One of the central tenets of Jewish life is a commitment to education. One of the earliest indicators of this is a pivotal passage in this week’s Parsha. G-d says of Avraham, “For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the L-rd to perform righteousness and justice.” Rashi comments that the term “known” in the phrase “For I have known him” connotes love and cherishing. In other words, Hashem loves Avraham because he is committed to educating his “sons and household.”
What was Avraham’s educational philosophy? Certainly, he taught those under his influence the important things needed to live an enlightened and productive life in this world. But he did not stop there. The passage tells us that his educational focus was on “keeping the way of the L-rd to perform righteousness and justice.”
Each year the USA, along with all 50 states, as well as many municipalities proclaim the Rebbe’s birthday to be Education and Sharing Day. When the New Orleans City Council issues the proclamation this past Spring, Council President Morrell asked to share a few words on the significance of this proclamation. I said that the Rebbe is a strong proponent of the idea that education is more than just imparting information. Education is also, and more importantly, about imparting the values of righteousness and justice as they are founded upon “the way of the L-rd.”
Leaning on Avraham’s example, the Rebbe argues that we need the values of righteousness and justice themselves, but that we also need them to be founded on a belief in a Higher Being. Only when these conditions are met can education be considered something that invokes the love of Hashem.
Hashem loves education and educators. For us as Jews, commitment to this type of education is as old as our very existence. By cherishing proper education and proper educators, we will merit to raise blessed generations of upright people, who are productive members of society and devoted to Hashem and Judaism. May Hashem bless our efforts with success and nachas!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin