Va’Etchanan-Nachamu: Optimism Through Eudcation

While this week’s Parsha is not the most famous Parsha in the Torah, the words in it are. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart. 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.” (Dvarim chapter 6)

These words, impacting our daily lives more than any other words in the Torah, from birth to departure, are on our lips when we wake up, to the time we go to sleep. They are on our doorposts, close to our hearts, and in our tefillin. 

Yet when you look at both Rashi and Maimonides, we find a shocking change in the plot. “to your sons: These are your disciples. We find everywhere that disciples are termed “sons”. Rashi goes on to list the many places in Tanach in which the word Banim, children, is used for students. 

While at times Rashi turns away from the simple reading of a Pasuk when there is a major difficulty, one must wonder why not explain this Pasuk with its simple meaning–teach your children. 

This is all the more difficult when looking at Maimonides (laws of Talmud Torah chapter 1) as he codifies the Mitzvah of teaching one’s own children and grandchildren, not using our famous Pasuk of Ve’shinantam levanecha. 

“[Furthermore, this charge is not confined] to one’s children and grandchildren alone. Rather, it is a mitzvah for each and every wise man to teach all students, even though they are not his children, as [Deuteronomy 6:7] states: “And you shall teach them to your sons…” The oral tradition explains: “Your sons,” these are your students, for students are also called sons… If so, why do the commandments [explicitly mention] one’s son and grandson? To grant precedence to one’s son over one’s grandson and one’s grandson over the son of a colleague.”

Why do Rashi and the Rambam deviate from the simple reading of this Mitzvah? Why not say it is talking about the Mitzvah of teaching one’s own children? Furthermore, why does the Pasuk say “Veshinantam Levanecha” when speaking about the Mitzvah of teaching and only then “vedibarta bam” you yourself should talk about it?

To answer this it is important we refer to what is probably the most important passage in the Talmud. The Talmud says (Bava Batra 26a) that blessed is this person, Yehoshua Ben Gamla, without whom Torah would have been forgotten as once upon a time, only children whose fathers could teach them were taught. Then, based on the verse “Ki Metzion Tetze Torah–from Zion shall come forth Torah”, they made schools in Jerusalem, and whoever had a father brought them there. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Gamla instituted there must be Torah education for everyone in every city in Israel. Some attribute this policy to the fact that the Queen at the time was Queen Shlomtzion. 

The reason Ve’shinantam Levanecha comes even before ve’dibarta bam, the mitzvah for each of us to learn, is that teaching others and caring for the future of Torah education and the Jewish people takes priority even over our own learning. While in Tzedaka we have a rule of Chayecha Kodmin, your own life takes precedence over others, when it comes to teaching Torah and caring for the future of our people, your very own personal obligations take the back seat. 

We just read Nachamu Nachamu Ami, God asks Jermiah to ofer condolences to the people of Israel. The Midrash offers a heart-wrenching conversation in which the Jewish people refuse to accept condolences, which is why God must repeat Nachamu twice. It is then followed by “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem”. The Jewish people refuse to be comforted if not by God himself. The Talmud describes a conversation between the Jewish people and God in which they are still skeptical and ask God if perhaps He is only consoling that generation that witnessed the destruction of Israel. God responds with the future tense “Yomar Elokeichem”, your God will say. Shabbat Nachamu is a time when God speaks to every generation, offering condolences. This week is indeed very much about the future tense. 

While the past year has offered Jews many reasons to feel anxious about what is going on around us, making some even wonder about the future of Jews in America. Yet the numbers we have missed show a very different picture. While fifty years ago has seen many skeptical of the future of the Jewish people in America, the Pew Research Center reports 7.3-7.7 million Jews in America, more than ever previously recorded. A record 14 Jewish athletes have brought America 14 medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thirteen Jews in Major League Baseball and eleven in the NHL keep making us all proud. Sure, there is room for us to grow in the NBA, where we have only one, but college basketball has seen a surge of Jewish players as well, so hopefully, we will see those in the NBA as well. With 160 new Kosher restaurants opened just this past year and many brands going Kosher, Jewish life is supported by broad infrastructure. With close to 1000 day schools and more than 300,000 students, Jewish life is robust and proud. Thirty-three Jewish members of Congress, not all of whom make us proud but show us the vibrancy of our community. 

In 1951, Rabbi Norman Lamm was approached by congregants and asked if they should mourn on Tisha Be’Av in light of the creation of the state of Israel. At the time Israel had hardly one million Jewish residents, many were living in tents, terrorism was a daily occurrence, and food was rationed. Yet despite it all, Jews knew how this was so much better than what we had before. Jews knew the historical value of having a Jewish state and a homeland for the Jewish people. Sure, we look to Israel today and see many challenges. Yet, like the Jews of 1951, let us understand the great miracle of Israel, appreciate it, and work to secure it a better future.