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The Torah Teacher's Manual V
6/1/2002
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In continuation of last week's article, we will discuss pesukim dealing with the
lighting of the Menorah.
As a reminder, the
lighting of the Menorah alludes to Torah, for the Torah is compared to oil. Just
as oil lights up its physical surroundings, so too, Torah enlightens a
person—student—with spiritual awareness. ... more
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Achdus in the Classroom
6/8/2002
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Every class is made up of a myriad of individuals whose behavior fluctuates
incessantly between individual expression and submissivness to group standards .
No positive individual expression should be neglected, but in
order for a class and its students to maximize their success, they need to
maximize the behavior which creates ... more
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The Torah Teacher's Manual VI
6/15/2002
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“כתית למאור” - [cut for light]
Only the first drops of oil from the cut olive were valid for
use in the Menorah.
From this halachah we can gain a number of insights into the
preferred methods of teaching (as the Menorah represents the teaching of Torah):
One should teach one ... more
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Warning Signs
6/22/2002
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Warning signs are Hashem's way of telling us to beware or to be alert. There are many different types of warning
signs, some given on a national level and some on a personal level. As our
column focuses on education, we will, be"H, concentrate on those signs
seen in the ... more
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How to Captain a Class
6/29/2002
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The first thing a
Rebbe/teacher needs to know before he enters the classroom is that he is not
"simply" a teacher of a group of students but a leader of that group, or,
as our title suggests, the captain of a ship, or in this case, a class.
The ba'alei mussar ... more
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Immature Expression vs. Inner Feelings
7/6/2002
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Children criticize, complain, ridicule, get angry, are
intolerant and embarrass. However, these modes of expression do not necessarily
reflect their true feelings and desires. Their state of immaturity prevents them
from speaking and acting in accordance with their inner selves.
Children's yetzer hora urges them to search for faults
in others, ... more
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Effective Reproof
7/13/2002
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Our parsha begins with "אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה..." ("these
are the words which Moshe spoke…") which includes in it the fundamentals of
giving reproof. An analysis of this posuk and its extensions will give us some
guidelines on how to give effective reproof to our children and students.
"אלה הדברים" ... more
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Effective Reproof (conclusion)
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"אלה הדברים אשר דבר"-The posuk could have said אשר אמר or אשר
הגיד, with אמר representing a softer language and הגיד a harsher one.
We learn that Moshe gave reproof according to the objective
severity of each transgression. Not too soft and not too hard. An
over-exaggerated reaction to a transgression ... more
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I Want My Son to Love Torah
8/27/2002
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“I want my son to love Torah”, Mrs. Green told the veteran principal, urging
her son to sit still during his interview. “I think it would be more appropriate
to hope that the Torah will love your son”, retorted the principal.
Mrs. Green almost turned blue. Until now, she had thought ... more
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The Mitzvos as Tachlis: Enthusiasm in Avodas Hashem
8/24/2002
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When Yanki was asked by his Rebbe to say a brocha
before eating an apple, Yanki obliged, but his brocha was barely audible.
The Rebbe called Yanki over and urged him to say the brocha next time
with more enthusiasm.
One of the older boys, who had overheard the conversation,
responded ... more
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Overcoming Difficult Times
9/7/2002
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Sometimes a child has a difficult year at school. Sometimes
he has a difficult month, week or even day. Inevitably, poor performance leads
to a depressed feeling and a lessened desire to succeed in school.
While we, as parents, have the obligation to investigate why
our child is having a difficult ... more
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Creating the World: Creating Bnei Torah (Part 1)
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The success of a teacher is dependent on the way he looks at
his job. Either he sees himself as a supplier of information and as a class
warden, or as a spiritual stage director, who composes and directs the creation
and expansion of the neshamos (souls) of his students. ... more
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Creating The World: Creating Bnei Torah (Part 2)
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The Value of Good Middos:A teacher of Torah has one goal in mind: that the Torah's
message should have an overriding influence in the class. However, this is only
possible if the teacher has succeeded in developing a class atmosphere which
emphasizes good Middos and fulfillment of Mitzvos.
