Chinuch: Difference between revisions
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Chinuch (Hebrew: חינוך, tran. ''education'') is the obligation upon every father to educate his children how to fulfill mitzvot. This mitzvah applies even before his children reach the age of [[Bar Mitzvah]]/[[Bat Mitzvah]]. The age at which this obligation begins varies according to the Mitzvah. Below are the details of this Mitzvah | Chinuch (Hebrew: חינוך, tran. ''education'') is the obligation upon every father to educate his children how to fulfill mitzvot.<ref>Rashi Chagiga 6a s.v. katan clarifies that the purpose of chinuch is to prepare the child to do mitzvot after he is bar mitzvah.</ref> This mitzvah applies even before his children reach the age of [[Bar Mitzvah]]/[[Bat Mitzvah]]. The age at which this obligation begins varies according to the Mitzvah. Below are the details of this Mitzvah | ||
==D’Orayta or D’Rabanan?== | ==D’Orayta or D’Rabanan?== | ||
The Mitzvah of Chinuch - to teach Torah to our children - is clearly a Mitzvah D’Orayta as explicitly stated: V’shinantam L’vanecha.<ref>Devarim 6 pasuk 7</ref> However, is the Mitzvah of chinuch - to instruct children to begin performing Mitzvot before they are of the age of Mitzvot - a mitzva D’Orayata or D’Rabanan? | The Mitzvah of Chinuch - to teach Torah to our children - is clearly a Mitzvah D’Orayta as explicitly stated: V’shinantam L’vanecha.<ref>Devarim 6 pasuk 7</ref> However, is the Mitzvah of chinuch - to instruct children to begin performing Mitzvot before they are of the age of Mitzvot - a mitzva D’Orayata or D’Rabanan? | ||
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===Berachot=== | ===Berachot=== | ||
#Children should be taught to say berachot before food at the age of 5, or when the children are able to say it properly. However many people have different customs to start having children say berachot at an earlier age.<ref>"CHINUCH AGE." Ahavsalom (n.d.): n. pag. Dh.ahavasolam.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. <http://dh.ahavasolam.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/A-List-of-Chinuch-Ages.pdf>, שלחן ערוך א”ח רט”ו:ג as cited in Singer, Shmuel. "A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot." Google Books. Shmuel Singer, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2016. <https://books.google.com/books?id=55NdTR7HfYAC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=age%2Bchildren%2Bberachot&source=bl&ots=zwGJnqECD_&sig=xSHlovDBimMjahI64ia2ltu_5ho&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHopOi39bKAhUBLyYKHRqADUEQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=age%20children%20berachot&f=false>. | #Children should be taught to say berachot before food at the age of 5, or when the children are able to say it properly. However many people have different customs to start having children say berachot at an earlier age.<ref>"CHINUCH AGE." Ahavsalom (n.d.): n. pag. Dh.ahavasolam.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. <http://dh.ahavasolam.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/A-List-of-Chinuch-Ages.pdf>, שלחן ערוך א”ח רט”ו:ג as cited in Singer, Shmuel. "A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot." Google Books. Shmuel Singer, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2016. <https://books.google.com/books?id=55NdTR7HfYAC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=age%2Bchildren%2Bberachot&source=bl&ots=zwGJnqECD_&sig=xSHlovDBimMjahI64ia2ltu_5ho&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHopOi39bKAhUBLyYKHRqADUEQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=age%20children%20berachot&f=false>. | ||
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===Washing Hands=== | ===Washing Hands=== | ||
====Washing for Bread==== | ====Washing for Bread==== | ||
# Children that have not reached the age of bar or bat mitzvah are nevertheless required to wash their hands before eating bread. Even though washing hands is a mitzvah derabanan, it is a mitzvah of chinuch to teach kids mitzvot that are derabanan.<ref>Yalkut Yosef Dinei [[Netilat Yadayim]], Birkat Hamazon, [[Brachot]], [[Mincha]] and [[Arvit]] page 13-14 based on the Yerushalmi in Megilla 2:5 that [[chinuch]] of children applies to rabbinic laws as cited in [[Netilat Yadayim for a Meal]]. | |||
#Children that have not reached the age of bar or bat mitzvah are nevertheless required to wash their hands before eating bread. Even though washing hands is a mitzvah derabanan, it is a mitzvah of chinuch to teach kids mitzvot that are derabanan.<ref>Yalkut Yosef Dinei [[Netilat Yadayim]], Birkat Hamazon, [[Brachot]], [[Mincha]] and [[Arvit]] page 13-14 based on the Yerushalmi in Megilla 2:5 that [[chinuch]] of children applies to rabbinic laws as cited in [[Netilat Yadayim for a Meal]]. | |||
<br /> An important lesson about chinuch in general can be learned from a story about trying to teach one’s son to wash before eating. It talks about a little kid who did not wash before eating bread. This infuriated his dad so he went to get something to hit him with. When he wound up to hit his son, his wife immediately stopped him and reminded him that he does not wash before eating bread either, thus he should be the one that is hit. The lesson is that if you want to successfully teach your children mitzvot, you have to take ownership and do the mitzvah as well. "חינוך לדורות - חינוך במעשים." <http://raktora.50webs.com/hinuh1.htm>.</ref> | <br /> An important lesson about chinuch in general can be learned from a story about trying to teach one’s son to wash before eating. It talks about a little kid who did not wash before eating bread. This infuriated his dad so he went to get something to hit him with. When he wound up to hit his son, his wife immediately stopped him and reminded him that he does not wash before eating bread either, thus he should be the one that is hit. The lesson is that if you want to successfully teach your children mitzvot, you have to take ownership and do the mitzvah as well. "חינוך לדורות - חינוך במעשים." <http://raktora.50webs.com/hinuh1.htm>.</ref> | ||
#One opinion is that even when the child is being spoon fed because he does not have the motor skills to feed himself yet, he still is required to wash for bread when he eats more than a Kezayit.<ref>הרב אבישלום מונייצר שליט''א. "ילדים כהלכה." ילדים כהלכה. ''</ref> | #One opinion is that even when the child is being spoon fed because he does not have the motor skills to feed himself yet, he still is required to wash for bread when he eats more than a Kezayit.<ref>הרב אבישלום מונייצר שליט''א. "ילדים כהלכה." ילדים כהלכה. ''</ref> | ||
# Harav Adir Cohen says that when the child can say the bracha they should wash their hands before eating bread. Since in many kindergarten and nursery classrooms they have posters of the bracha on the wall, they have already memorized it when they are young. Therefore, they should be able to wash by then.<ref>הרב אדיר הכהן שליט"א. " חינוך לנטילת ידים לילדים." חינוך לנטילת ידים לילדים. </ref> | #Harav Adir Cohen says that when the child can say the bracha they should wash their hands before eating bread. Since in many kindergarten and nursery classrooms they have posters of the bracha on the wall, they have already memorized it when they are young. Therefore, they should be able to wash by then.<ref>הרב אדיר הכהן שליט"א. " חינוך לנטילת ידים לילדים." חינוך לנטילת ידים לילדים. </ref> | ||
====Washing in the Morning==== | ====Washing in the Morning==== | ||
{{Children Washing Netilat Yadayim upon Waking Up}} | {{Children Washing Netilat Yadayim upon Waking Up}} | ||
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===Melacha on Shabbat=== | ===Melacha on Shabbat=== | ||
#On Shabbat, a parent cannot tell a kid to do melacha.<ref>Shabbat 121a, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 343:1</ref> This is a biblical prohibition.<ref>Shemot 20:10, Mechilta there, Ramban Sefer Hamitzvot shoresh 14, Rashba Shabbat 153a, Mishkenot Yakov OC 118, Shaar Hatziyun 334:54</ref> | #On Shabbat, a parent cannot tell a kid to do melacha.<ref>Shabbat 121a, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 343:1</ref> This is a biblical prohibition.<ref>Shemot 20:10, Mechilta there, Ramban Sefer Hamitzvot shoresh 14, Rashba Shabbat 153a, Mishkenot Yakov OC 118, Shaar Hatziyun 334:54</ref> | ||
#According to one opinion, you can have a child do melacha for you if it is only an issur derabanan<ref>Turei Zahav as cited in A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot: A Halachic Guide By: Samuel Singer</ref> According to most opinions you may not ask a child to do a melacha for you under any circumstances even melacha derabanan.<ref>Shulchan Aruch O.C. 343:1, A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot: A Halachic Guide By: Samuel Singer </ref> | #According to one opinion, you can have a child do melacha for you if it is only an issur derabanan<ref>Turei Zahav as cited in A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot: A Halachic Guide By: Samuel Singer</ref> According to most opinions you may not ask a child to do a melacha for you under any circumstances even melacha derabanan.<ref>Shulchan Aruch O.C. 343:1, A Parent's Guide to Teaching Children Mitzvot: A Halachic Guide By: Samuel Singer </ref> | ||
