to him: "It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt"; "for me"- but not for him! Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed! (Exodus 12:26-27) The simple one- what does he say? "What is this?" Tell him: "With a strong hand did the Lord take us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Exodus 13:14) As for the one who does not know how to ask- you must prompt him, as it says: "You shall tell your child on that day: 'It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt." (Exodus 12:26-27)
ברוך המקום, ברוך הוא. ברוך שנתן תורה לעמו ישראל, ברוך הוא. כנגד ארבעה בנים דברה תורה: אחד חכם, ואחד רשע, ואחד תם, ואחד שאינו יודע לשאול. חכם מה הוא אומר? ’מה העדות והחקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה' אלוהינו אתכם?’ (דברים ו:כ) ואף אתה אמר לו כהלכות הפסח: 'אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן.’ רשע מה הוא אומר? ’מה העבודה הזאת לכם?’ (שמות יב:כו) ולכם–ולא לו. ולפי שהוציא את עצמו מן הכלל, כפר בעקר. ואף אתה הקהה את שניו ואמר לו: 'בעבור זה עשה ה' לי בצאתי ממצרים,’ (שמות יג:ח) לי–ולא לו. אילו היה שם, לא היה נגאל. תם מה הוא אומר: ’מה זאת? ואמרת אליו: 'בחזק יד הוציאנו ה' ממצרים, מבית עבדים.'’ (שמות יג:ח) ושאינו יודע לשאול– את פתח לו, שנאמר: ’והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר, 'בעבור זה עשה ה' לי בצאתי ממצרים.'’ (שמות יג:ח)
ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL, I ASKED FOR WONDER: A SPIRITUAL ANTHOLOGY
Everything depends on the person who stands in front of the classroom. The teacher is not an automatic fountain from which intellectual beverages may be obtained. The teacher is either a witness or a stranger. To guide a pupil into the promised land, the teacher must have been there themselves. When asking themselves: Do I stand for what I teach? Do I believe what I say?, the teacher must be able to answer in the affirmative. What we need more than anything else is not textbooks, but textpeople. It is the personality of the teacher which is the text that the pupils read: the text that they will never forget.