Halachos for Educators: Difference between revisions
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#The primary obligation is teaching Torah and learning Torah is a necessary step in order to teach.<ref>Gemara Brachot 14b, Gemara Bava Kama 17a, Ritva 14b, Pirkei Avot 4:6, Rambam Talmud Torah 1:1</ref> | #The primary obligation is teaching Torah and learning Torah is a necessary step in order to teach.<ref>Gemara Brachot 14b, Gemara Bava Kama 17a, Ritva 14b, Pirkei Avot 4:6, Rambam Talmud Torah 1:1</ref> | ||
#It is extremely important that children learn Torah and we shouldn't stop them from learning in order to fulfill another mitzvah. We shouldn't interrupt children learning Torah to participate in the building of the bet hamikdash.<ref>Gemara Shabbat 119b, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:13</ref> | #It is extremely important that children learn Torah and we shouldn't stop them from learning in order to fulfill another mitzvah. We shouldn't interrupt children learning Torah to participate in the building of the bet hamikdash.<ref>Gemara Shabbat 119b, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:13</ref> This applies to even to older children as long as they are learning from their rebbe.<ref>Chinuch Habanim Lmitzvot p. 10 citing Chovot Hatalmidim ch. 1 </ref> The world continues to exist because of the Torah that the young students learn.<ref>Shabbat 119b, Chinuch Habanim Lmitzvot p. 10</ref> | ||
#We excommunicate a city in order to ensure that it has an educator.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:7 and if the city still refuses, we destroy the city.</ref> | #We excommunicate a city in order to ensure that it has an educator.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:7 and if the city still refuses, we destroy the city.</ref> | ||
# Education of children shouldn't stop except on Friday and Erev Yom Tov at the end of the day.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:12</ref> | |||
# You can't teach new learning to children on Shabbat so that it isn't too strenuous but you can review.<ref>Gemara Nedarim 37a, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:14</ref> | |||
==Who can be a Teacher== | ==Who can be a Teacher== | ||
#A single man can't be a teacher since he might become secluded with the mothers of the children he is teaching whether he is teaching girls or boys.<ref>Shulchan Aruch E.H. 22:20. See Pitchei Teshuva 22:13 who writes that some questioned the minhag to have a single man as a teacher.</ref> A married man can be a teacher even if he is another city.<ref>Chelkat Mechokek 22:21 states that even for a married man if the man's husband is outside the city it is a problem of yichud in case the mothers of the children come. Bet Shmuel 22:22 agrees. However, Pitchei Teshuva 22:13 cites Rabbi Akiva Eiger who cites Lechem Rav 4 who is lenient if the male teacher is married even if his wife is in another city.</ref> | #A single man can't be a teacher since he might become secluded with the mothers of the children he is teaching whether he is teaching girls or boys. <ref>Shulchan Aruch E.H. 22:20. See Pitchei Teshuva 22:13 who writes that some questioned the minhag to have a single man as a teacher.</ref> The minhag is to allow even a single man to teach and there's what to rely upon since in the school there are married teachers and it isn't yichud.<ref>Malbushei Mordechai Yichud 22:3 p. 239-240</ref> A married man can be a teacher even if he is another city.<ref>Chelkat Mechokek 22:21 states that even for a married man if the man's husband is outside the city it is a problem of yichud in case the mothers of the children come. Bet Shmuel 22:22 agrees. However, Pitchei Teshuva 22:13 cites Rabbi Akiva Eiger who cites Lechem Rav 4 who is lenient if the male teacher is married even if his wife is in another city.</ref> | ||
#A woman can't be a teacher since she might become secluded with the fathers of the children he is teaching whether he is teaching girls or boys.<ref>Shulchan Aruch E.H. 22:20</ref> | # A young married man may teach woman as long as there is no yichud question,<ref>Shulchan Aruch E.H. 22:20</ref> however, it is pious and proper not to unless he is old.<ref>Sefer Chasidim 313 writes that a young man should not teach woman because of the concerns of attraction and kol b'isha ervah. Otzar Haposkim 22:61:4 quotes the Teshurat Shay 170 who writes that it is permitted for a married man to teach woman but one who is pious would avoid it as the Sefer Chasidim writes. Also they quote the Yavetz in Migdal Oz (Birchot Shamayim 2:11-12) who says the same and completely forbids it. Otzar Haposkim 21:20:2 also cites the Sfat Hameil OC 75 and Torat Hahistaklut 6:2 who elaborate on the Sefer Chasidim.</ref> | ||
#A woman can't be a teacher since she might become secluded with the fathers of the children he is teaching whether he is teaching girls or boys.<ref>Shulchan Aruch E.H. 22:20</ref> Today the minhag is that there are female teachers.<ref>Avnei Derech 5:66 citing Shevet Halevi 4:16, 10:235 and Teshuvot Vehanhagot 5:332</ref> Some say that female teachers should not teach boys older than 9 years old.<ref>Igrot Moshe YD 3:73 writes that it is permitted to hire a female teacher for little children since there's no yichud in our schools which are open to the public. Also, for children under 9 there's no concern that she will become motivated to sin. However, with boys older than 9 there is a concern and she shouldn't be hired unless there is a great extenuating circumstance. Tzitz Eliezer 14:97 agrees that a female shouldn't teach boys above 9.</ref> | |||
