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EXECUTIVE'S CORNER
In his modern classic text on Jewish education, Zeriah U’Binyan B’Chinuch (available in English translation as Planting and Building: Raising a Jewish Child), Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe suggests that there are two basic processes that form the basis of all progress and development in the world. If we understand these processes, he asserts, we will also have more success in shaping the development of our children and students. Rabbi Wolbe points to two berachot (blessings) in the middle of the Amidah prayer that refer to redemption. The first is Bonei Yerushalayim (Blessed are You, HaShem, who builds Jerusalem) and the second is Matzmiach Keren Yeshua (Blessed are You, Hashem, who causes salvation to grow). He explains that the term “growth” in the second prayer reflects the image of sprouting, as in planting seeds and watching them sprout. This theme of planting and building is further developed as follows: Growth is a natural process that can take place without any intervention. If you plant seeds into fertile soil, they will sprout on their own. Building, on the other hand, is a manual process requiring intervention, a step-by-step sequence that results in a sturdy structure. All of life, according to Rabbi Wolbe, requires the balance and sequencing of these two processes. We need to provide a sound, solid foundation on which to build, but we also need to provide for the sprouting of seeds that will ensure dynamic growth. In Jewish education, suggests Rabbi Wolbe, the same processes are essential. If we want our children to grow into mature, responsible, caring Jews, we must provide them with a solid foundation. A mentsch does not result from spontaneous human development. We must build this aspect of the child, providing guidance through the teaching of Torah, traditions, responsibilities and values. But if we only “build” such a child, we end up with a robot. A child must also be seen as a growing, organic being. As the child’s body grows, so does the soul and the personality. This aspect of the child’s development needs constant nurturing, just like a seed or a plant. We need to plant the seeds in the correct seasons, recognizing the child’s potential at every stage and providing the correct guidance. But if we only “plant” such a child without providing a foundation, then we could end up with a beast, for whom everything is organic and subjective, with no grounding in basic values. As we start this new Jewish year, let us all focus on planting and building. Let us recognize that our children need both values and vitality. And let us remember that the most important locus of planting and building is the family. As parents, we must always remember that we are the most important role models for our children. We cannot purchase a Jewish education for our children. We cannot drop them off and pick them up and hope that a Jewish education will somehow occur in between. We must plant it and build it in the home, and only then will the supplemental work of our schools be effective. Shana Tovah to all! |