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#Putting a diaper on a baby on Shabbat that has a color strip which changes colors when the baby goes to the bathroom is permitted.<ref>Rav Nissim Karelitz in Chut Shani Shabbat v. 4 p. 287 writes that it is permitted to put a diaper on a baby that is going to change colors when the baby goes to the bathroom and it isn't considered causing your baby to do a melacha of coloring on Shabbat. The reason is that when the diaper is put on there's no change and when the baby goes to the bathroom he is mitasek and there's no issue of causing your child to do a melacha as a mitasek.</ref> | #Putting a diaper on a baby on Shabbat that has a color strip which changes colors when the baby goes to the bathroom is permitted.<ref>Rav Nissim Karelitz in Chut Shani Shabbat v. 4 p. 287 writes that it is permitted to put a diaper on a baby that is going to change colors when the baby goes to the bathroom and it isn't considered causing your baby to do a melacha of coloring on Shabbat. The reason is that when the diaper is put on there's no change and when the baby goes to the bathroom he is mitasek and there's no issue of causing your child to do a melacha as a mitasek.</ref> | ||
#Feeding your child a cookie with letters on it on Shabbat is permitted.<ref>Mishna Brurah on 340:3 writes that it is permitted to give your child a cookie with letters on it even though for an adult it is forbidden to eat it since it will erase the letters. Chut Shani Shabbat v. 4 p. 293 explains that it is permitted since erasing the letters is at worst derabbanan and also some poskim permit it altogether. Also, there's no problem of causing your child to do something forbidden if it is a pesik reisha unless the child realizes that he's doing it for the benefit of the child.</ref> | #Feeding your child a cookie with letters on it on Shabbat is permitted.<ref>Mishna Brurah on 340:3 writes that it is permitted to give your child a cookie with letters on it even though for an adult it is forbidden to eat it since it will erase the letters. Chut Shani Shabbat v. 4 p. 293 explains that it is permitted since erasing the letters is at worst derabbanan and also some poskim permit it altogether. Also, there's no problem of causing your child to do something forbidden if it is a pesik reisha unless the child realizes that he's doing it for the benefit of the child.</ref> | ||
#In theory some permit allowing a child to do something that would otherwise be in violation of a prohibition in order to do a mitzvah. Some say that this is only permitted if the only way to perform the mitzvah would involve violating a prohibition. Others qualify this idea by limiting it to prohibitions that are implied from a positive mitzvah and not an outright mitzvah.<ref>Tosfot Pesachim 88a s.v. s.v. seh states that it is permitted to allow the child to violate a prohibition of eating from a korban pesach without effectively joining in because it is a mtizvah of chinuch to train them to eat korban pesach. Daf Al Hadaf Pesachim 88a summarizes some of the achronim who limit this Tosfot. Chikrei Lev YD 2:145 says that it is only permitted when for an adult it would be permitted and the only prohibition exists since he's a child. If he were to be an adult he would be able to join onto a korban pesach and since he's a child he can't. However, for the mitzvah of chinuch that is permitted. Similarly, the Chatom Sofer Nedarim 36a says that it is only permitted if not for the prohibition it would be impossible for a child to fulfill this mitzvah it is permitted for chinuch. Imrei Binah Shabbat ch. 8 says that it is only permitted for a prohibition that is derived from a positive mitzvah (''isur aseh''). Interestingly, they quote Magen Avraham 343 who quotes something similar from Rabbenu Yerucham and Chatom Sofer notes that the Ran Nedarim seems to dispute this. Lastly, they quote that Rabbi Akiva Eiger 15 allowed letting a child carry his own siddur to shul since it for his own chinuch, while Pri Yitzchak 1:11 disputed this. See also Tzitz Hakodesh 1:19 for an interesting application of this discussion.</ref> | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Lifecycles]] | [[Category:Lifecycles]] | ||
