Lech Lecha - Chinuch Begins at Birth
Parshas Lech Lecha is the first time we see the word “chinuch” in use, (other than as a name which we’ll talk about shortly!). When Lot was captured, Avraham gathered “chanichav, es yelidei beiso”, “the ones he educated, those born in his household”, and headed off to battle the mighty four kings. Chinuch is introduced here in conjunction with “yelidei beiso”, those born in his household, because chinuch is something that works best when begun at birth. Rav Hirsch goes so far as to say that the reason Avraham wasn’t able to fully influence Lot was because he came to Avraham’s home as an adult, he wasn’t born into his household. Chinuch begins at birth. Rashi helps us define Chinuch here as: ( לְשׁוֹן הַתְחָלַת כְּנִיסַת הָאָדָם אוֹ כְלִי לָאֻמָּנוּת שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לַעֲמֹד בָּהּ וְכֵן חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר (משלי כ"ב, which means, “this word chinuch is a term for the initiation or beginning of a person or tool’s usage in the manner he will continue in for the future, and this is the meaning of Shlomo HaMelech’s statement, “train a child”.” So if chinuch is the beginning of a process; obviously it must begin at birth. Today, I want to look at Rav Hirsch’s perspective of Chinuch as something that begins at birth, yelidei beiso. We actually saw this idea earlier in the Torah, with the name of the baby born in Parshas Breishis, Chanoch. If you recall, he was Kayin’s son. Kayin who committed the world’s first and greatest mass murder came around in his teshuvah and named his child “chanoch” because Kayin was noting the precious gift of chinuch his child would get and that he, to his great detriment, didn’t have. You remember that Kayin wasn’t born as an infant, he was born already complete as an adult. So he missed out on chinuch which begins at birth. And when he named his son, he recognized the tremendous advantage Chanoch would have over him, because he was born into a family who would raise him from infancy, he was a ‘yelid bayis’. HaKadosh Baruch Hu, in His infinite wisdom, created us so that babies begin to learn and develop intellectually, physically, and emotionally literally from birth. Each interaction, each experience makes its mark. Occasionally, a mother of a baby feels unnecessary, or wonders what they are doing that a babysitter can’t. But the truth is that each interaction between a mother and young child from birth is the foundation of chinuch. Every minute you are caring for them, talking to them, making eye contact with them, being responsive to them, you are beginning chinuch as it was intended to be begun. Hashem created children so that, especially when they are young, they want to be near their parents, they want their parents' attention, touch, and voice. Toddlers follow parents around and ask a zilliion questions. The fact that children yearn for their parents’ presence and attention is a gift Hashem gave us to help us be mechanech them. At this stage they want our instruction, they want to be like us. It is the best time to begin chinuch. And chinuch that is begun young continues on for a lifetime, like the Passuk in Mishlei ends, “Chanoch l’naar al pi darko - educate the youth from the beginning for the sake of the zakein, his elderly stage. Conversation Point: What part of chinuch do you think begins at birth? What can a newborn learn from its mother specifically at that stage?
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