===Need for Teachers=== | ===Need for Teachers=== | ||
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#There shouldn't be more than twenty five students for one teacher. If that teacher has an assistant he could have up to forty students.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:15 rules that there shouldn't be more than twenty five students per teacher. If there is between twenty five and forty there needs to be a teacher with another assistant.</ref> However, primarily it depends on the situation.<ref>The Shach 245:10 writes that it all depends on the situation, the quality of the teacher and students.</ref> | #There shouldn't be more than twenty five students for one teacher. If that teacher has an assistant he could have up to forty students.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:15 rules that there shouldn't be more than twenty five students per teacher. If there is between twenty five and forty there needs to be a teacher with another assistant.</ref> However, primarily it depends on the situation.<ref>The Shach 245:10 writes that it all depends on the situation, the quality of the teacher and students.</ref> | ||
#A teacher who doesn't teach properly, is lazy in his work, or take another job that impedes his performance is cursed because he is doing Hashem's work deceitfully. Therefore, it is important to only appoint a teacher that is God fearing, who is skilled in language and be careful.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:17</ref> | #A teacher who doesn't teach properly, is lazy in his work, or take another job that impedes his performance is cursed because he is doing Hashem's work deceitfully. Therefore, it is important to only appoint a teacher that is God fearing, who is skilled in language and be careful.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:17</ref> | ||
#A teacher isn't supposed to be awake at night so that he isn't tired for work. He can't fast or deprive himself of food or drink since doing so will cause him not to teacher well. <ref>Rama Y.D. 245:17</ref> | #A teacher isn't supposed to be awake at night so that he isn't tired for work. He can't fast or deprive himself of food or drink since doing so will cause him not to teacher well.<ref>Rama Y.D. 245:17</ref> | ||
#It is important to get the best teacher of Torah and it is therefore permitted to replace one teacher with a better one.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:18</ref> | #It is important to get the best teacher of Torah and it is therefore permitted to replace one teacher with a better one.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:18</ref> | ||
#If there is a teacher who can read more quickly and another teacher who is more careful they should appoint the teacher that is more careful.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:19</ref> | #If there is a teacher who can read more quickly and another teacher who is more careful they should appoint the teacher that is more careful.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:19</ref> | ||
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==Charging Tuition== | ==Charging Tuition== | ||
See [[Laws_of_Learning_Torah#Teaching_Torah]] | See [[Laws_of_Learning_Torah#Teaching_Torah]] | ||
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==Torah Curriculum to Teach Children== | |||
#Generally a person should divide all of his learning into three parts, a third of his time for Tanach, a third for the Oral Torah, and a third for delving into the reasons for Torah. As a person gets older and doesn't need to spend as much time on Tanach he should spend more time on the other topics.<ref>Rambam Talmud Torah 1:11, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 246:4</ref> See this discussed on the [[Laws_of_Learning_Torah#Tanach.2C_Mishna.2C_and_Talmud]] page. | |||
# When the child is old enough to speak a parent should teach him the Pasuk "תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב" and Shema. As he continues to learn he should learn more pesukim.<Ref>Sukkah 42a, Rambam Talmud Torah 1:6, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:5</ref> | |||
# Chazal recommend starting a child's learning with Vayikra so that the pure innocent children learn the topics of purity.<ref>Vayikra Rabba 7:3 establishes that children should start learning Vayikra since they are pure and should deal with matters of purity. Avot Derabbi Natan 1:6 supports this. Yalkut Yosef Chinuch Introduction cites this. Bear Heitiv 245:8 cites the Kol Bo who says that the minhag was to start with Vayikra.</ref> | |||
#There is no obligation to learn or teach Tanach to children in order. Ultimately they should be taught all of Tanach. However, when that isn't possible the school should choose certain parshiyot and perakim to learn well so that they know how to learn and everything else superficially. The hope is that the students will learn on their own when they grow up especially if they're taught to love Torah.<ref>Aseh Lecha rav 8:58</ref> | |||
==Related Links== | ==Related Links== | ||
