and Binyamin Chaim ben Faigie Sara. Please daven for them.
The Torah says "ושננתם לבניך" You should teach your son. Chazal say that the word "son" is referring to one's talmid. Why did Chazal allude to a talmid as a son?
In Parshas Beshalach we read about the war against Amalek. Moshe says to his student Yehoshua בחר לנו אנשים choose people for us [to wage war]. Chazal were sensitive to Moshe's phraseology. He SHOULD have said בחר לי choose for me. Moshe was in charge and Yehoshua was working for him. So why did he say לנו?
From here we learn a lesson for life. A Rebbe must hold the honor of his student as dear as his own honor. Moshe wanted to honor [or "honour" if he was a Brit. Indeed the rabbis say that he was born with a brit....] Yehoshua by equating the two of them. בחר לנו.
Maran HaRav Hutner wonders why specifically at this point in time we learn the lesson that a Rebbe must accord honor to his student. If the context in which we learn this lesson is the war against Amalek then there must be some connection between the two.
We are going deep. Get your snorkelers.....
What is Amalek really fighting against? The pasuk says מלחמה להשם בעמלק מדר דר. They are fighting against the "dor dor" - the link between generations. They want to sever the connection between father and son, Rebbe and student [a Rebbe has the status of a father to his students as the gemara says ושננתם לבניך אלו תלמידך - "You must teach your sons" this is a reference to your students]. The exile is couched in the Torah in terms of years - 400 years. The redemption is couched in terms of GENERATIONS, ודור רביעי ישובו הנה - the fourth generations will return here [to Israel]. Redemption is achieved when the generations are connected. About the end of days it says והשיב לב אבות על בנים ולב בנים על אבות - reconnecting between the generations.
When we solidify the connection between the generations Amalek has no chance and we are assured of victory and ultimately the גאולה השלימה.That is why specifically here we learn the lesson that a Rebbe must respect his student. The way to create a deep bond between people is through mutual respect and Moshe knew that the order of the day was to create this bond.
יהי כבוד תלמידך חביב עליך כשלך.
We see from this that the bond forged between Rebbe and Talmid is another link in the chain leading to the geula. This is why the Torah refers to a student as a son. A Rebbe teaching a student is not merely transmitting information but creates another generation leading to the geula.
השמרו לכם פן יפתה לבבכם וסרתם - Be careful lest you follow your heart and serve idols. Nature abhors a vacuum. Either a person will follow Torah .... or follow idols [or internet filth or other types of soul-corrupting activities]. The Yeshiva saves one from the mabul of civilization [or "un-civilization"].
Rebbe Tarfon said to Rebbe Akiva "כל הפורש ממך כפורש מן החיים" - Anybody who separates from you, separates from life. [Kiddushin 66]
Anybody who understands what Yeshiva is in its purest form understands that separating from Yeshiva is separating from life. May we all be zoche to connect to Yeshiva, to Rabbeim and to true Bnei Yeshiva - regardless of how we make our living.
PIL-EI PLA-OS!:-)
PIL-EI PLA-OS!:-)
[Based on Maran HaRav Hutner Pachad Yitzchak Maamar 18 and a talk given in Yeshivas Shear Yashuv recorded in Sefer Reshimos Lev]