This we learn ... more
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Creating The World: Creating Bnei Torah (Part 3)
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The Joy of Self-AccomplishmentAs we mentioned in the first two sections of our present
topic, we can learn from Hashem's Creation of the world how to educate our
children and students and turn them into Bnei Torah. We find this concept
mentioned explicitly in the Midrash (Bereishis 4:2),which says that ... more
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Creating The World: Creating Bnei Torah (Part 4)
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To be a successful mechanech (teacher) two ingredients
are essential: patience and support.
Without patience, a student’s progress will never be able to
match the tolerance level of his teacher; without support, whether
psychological, emotional, academic, or other, the student will feel he either
cannot succeed or that his success has ... more
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Effective Reproof
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"Rules are made to be broken", says an old adage. In the
context of child education, what does this saying mean?
One of the fundamental responsibilities of a teacher and
parent is to make rules, give guidelines and offer clear borders to children.
This, in order to help each child use ... more
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Overprotective Parents: The Damage They Can Cause
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"I know my son", said a defensive father, trying to explain
to the principal his son's version of a rumble between him and an older boy. "If
there's one thing he doesn't do, it's lie!" After thoroughly checking out the
incident, the principal saw that the younger child's version was ... more
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Middos Control Leads to Success in Learning
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Before a child can effectively tap into his potential in
Torah learning and fulfillment, he needs to be guided and supported in his
personal character development. Why? For character – middos – development
is the control box of man's Torah study and fulfillment. No matter how developed
one's mind is, ... more
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The Power of Parental Influence
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The story in the Torah where Dina is defiled by Shechem is
the classic case of a parent having a negative influence on his/her son/daughter
without considering the consequence of his/her action.
The posuk reads, "ותצא דינה בת לאה אשר ילדה ליעקב לראות בבנות
הארץ" – "And Dina, the daughter ... more
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One Good Midah
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“Reuven was a ball of fire in class today,” explained the
history teacher at the weekly teachers' meeting. “He just couldn't sit still.”
“At least he wasn't chutzpadick to you,” said the math
teacher. “When I told him to write an assignment on the board he told me that he
had ... more
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A Time to be Soft and a Time to be Harsh
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In Parshas Mikeitz (41:56) we are told that a great famine
fell upon the world. Yaakov saw that there was still food in Mitzrayim (42:1)
and sent there all his sons, excluding Binyamin, to bring back food to Yaakov
and his family in Eretz Yisroel.
When the brothers reached Mitzrayim, they ... more
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Even Weak Students Deserve Fair Attention
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“This time you brought me a package deal”, the morning Rebbe
told the Rosh Yeshiva in an air marked with cynicism and haughtiness, as he
summarized the “virtues” of the new student who had arrived only few days
earlier to the Yeshiva. The Rosh Yeshiva held himself back, realizing that ... more
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A Strong Hand and a Loving Heart
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Parents' number one love is their
children. Their concern for them is so overwhelming that it overrides all other
interests or needs. At the slightest sign of intended harm, parents will do
everything to protect their children.
The Midrash Shemos Rabbah 1:1, as it introduces
parshas Shemos, brings the posuk, "חושך ... more
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Why Students Fail to Listen
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Parshas Vaeira begins with Hashem revealing Himself to Moshe
in a way which was hidden from the Avos. Rashi explains, that at this time Hashem
was ready to fulfill His promises to redeem Am Yisroel from Egypt, while
they remained only promises at the time of the Avos. Yet, we ... more
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Punishment with Purpose
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“It's a sight I’ll never forget! A tremendous earthquake exploded
in front of our eyes. Wild fire, thick, black smoke and flying boulders replaced
the blue skies and soft breezes this tropical island is renowned for,” remarked
the tour guide, as he recalled for us the eventful day of exactly ... more
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Parent – Teacher - Child Relationship
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The level of success a teacher has with each student is
dependent to a great degree on the quality of his relationship with the child's
parents. The closer they work together, with mutually agreed upon goals in mind,
the greater are the teacher's chances of success. (Rav Chaim Friedlander z"l ... more
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Complimenting a Child: When and How?
