Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Kiddushin 59:7

אמר ריב"ל כל המלמד את בן בנו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קבלה מהר סיני שנאמר והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך וסמיך ליה יום אשר עמדת לפני ה' אלהיך בחורב (דברים ד, י)

R'Joshua B'Levi said: He who teaches his grandson Torah, the Writ regards him as though he had received it [direct] from Mount Sinai, for it is said; 'and thou shalt make them known unto your sons and your sons' sons', which is followed by, that is the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 10.');"><sup>11</sup></span> R'Hiyya B'Abba found R'Joshua B'Levi wearing a plain cloth upon his head<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not a sudarium, V. supra p. 142, n. 2,');"><sup>12</sup></span> and taking a child to the synagogue [for study].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Talmudic times the teaching took place in the synagogue.');"><sup>13</sup></span> 'What is the meaning of all this? ' he demanded.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why was he so hasty to go out as not to don Proper headgear? tmnut');"><sup>14</sup></span>

Shemirat HaLashon

And I know their excuses, that the times are difficult, etc. But, in truth, if they searched their souls they would know that the yetzer is only deceiving them. For in other things, which are only of physical benefit to their son, does not each one of them assist his son with all of his strength, even more than he is able? And sometimes, he even places his life in danger because of him, doing things which are against the din, both between man and his neighbor and between man and the L-rd. And he blesses himself in his heart, saying: "All will be well with me, for I am doing charity at all times by feeding my family." But when he must support his son in Torah, to know how to serve the L-rd, bringing both his son and himself to eternal life, as we shall adduce below from the midrashim of Chazal, he says that times are hard! And this is as Scripture states (Isaiah 93:2): "And not Me did you call upon, Jacob; for you grew weary with Me, O Israel" — "with Me," specifically. As we find on this verse in the Midrash, Esther Rabbah 3: "All day he is busy working and does not become weary; he prays, and he becomes weary!" And, in truth, the expenditures for the Torah study of his sons are outside of the expenditures for sustenance fixed for him on Rosh Hashanah, as Chazal have said (Beitzah 16a): "All the sustenance for man is fixed for him from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, except expenditures for Shabbath, …and expenditures for his sons' Torah studies, which, if he gives less, he is given less [by Heaven], and if he gives more, he is given more." Come and see what Chazal have said (Kiddushin 30a): "If one teaches his son's son Torah, Scripture reckons it unto him as if he had received it on Mount Sinai, viz. Devarim 4:9: 'And you shall impart them [(words of Torah)] to your sons and to the sons of your sons," followed by (Ibid. 10): 'the day you stood before the L-rd your G-d in Chorev.'" Also, through this, he merits long life for him and his sons, it being written (Ibid. 11:19): "And you shall teach them to your sons," followed by (Ibid. 21): "So that your days be prolonged and the days of your sons, etc."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse