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Tuesday, 25 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 5, 2024

Classic Chinuch Still the Solution

Some say Chinuch Al Taharas Hakodesh shortchanges students. Rabbi Zalman Shneur says it's the best path to success. Full Story

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To 37 - nechama
December 10, 2017 12:07 am

Wow.
Are your degrees in teaching?

Those are very important and useful degrees!

Either way, Hatzlocho and good for you.

Nechama
December 4, 2017 12:40 pm

Excellent article, and I have three degrees. I only went to college after I was married with children in order to survive. But the time I spend in high school, seminary, and post seminary focusing on ruchnius and shlichus, chinuch etc. set the tone for my future life. B”H, I wasn’t worried about a career at that point. A person’s formative years all throughout childhood into their early twenties should be about developing a solid base in Yiddishkeit and chassidishkeit.

To Narisher Verter: You nailed it!
December 4, 2017 9:00 am

You seem to be making the author’s point perfectly! Somehow, we’ve TURNED “al taharas Hakodesh” into an either/or chinuch: either you will go into “kodesh” and this Chinuch will serve you; or you will become a professional and you’ll have to find your way somehow. What the author seems to be promoting is that we return to the chinuch that YOU, commenter #33 received—the “classical Chabad Chinuch,” that the tafkid and tachlis are not to go out into the world, but “to go out into the world here your secular or gentile co-workers see the face and mehus of a… Read more »

Nice
December 4, 2017 4:43 am

A lot of nice points, and all true about priorities. But I would say that being able to earn a respectable living by using the intelligence and talents given by Hashemi will ALLOW people to stay frum, Lubavitch etc. Nevermind, it’s an unfortunate test to put someone in when they are struggling so much that they may be tempted to be on government programs for various things- those programs should not be for healthy, smart, capable adults.

Thank you
December 3, 2017 11:43 pm

Thank you for thoa article for the emes

Narisher verter
December 3, 2017 11:40 pm

“He has a completely different set of tools—Bitachon, Simcha, and an understanding of Hashgacha Pratis tools that the aspiring lawyer would trade everything to possess” My degree is not law and I find it sanctimoniously insulting to assume that a professional is lacking in bitochon, simcha, etc. This is the heart of dira bitachtonim as was taught to me in classical chabad chinuch. To be an ehrlicher yid and a chasidesher yid with a profession – that is our tafkid! To go out into the world where your secular or gentile co-workers see the face and mehus of a chasidesher… Read more »

Wow, these lines are amazing:
December 3, 2017 10:32 pm

What if we succeed in teaching our children, as the Rebbe taught us, to genuinely view life itself as a Shlichus, no matter where we might find our parnasa in the future?

What if we let ourselves feel the legitimacy of a retail store or a dental practice as an integral piece in the broader puzzle of a Dira Bitachtonim?

lovely but not grounded
December 3, 2017 10:32 pm

beautiful, and its nice to see this sincere emunah and passion.

It does seem as though were viewing everything with rose-tinted glasses here, though; these ideas are all beautiful, but tachlis, the majority of crown heights families are struggling financially.

Ditto @20
December 3, 2017 10:20 pm

Thank you comment #20 for posting about the Chinuch document! I just went through the entire document. Fascinating, amazing read. Clear, concise and authoritative. A must-read for everybody involved in Chinuch. I would encourage everyone to download a copy.

Bochurim relaxed and simchadike but
December 3, 2017 9:58 pm

then many grow up dont have money to ask for chala on shabbos or loans via whatsapp.

I Agree with the author that the Rebbe taught the world is Torah. So why cant we have shluchim “disguised” as successful professionals? Working as lawyers, engineers, etc etc and doing their shlichus inside their office? The Rebbe always said that is a kidush Hashem to be a chosid and be in prominent professional. What about the tons of bochurim we are creating that are mamesh amei aretz and cant pay a chala for shabbes?

To 13
December 3, 2017 9:27 pm

Not to argue with everythi g you say, but these schools the Rebbe opened for trade etc were catered to Non Chabad students. So that was a pretty misleading one…

You cannot live on spirituality alone
December 3, 2017 9:02 pm

Is Rabbi Shneur offering to pick up the financial slack for all the many, many families who are struggling financially, and whose job prospects are severely limited due to subpar education?

Finally
December 3, 2017 8:35 pm

Finally someone says it right!

Curious omission
December 3, 2017 8:32 pm

Rabbi Schneur writes “we face a tidal wave of job worry and housing crises that our parents never dreamed of (nor stayed awake worrying about).” I find this troubling because the challenge of paying for soaring tuition costs outpaces any of the challenges articulated by rabbi schneur. Arguably, if a sincere effort were made toward resolving this issue (I.e. schools finding a way of making chinnich more – as opposed to less – affordable) these other issues wouldn’t be nearly as fatal as they now threaten to become. In the current climate the education stresses belief in hashem and His… Read more »

Cath
December 3, 2017 8:22 pm

Chinuch ATH Does not have to mean archaic methods. There are plenty of alternatives to the current way of teaching

Yes, but
December 3, 2017 8:08 pm

The points the author makes are, in my opinion, valid, but I hope are not meant to eliminate fundamentals. A school must teach basics, and tools, and if a Chabad school, aslo what the author recommends. Also, the headline is misleading, at least in Crown Heights. The term “Al Taharas Hakodesh” has been stapled to one school – OT – and to mean only Judaic studies and no secular studies (including not teaching ANY language). That model is what many say “shortchanges students.” So, I agree that a Chabad school should offer these points as part of what it teaches… Read more »

To #13
December 3, 2017 7:21 pm

I think you missed a point. The article is not stating that chinuch al taharas hakodesh means not learning limudei chol. It means that the only thing that’s important is the limudei kodesh but by all means if you feel you want to learn a trade, go ahead. But don’t do it for the sake of being assured a job or a parnassah in the future. Do it because you need to buy the ikar is torah.