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The Mishkan was a symbol of honor, of wealth and of royalty.
Many of its vessels were made of gold and silver, while the curtains were woven
with fine wool. The grandeur of the Mishkan gave Bnei Yisroel themselves a
feeling of grandeur; a feeling of self-respect and self-worth; a ... more
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A Torah Teacher's Guide (1)
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Last year, in Parshas Titzaveh, we expounded on Chazal's
statement that the lighting of the Menorah alludes to the teaching of Torah to
Bnei Yisroel.
This year, we will try and offer some new insights into a
teacher's approach to his job, his relationship to his students and what he
should ... more
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A Torah Teacher's Guide (2)
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A Teacher's Humility and a Student's Clarity
"כתית למאור" – כתית
refers to cutting and dividing which represents humility, while מאור refers to
light and growth. The more humble a teacher is and the more he emphasizes not
his understanding of the Torah, but that of his students, the greater his ... more
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A Torah Teacher's Guide (3)
3/8/2003
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Reaching One's Students
"ואתה תצוה"
"תצוה" can be understood to mean "צוותא" –
connection/togetherness – meaning Hashem commanded Moshe to identify with and
connect with the people (שפ"א תצוה ליקוטים). Only then would the people heed his
words to bring to him the olive oil for the Menorah, as the posuk says, ... more
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Gaining Desire to Learn
3/15/2003
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"Yosi, why did you leave the evening seder early?" asked the
night mashgiach (attending Rabbi). "I don’t know why," answered Yosi,
"but I just find Gemorah boring."
"Yosi," retored the mashgiach, "are you experienced
enough with the Gemorah to label it as boring? Do you put forth an extended
effort to ... more
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Like Parent – Like Son
3/29/2003
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“It’s my fault that Reuvane didn't show,” responded Reuvane's mother on the telephone to the
Rosh Yeshiva. "He actually wanted to come to the Yeshiva, but I told him that
none of the boys were leaving the house. Who knows what that despot from Baghdad
has in mind, and I ... more
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Sefiras HaOmer and Educating Children
5/10/2003
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How does the korbon Omer differ from other korbonos (sacrificies)?
While each korbon effects the day on which it is brought or the person offering
it, the korbon Omer triggers a daily counting of 49 days climaxing in the
holiday of Shavuos. Now, the sefer Hachinuch counts the counting of ... more
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Don’t Let Him Fall
5/17/2003
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“Reb Zechariya,” asked the Rosh Yeshiva at the weekly staff meeting, “what’s new
with Rafael?” Has he learned to speak with a clean tongue?”
“I actually intended to
bring up the problem of Rafael’s speech in our meeting today. It seems to be
getting worse, not better,” retorted Reb Zechariya.
“Let’s take ... more
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Two Parents – One Message
5/24/2003
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There are parents who try to force their left-handed children to use their
right hand. They are making a mistake that, according to experts, can adversely
effect the child’s brain. The parents of left-handed children should accept
them as they were created.
Tzedakah, according to Kabbalah, should be given with ... more
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Dealing With Difficulties
6/7/2003
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Today, it is widely accepted that it is preferable to stress the positive aspects
of a child's behavior and reduce the emphasis on their lackings. In fact, we find
this idea in Chazal who said, "four things need chizuk", two of them being
Torah and derech eretz, which covers most ... more
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A Guide To Teaching Torah
6/14/2003
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As we mentioned in previous articles, the lighting of the Menorah represents
the teaching of Torah to Klall Yisroel, and more specifically, a Rebbe's teaching
to his students. In this article, we plan, בעז"ה
, to offer a number of new insights into our topic, based on two pesukim at ... more
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