History of the Nation and Generations and Character Education
The Parasha in our everyday life - Toldot - 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in
The education system is at the center of interest of Israeli society. In recent years it has also gotten the largest part of the state budget, more than security. The State of Israel leads the world in the percentage of the education budget in the GNP. There is no dispute about the importance of the educational system. Since the establishment of the state, however, opinions have been divided about its goals, and to what values should it educate. Today there are even those who wonder: What is education in the 'postmodern' era?
Some see the education system as a network designed primarily to impart an education that will enable the acquisition of a profession and will benefit society as a whole by participating in the 'job market' and contributing to the 'GNP'.
On the other hand, some seek to put on the top of its priorities list, education to values, and to give students values and tools to shape their personalities. Some want to impart mainly values of Judaism, heritage, Zionism, love for the country, and willingness to contribute to society and the state. And others who are mainly interested in Israeli liberal values.
However, the education system has another role at the national level. It is designed to pass on the unique national heritage from generation to generation (even if its exterior design changes over the years), thus ensuring the continuity and existential legacy of the nation; because a nation that loses its values and uniqueness will eventually cease to exist.
The opening of the Parasha, after which it is named, deals with the history of the patriarchs Abraham, Yitzchak, and later also of Yaacov:
וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃
"This is the story of Yitzchak, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Yitzchak." (Bereshit 25:19)
The continuity of the generation of fathers by the generation of sons.
It is not only about biological family continuity but about the continuity of the way, the values, and the heritage:
שהיה ישר ונאמן והולך בדרך טובה ואוהב לבריות כמו אביו עד שהכל אומרים אברהם הוליד את יצחק:
"Yitzchak possessed the same virtues and wonderful qualities which Abraham excelled in, so that it was clear who must have been his father not only physically, but that the same father also transmitted a spiritual legacy to his son. (Radak ibid)
Eisav, the eldest, saw himself as the natural successor of Abraham and Yitzchak, and this is the main motive for the struggle between him and Yaacov that came to the point of wanting to murder him.
וְעַל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת נָפְלָה הַקִּנְאָה בֵין יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו בַּבְּכוֹרָה וּבַבְּרָכָה, עַד שֶׁנִּדְחָה עֵשָׂו עִם חֶזְקָתוּ מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב עִם חֻלְשָׁתוֹ.
"Jealousy arose between Yaacov and Eisav for the birthright and blessing, but Eisav was rejected in favor of Yaacov, despite his strength and the latter's weakness". (Kuzari 2: 14).
For this, the biology fact – 'offspring' is not enough. An educational process of passing on the legacy and values from generation to generation is also required:
כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּגְמַל אֵיתָן זֶה הִתְחִיל לְשׁוֹטֵט בְּדַעְתּוֹ וְהוּא קָטָן ... עַד שֶׁהִשִּׂיג דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת וְהֵבִין קַו הַצֶּדֶק מִתְּבוּנָתוֹ הַנְּכוֹנָה. וְיָדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם אֱלוֹ-הַּ אֶחָד וְהוּא מַנְהִיג הַגַּלְגַּל וְהוּא בָּרָא הַכּל... וְהוֹדִיעוֹ לְיִצְחָק בְּנוֹ. וְיָשַׁב יִצְחָק מְלַמֵּד וּמַזְהִיר. וְיִצְחָק הוֹדִיעַ לְיַעֲקֹב וּמִנָּהוּ לְלַמֵּד וְיָשַׁב מְלַמֵּד וּמַחֲזִיק כָּל הַנִּלְוִים אֵלָיו. וְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לִמֵּד בָּנָיו כֻּלָּם ...
"As soon as this giant was weaned he commenced to busy his mind, in his infancy he commenced to think by day and by night… until he attained the path of truth, and, by his correct thinking, he understood when he finally saw the line of righteousness. He knew that there is One G-d; He leads the planet; He created everything… When the people who congregated about him asked him concerning his preachments, he replied by imparting knowledge to each and everyone according to his mentality, to the end that he was able to turn him to the path of truth until there congregated about him thousands, even tens of thousands, and they became the people of Abraham's household, in whose heart he implanted this great cause, concerning which he compiled books, and which he imparted to his son Yitzchak. Yitzchak, from his seat of learning, gave instructions and admonitions. And Yitzchak, in turn, imparted it to Yaacov and appointed him headmaster, who, at his seat of learning, gave instructions and supported all who flocked to him. And Jacob our father instructed all his sons…" (Rambam Mishneh Torah Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 1:3).
Later, the family heritage became the heritage of the nation:
וְנַעֲשֵׂית בָּעוֹלָם אֻמָּה שֶׁהִיא יוֹדַעַת אֶת ה'.
"So did the movement advance intensely among the sons of Yaacov and their followers that the world saw a G-d-knowing nation called into existence" (Ibid)
In addition to the legacy of faith, Abraham inherited the legacy of virtues and walking in Hashem's path:
וּלְפִי שֶׁהַשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ נִקְרָא בָּהֶן הַיּוֹצֵר וְהֵם הַדֶּרֶךְ הַבֵּינוֹנִית שֶׁאָנוּ חַיָּבִין לָלֶכֶת בָּהּ. נִקְרֵאת דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ דֶּרֶךְ ה'. וְהִיא שֶׁלִּמֵּד אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לְבָנָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יח יט) "כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה" וְגוֹ'.
"And because the Creator is termed by these attributes which are the middle-way, this way is called Hashem's way. And, it is even in this that Abraham our father instructed his sons, saying: "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, that they shall keep the way …(Ber. 18:19)". (Rambam Mishneh Torah Human Dispositions 1:7)
Education to have Faith, to own attributes of character, and to walk in Hashem's path are two sides of the same coin. This coin has become the goal of the Jewish education system for generations: "The purpose of education is to prepare man for his corrected self, whose central point is to make him good and honest. Ever since our ancestor Abraham began to call on the name of G-d, we have had an inheritance, because the more calling on the name of G-d is rooted in a person's heart, so too his goodness and righteousness will increase, and he will be happier for himself and society as a whole. (Igrot Ha-Reiyah 170 pp 218)
This coin is the basis of the 'Nation's history', through which the continuity and value legacy in the Jewish people was created from then until today. But it is also Israel's national collective infrastructure:
"בְּרֵאשִׁית מַטָּעוֹ שֶׁל הָעָם הַזֶּה, אֲשֶׁר יָדַע לִקְרא בְּשֵׁם הָרַעְיוֹן הָאֱלֹהִי הַבָּרוּר וְהַטָּהוֹר בְּעֵת הַשִּׁלְטוֹן הַכַּבִּיר שֶׁל הָאֱלִילִיּוּת בְּטֻמְאָתָהּ-פִּרְאוּתָהּ, נִתְגַּלְּתָה הַשְּׁאִיפָה לְהָקִים צִבּוּר אֱנוֹשִׁי גָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר "יִשְׁמר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ ד' לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט". זוֹהִי הַשְּׁאִיפָה, שֶׁבָּאָה מִכּחַ הַהַכָּרָה הַבְּרוּרָה וְהָעַזָּה וְהַתְּבִיעָה הַמּוּסָרִית הַכּוֹלֶלֶת וְהָרָמָה, לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הָאֱנוֹשִׁיּוּת מִתַּחַת סֵבֶל נוֹרָא שֶׁל צָרוֹת רוּחָנִיּוֹת וְחָמְרִיּוֹת וּלְהָבִיאֶנָּה לְחַיֵּי חֹפֶשׁ מְלֵאֵי הוֹד וָעֵדֶן, בְּאוֹר הָאִידֵאָה הָאֱלֹהִית, וּלְהַצְלִיחַ בָּזֶה אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם כֻּלּוֹ. לְמִלּוּאָהּ שֶׁל שְׁאִיפָה זוֹ צָרִיךְ דַּוְקָא, שֶׁצִּבּוּר זֶה יִהְיֶה בַּעַל מְדִינָה פּוֹלִיטִית וְסוֹצְיָאלִית וְכִסֵּא מַמְלָכָה לְאֻמִּית, בְּרוּם הַתַּרְבּוּת הָאֱנוֹשִׁית, "עַם חָכָם וְנָבוֹן וְגוֹי גָּדוֹל", וְהָאִידֵאָה הָאֱלֹהִית הַמֻּחְלֶטֶת מוֹשֶׁלֶת שָׁמָּה וּמְחַיָּה אֶת הָעָם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ בִּמְאוֹר-חַיֶּיהָ. לְמַעַן דַּעַת, שֶׁלּא רַק יְחִידִים חֲכָמִים מְצֻיָּנִים, חֲסִידִים וּנְזִירִים וְאַנְשֵׁי-קדֶשׁ, חַיִּים בְּאוֹר הָאִידֵאָה הָאֱלֹהִית, כִּי גַּם עַמִּים שְׁלֵמִים, מְתֻקָּנִים וּמְשֻׁכְלָלִים בְּכָל תִּקּוּנֵי הַתַּרְבּוּת וְהַיִּשּׁוּב הַמְּדִינִי; עַמִּים שְׁלֵמִים, הַכּוֹלְלִים בְּתוֹכָם אֶת כָּל הַשְּׂדֵרוֹת הָאֱנוֹשִׁיּוֹת הַשּׁוֹנוֹת, מִן רוּם הָאִינְטֶלִיגֶנְצְיָה הָאָמָּנוּתִית, הַפְּרוּשִׁית, הַמַּשְׂכֶּלֶת וְהַקְּדוֹשָׁה, עַד הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת הָרְחָבוֹת, הַסוֹצְיָאלִיּוֹת, הַפּוֹלִיטִיּוֹת וְהָאֶקוֹנוֹמִיּוֹת, וְעַד הַפְּרוֹלֶטַרְיוֹן לְכָל פְּלַגּוֹתָיו, אֲפִלּוּ הַיּוֹתֵר נָמוּךְ וּמְגֻשָּׁם" (אורות למהלך האידאות בישראל ב, עמ' קד).
"At the beginning of these people, who knew to call in Hashem's name, clearly and purely, during the great unclean- impure reign of paganism, the aspiration was revealed to establish a great human crowd which would "keep the way of Hashem by doing what is just and right". This is the aspiration, which comes from a clear and bold recognition and an overall high moral claim, to bring humanity out of terrible suffering of spiritual and material troubles and bring it to a life of freedom full of majesty and splendor, in the light of the Divine idea, to succeed in all.
To fulfill this aspiration, it is precisely needed, that this accumulation should have a political and social state and a throne of a national kingdom, at the height of human culture, "a great nation, wise and discerning people" and the absolute Divine idea governs there and revives the people and country. For the opinion, that not only excellent wise individuals excel, followers and monks and saints, live in the light of the Divine idea, perfected in all the regulations of culture but also entire nations, for the sake of knowledge, and illustrated in all the cultural and political ways, including all the various human avenues, from the artistic, Pharisaic, intellectuals. The enlightened and the holy, to the broad systems, social, political and economic, to the proletariat to all its factions, even the lowest and clumsy".
(The Process of Ideals in Israel, The G-dly and the National Ideal in Israel 2 pp 104)
Faith and virtues' Education will forever remain the basis for the history of the nation and the continuity of generations.