MEF Trailblazers
December 3, 2017 6:46 pm

Thank you to Rabbi Shneur and the dedicated staff of MEF for going above and beyond to raise the bar in chinuch for all of our schools! You are literally saving neshamos by training teachers and principals in compassionate chinuch al taharas hakodesh. May the Aibershter bentch you with abundant success in your holy work!

Game changing document
December 3, 2017 6:42 pm

The Menachem Education Foundation just published this document in conjunction with Merkos and the JLI research team, Machon Shmuel. This in-depth document addresses all the sensitive and important subjects touched upon in this article: https://mymef.org/revisiting-education/

Wow!!!
December 3, 2017 6:24 pm

This is a brilliant article! Beautifully written! This article has totally made feel for the cause, I want to give to this charidy campaign! Not because I am connected to anyone involved in any way but because this is everything!!! What would we not give for the chinuch of our next generation? Thank you for stepping up to the plate and ensuring a proper foundation and upbringing for our next generation!

15 but many people have to
December 3, 2017 6:24 pm

that is why you need a good mashpia that understands you, is able to work with you to make you successful and not just go by an op-ed on collive

@ # 9
December 3, 2017 6:23 pm

What are we giving up, if we totally reform our education?

if chol is to be taught..
December 3, 2017 6:21 pm

it shouldn’t end up as chol. It should be used for Torah. For example, English to understand the Rebbe’s letters that were written in English. Or other Torah material that is written in English.

It should not be about getting a certificate or because you think it makes someone more ‘sophisticated and worldly’

# 12
December 3, 2017 6:18 pm

A question to ponder, what is the tachlis, the Rebbe in a yud Shevat Sicha (chelek 16 – mugah) writes that if you need to learn english, do it but only because you have to,

In simple who are we really? Torah
May that is the point

1000 percent true!!
December 3, 2017 5:27 pm

Has not been such an amazing article here in a while.
This so 1000 perect true – its hard to see that big mature grown up adults dont see and realize this!
This is so true and so clear that one would be a fool to convince yourself otherwise.
I support this 100 percent and will IyH be donating tomorrow. Thank you for this eloquent article.

Missing a Point
December 3, 2017 5:24 pm

BH This article is wonderful but misses an important point that when the Rebbe gave these sichos, he also set up trade schools and learning programs where those that weren’t going to become Rabbanim and Shluchim would learn Kodesh half the day and a trade the other half of the day. I don’t know how many young people I’ve spoken to that struggle to make ends meet because they didn’t go into teaching or shlichus and were ill prepared for the financial responsibilities of real adult life. My dream is a wholesome environment where yidden can learn Torah and a… Read more »

Why not both?
December 3, 2017 5:20 pm

Are you suggested that schools that don’t teach “Al Taharos Hakodesh” can’t teach the three things you suggested?
Why not do both Chol and Kodesh, and it’s a win win win

THIS!!!!
December 3, 2017 5:19 pm

Reb Zalman hit it out of the park with such piercing content!

What a clear way of showing the necessity of the paradigm shift vis a vis Chinuch Al Taharas HaKodesh!

I’ll be giving to the Charidy campaign tomorrow, and I expect anyone who cares about the future Chinuch of ‘unzere’ to do as well.

All good points, until the 1st of the month
December 3, 2017 5:06 pm

Lots of inspiration in this article. I had many teachers who thought and taught just like this.
It’s great, until the first of the month. When my rent is due, all of the motivational speakers and Mashpiim (who cash their checks every month) are nowhere to be found.

Halevay
December 3, 2017 4:55 pm

While I know all of this to be accurate, and I too believe it, how is this being manifested in our schools and societies!!?!?

Very clear
December 3, 2017 4:39 pm

Thank you for writing such a true, real and beautiful message and for highlighting these points in such a clear article.

Rabbi Shneur hit the nail on the head!
December 3, 2017 4:37 pm

Thank you for standing at the forefront and caring with such passion. Your work has made a huge difference in the impact our children’s teachers are making. – from a grateful Midwest parent

Wow
December 3, 2017 4:22 pm

Such clarity

Bare Truth
December 3, 2017 4:20 pm

Thank you for putting things into perspective, thank you for reminding us what the true keys to success are for our children, no matter what they would like to pursue later on.

Brilliant line
December 3, 2017 4:04 pm

What if we let ourselves feel the legitimacy of a retail store or a dental practice as an integral piece in the broader puzzle of a Dira Bitachtonim

Thank you Rabbi Shneur
December 3, 2017 3:58 pm

For saying it how it is.

So interesting
December 3, 2017 3:51 pm

thanks for sharing,

Fantastic Article
December 3, 2017 3:48 pm

Thank you Rabbi Shneur for recognizing the value of what a Lubavitch Chassidishe chinuch is!! L.Y.

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