the following is an article authored by our Rav, Harav Y
R Rubin of Mosdos Ohr Shlomo Manchester England. We would hope you
could reprint it on your website. with Brochas of continued success in
your Harbotzas Torah and for a chag kosher vesomeach,
C Shriebhand
director of The Informal Project
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A unique opportunity for a Kiddush Hashem
The
mechanech was at his wit’s end. He had tried everything including the
newest pedagogical techniques that he had learnt at a recent course. He
just could not get this child to listen, and things didn't seem to be
getting any easier. The boy seemed to be fine otherwise. His family was baaleibatish,
yet nothing seemed to be able to motivate him. He didn't bother anyone;
he just sat there, sometimes looking out the window with a far off
gaze. The mechanech felt frustrated; if he didn't know any better he
would have thought the boy had a personal axe to grind.
Our
mechanech had a connection with a Tzaddik and when he visited his Rebbe
he wrote in his kvittel about the problem with this boy. The Rebbe
looked up to his chossid with warm sweet eyes and asked simply, “Have
you davened for this talmid?” What a stunningly beautiful thought! Have
you davened for this child? Does his pain enter your inner landscape?
Is this child important enough for your sincere prayers?
Hearing
this episode brought tears to my eyes. In the world of education we are
often so obsessed with ticking all the boxes, achieving the right marks
in tests, approximating preordained levels that we forget who we are
teaching. Nothing brings us closer to our students than when we see
their difficulties and tribulations as those of Yiddishe neshomas with
whose care we have been entrusted. Who wouldn't daven for a loved one?
What greater tool could any Torah Yied have?
In
parshas Shemini we come across an extremely deep lesson. “Moshe and
Aaron came” (9:23). This “coming” refers to a specific prayer that Moshe
and Aaron offered upon the completion of the Mishkan. Rashi explains
that when construction of the Mishkan was finished and all the
sacrifices had been brought, the Divine Presence still did not descend
upon the Bnei Yisroel. Aaron was extremely distressed, because he took
it as a rebuke for his participation during the episode of the Golden
Calf. At that point, Moshe came and davened for Hashem’s mercy. It was
first then that the Shechina descended.
Perhaps
this is meant to show us that even after every detail of a set of
instructions has been fulfilled, all the boxes ticked, still, it takes a
tefillah to actualise the bringing down of the presence of Hashem.
We
all are extremely aware of the challenges our young face, and we have
all seen our mechanchim trying their utmost to advance their
understanding of their students. But, as the Rebbe asked, have we
davened for our students? Have we stood with a Sefer Tehillim in hand
and beseeched Hashem for Divine help?
I
would like to make a proposal. I do so with trepidation because I am
fully aware that others may wonder about where this originates. However,
sometimes you just have an intuition about something and you want to
share it. What happens subsequently is in Hashem’s Hands.
My
proposal is simple: once a year, at a date to be determined, every
rebbe, mechanech, menahel, Rosh Yeshiva, Beis Yaakov teacher, indeed
everyone who has our children's neshomas in their hands, should come
together and daven for their students. This will be at one central
location, embracing all mosdos.
Each
participant will come with a list of their students’ names and after we
all say a few chapters of Tehillim, each participant will quietly go
through their list. The order of this event can be fine- tuned. I only
want to offer the template.
Now,
step back for a moment and just imagine the impact such an event could
have. Children would see how their teachers care about them. Parents
would witness the deep devotion that their rebbes have for their
charges. Just the thought of hundreds, perhaps more, of our mechanchim
coming with their lists, asking Hashem for help, beseeching that they
succeed with the next generation of hielige neshomas, is awesome.
The
children would feel a sense of connection, as would the teachers.
Mechanchim from all mosdos would be in one place davening for their
students.
This would
be a Kiddush Hashem without any politics or factions. It’s just a case
of Torah teachers offering their personal tefillos. Above and beyond all
the rules and guidelines, they are coming simply as Yieden, asking for
help in the most vital challenge of our times. My heart whispers to me
that this would create kovod Shomayim, and I sense that our combined
tefillos for our kinderlach would rip open the Gates of Shomayim.
I
repeat, I am but a minor player in this huge field, and forgive me for
my impertinence, but none is intended. I only bring this proposal
because in a turbulent sea, any lifeboat is worthy of support.
I hope readers will take this matter to heart, and if it strikes a chord there, please let’s do something about it soon.
Our children need our tefillos, and we need to be offering them now.