Community Rabbi Corner, Jan. 22, 2021

Rabbi Elie Mischel
Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center
Livingston, NJ
Parashat Bo
 

On one of his busy speaking tours in the United States, a Jewish day school begged Rav Adin Steinsaltz, z”l to find a few minutes to deliver a short message to the students just before school dismissed. When he arrived at the end of the day, the entire student body was seated in the auditorium awaiting a few profound words from the famous Rabbi.
 
Rav Steinsaltz walked up to the podium and said, “Boys and girls – hello! There are so many subjects I know little about.  But I do know a little about Torah study, so I want to offer you a few words of advice on your Torah studies.  My advice to you is this: make the lives of your teachers as miserable as you possibly can! Ask them questions you don’t think they can answer.  Find contradictions in their teachings and ask them to justify those contradictions.  Find books that ask difficult questions about the subjects you are studying and ask your teachers these questions.  Make the lives of your teachers as miserable as you possibly can!  Thank you very much.”
 
The principal rushed to the podium and said, “I want to thank Rav Steinsaltz for taking the time to honor us with his presence today.  But please don’t take Rabbi Steinsaltz too literally!”
 
Hearing this, Rav Steinsaltz turned around and walked back to the microphone and said, “I have often been misquoted over the years, but I don’t want to be misquoted here.  My advice to you is this: make the lives of your teachers as miserable as you possibly can!”  He waved to the kids and left.
 
“When your child asks you: What is this? Say to him: With great strength, God took us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage…” (Exodus 13:14)
 
Judaism offers powerful answers to the most important questions of life.  But if our children do not ask, if their hearts are closed by boredom and inattention, the Torah’s answers will mean little to them.  And so let’s encourage them to ask - and make the lives of their teachers miserable!
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