Shnayim Yomi - Vayelech - R'vi'i - #4- Rabbi Ephraim Ilyaguev

[Music] Fourth of it's very very interesting aliyah is talking about a special mitzvah hagghel what's the mitzvah of hagel is that every seven years after the the is over on sukkot the entire Jewish people gathers together in beta mikdash in the temple and then the Jewish king he reads certain parts of sepher advice in front of the Jewish people. Who has to go there? The tell us gather together the people men and children as well as the converts that are in your gates so they could listen so they could learn and that they could acquire fear of God, respect of Hashem and they keep all the mitzvah and safeguard the entire Torah. Now the famous question of course is raised by the kazal is what's the point of bringing children the children are they just children they don't understand a lot of things they don't learn so what's the point so the kazal tells bring children so you will get the reward for bringing them and it's I think it's beautiful idea a very powerful idea sometimes children come from school and you tell them what did you learn today you said oh I was bored I didn't pay attention I learned nothing and you're saying oh why am I paying tuition Why aren't you paying attention? Relax. Okay, even if they didn't learn anything today, the fact that you woke up early in the morning, you put them on a bus, you pay their tuition, you greet them after the school, you you take care of them, you buy them supplies, you're going to get reward for that. You bringing them closer to Hashem. And even if they don't end up learning a lot of things, that's fine. That your effort counts. You're going to get reward for that. That's one lesson of course from this aliyah. The second lesson from the same piece that tells us that Raman actually what's the point of bringing children the children actually are listening and they're going to ask you questions. Did you ever see a three-year-old? He's asking you why they and you explain to him and said oh and why and they doesn't the children don't stop. They keep questioning and they keep asking and if you answer and you talk to them they would ask more questions. So actually kids get very very strong impressions. So imagine a four-year-old, a 5-year-old, six-year-old kid, his parents take him to beta mikdash and he sees the kwanim, he sees the king, he sees the and and the beta mikdash. He experiences this memory is going to stay with him for the rest of his life. It makes a difference. It makes a an impact. It shapes his identity. We should never underestimate the impact that we have on children. The children, they're like sponge. They absorb everything and every good Jewish experience makes a big big difference in their life. [Music]