Like Running Away From School
…ויהי בנסע הארון ויאמר משה
This verse, which is a praise of Hashem recited in shuls the world over, from its content should be recorded somewhere else in the Torah. However, it was placed here between two upsides down Nuns to separate the narratives of two inappropriate behaviors by the nation of Israel. Hashem felt it inappropriate to juxtapose two misbehaviors of the Holy Nation. The text of the second inappropriate behavior which is recorded immediately after the second upside down nun, begins with the words “The nation was like complainers.” But the first bad behavior is not readily understood. The Gemara concludes, the behavior is couched in the words two pesukkim earlier, “and they traveled from the mountain of Hashem a three-day journey.” “Mountain of Hashem (יקוק)” is an unusual title for the place Torah was given. Normally it’s called Har Sinai or Har HaElokim. Hence, our sages glean that the nation, when it broke camp for the first time in eleven months since their arrival, in a sense turned their backs on the Eternal Rebbe of Israel.
The Midrash described their leaving as running away. Since their arrival on Rosh Chodesh Sivan the previous year they were busy learning Mitzvot daily. So, when Moshe signaled the camp to depart, they comported themselves like children running away from school. They seemingly were tired of learning, and they were trying to avoid receiving more Mitzvot.
Actually, the metaphor of children running away from school needs to be understood. Har Sinai ceased being the source of Torah once Moshe brought the Luchot down to the people on Yom Kippur several months earlier. Instead, the Aron HaKodesh that contained the luchot became the Holy Place until the Mishkan was set up and dedicated for use on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. When the nation broke camp, seven weeks later, on 20 Iyar and travelled for the first time, the Mishkan travelled with them. Hence, the comparison to children running from school can only be reffering to their mindset. Essentially, the Torah is conveying that the people were mentally looking to take their minds off the Torah.
This explanation supports a strong question, why was it necessary to compare the peoples’ state of mind to those of children running out of school for the summer holiday? If the nation was scorned because Hashem’s expectation of them was of a people who would not burn out after 154 days straight of learning Torah, then a comparison to anything else is not necessary. The act of turning away is sufficient. We don’t see our sages making use of metaphores when the people sinned at other times. This question is further supported by the absence of this metaphor in the Gemara’s explanation of the sin, as if to say, it’s not necessary. As well, Rashi, Ramban and the Ibn Ezra, the three foundational commentaries on Chumash, and Rashi’s commentary on the Gemara do not mention the comparison of children running away from school.
The obvious question falls upon the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni , why was it necessary to describe the errant mindset of the people like children running away from school and why was Tosafot on the Gemara compelled to quote the Midrash. The answer is, the Torah is conveying a chinuch message for all generations, there is not one correct method of chinuch. If the approach used during the nation’s encampment at Har Sinai was not successful, then in all future generations the approach for chinuch especially for children, can’t just be, it’s tradition, it worked for Zayde’s generation, it will surely work for us. Who said it worked for Zayde’s generation? Even if it did, what guarantee will it work in the future.
We find a second example of a chinuch failure in the Torah according to the writings of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch. He surmised that the twins, Yaakov and Eisav received the identical education. If they had a rebbe, it was the same rebbe. His methods, philosophy and expectations were identical for both boys. Yet, the Torah describes the twins as being totally different in looks, in comportment, interests and so on. Rav Hirsch wrote that Eisav obviously needed an approach with a different emphasis from that of his brother. And the result, Eisav became the eternal enemy of the children of Israel after he left the ways of Hashem.
We should all understand that the message of the Midrash, “like children running away from school”, is another way of saying, children really don’t like school. Because if it was not too bad, they may prefer doing something else, but they wouldn’t run away. Yet, it’s not possible that the Torah is conveying the nature of children is to hate school. Rather, the message is, children can’t tolerate chinuch approaches which don’t consider their developmental needs. This outlook is supported through an unlimited number of Torah chinuch insights which need to be learned, processed, and adapted to each person’s chinuch approach. Unfortunately, too many people ignore the true messages of chinuch conveyed by the Torah and accept the approach, it’s the Mesorah to do it this way, it worked well in Zayde’s generation.
This conversation applies equally to schools and the home. Too many parents raise children the way they were raised. With the same mantra, “if it was good for…then it is the right thing for us. The Torah’s deeper message is superficiality does not have a place in Jewish life. “It’s the mesorah and that is the way it was done in Zayde’s generation”, are statements of superficiality. It’s a whole lot easier than educating children according to their ways etc. Unfortunately, the superficial way leads to such complicated outcomes and much pain in families. Our society is overloaded with children who have left the path of the Torah because of a miserable school experience. They ran away from school.
Treat your children’s education with the same level of seriousness and mental involvement as you do with all other major life areas. DON’T BE SUPERFICIAL.