A Hidden Treasure

I would like to introduce people to a hidden treasure known as the  “The Salant Foundation”. It’s an organization that is committed to promoting ethical teachings of the Torah. Of the many things they do, there is a short mussar thought distributed four times a week. They are very well done.  I encourage everyone who is in the mode of growth through Torah to check it out. You can connect with the Foundation through the email address salantorg@gmail.com.

Today’s mussar thought is a powerful message of ethics that can apply to educating and raising our children.

The Torah imposes upon us a moral imperative to help and support the poor and needy. One of the requirements to this end is for the farmer to leave a corner of his field for the poor. It remains in tact for those in need to come and conduct their own harvest. The Baalei Mussar ask, why leave the corner? Rather, require the farmer to harvest and bring the produce to them. Why cause needy people the hardship of doing this work.

Darchei Mussar of HaRav Yaacov Neiman explains that Hashem sets as a priority the dignity of all human beings. In a sense the poor person who comes to claim the corner of the field feels like he is an owner harvesting his own field. By putting in the hard work instead of being given a handout he feels honored and dignified. This idea fits well with the Rambam’s understanding that the highest form of Tzedakah is providing someone with a job to take care of himself.

Regarding educating our youth, treating children with respect, dignity and honor enable teachers to connect well with students and allow them to believe that their teachers truly care. That feeling does wonders in motivating children in a school setting. There are different venues to showing children that they matter. Let’s take an example from the “Corner of the Field”. Too often in our educational approach we find ourselves spoon-feeding students rather than requiring them to do the work. We approach teaching with a one-size fits all that leaves many capable students from being challenged. The neediest children often find that they are given “easy handouts” just to move them along instead of differentiating to invite effort.

There is much to say about the instructional approach mentioned above. There are lots of negative side effects. But for the moment, challenging children and allowing them to work hard and succeed is truly dignifying and can lead to greater appreciation and enjoyment for school