Musar zu Mischlej 22:6

And if we ponder even further, we will be amazed, since wasn't Rebbi Chiya the one that arranged the Braisos, the foundation of the Six Orders of the Mishna! Yet, he gave over all of his abilities to create training for teachers for community service who are now beginning to enter into the vineyard of Hashem, this being the 4 square cubits of Jewish law and Awe of heaven. Perforce, it is found that even these [- even those of Rebbi Chiya's calibre -] should be trained to be community workers. And secondly, through the “teach each other” [method], they make the community fitting to be included for this matter, until it is found from these services, of establishing the Torah and the Awe of Hashem, they uphold the general goal and its detail as well. And all this was achieved only because his intent was looking solely towards the benefit of the public. And even though this matter was revolutionary, he still stood firmly on this, because he had foresight and saw that from this would be an outgrowth in Torah and Awe of Hashem everywhere. And, as such, it was good for him to endure in every aspect of endurance, as they said, “he sowed flax, etc.” all for the good of the public. [It is therefore] required of all who train and serve to teach that it will be good for him to be a community worker, and it will assist in the pursuit of self-perfection. And he shouldn't look towards his own success alone. For, with the measure of how much one is able to remove his own honour and situate himself for the public, with the same measure will he be successful wherever he goes. And as the verse said, “Train the youth, according to his way, so when he becomes old, he will not be removed from it” (Mishlei 22). “From it” refers to from the training. And what is this training that he should be able to fulfill also in his old age? I say this training is of community service - that his desire is to do better in this matter. And the Gra writes that there is education at the level of 'for the sake [of Heaven]' - and, on this, Rebbi said, “How great is this act of Chiya” (Bava Metziya 85b), that he desired only the good of the public. And he succeeded in his actions, that Torah would not be forgotten from Yisrael, through establishing education of teachers of community services according to their level that they will be involved in it all their lives. And with this, we remove the first question; is there an educational track to prepare educators in community service; was it not Rebbi Chiya who did this, [by] training the young to teach each other and was successful in his efforts.

The Pardes Rimonim mentions that the "miniature" number is a reference to Chanoch (otherwise known as the angel Mattatron) who is also called נער, and whose function is alluded to in Solomon's Proverbs 22, 6: חנוך לנער על פי דרכו, "educate the lad in the manner appropriate for him. [In his chapter on the definitions of certain words, the author of Pardes Rimonim defines the reason that Mattatron is called נער as being that he performs the duties of a נער. These duties are comprehensive just as the duties of Joshua, who is described as a נער, a senior servant of Moses, or Eliezer, who is described in that fashion although he was the senior servant of Abraham. According to Kabbalists, Mattatron provides the "food" not only for our world but also for the world of the angels. Ed.] When the souls of Jacob and Joseph respectively expanded from the world of אצילות, their origin, the features of Jacob remained engraved on the throne of G–d. This throne is immediately below the region we have called אצילות. Joseph is immediately below his father in the domain of Mattatron whose activities emanate from beneath that "throne." The significance of the throne is the mystery of בריאה, whereas the significance of Mattatron in the same scheme is the mystery surrounding יצירה, [a more advanced state of the creation of matter. Ed]. Concerning this latter aspect of Mattatron's activities, the Torah describes Joseph here as 17 years old, i.e. a "junior." Kabbalists also refer to Mattatron as עבד. The Zohar points that out on Genesis 24, 2 where Abraham instructs עבדו זקן ביתו, "his servant the senior member of his household," to get a wife for Isaac. I have explained this at length in my commentary on חיי שרה. The expression עבד also occurs in Joseph's life when the latter is sold by his brothers. G–d sent His angel along to protect Joseph on his various journeys. This guidance was of a similar nature as that described in Exodus 23, 20: הנה אנכי שולח מלאך לפניך לשמרך בדרך, "Here I am sending an angel ahead of you to protect you on the journey." Our sages identified that angel with the angel Mattatron, as mentioned by Rashi on that verse. [The fact that Rashi mentions that the numerical value of 314=מטטרון=שדי, clearly establishes that Mattatron is active in matters of יצירה, an activity requring the attribute of שדי. Ed.]

And especially in our times, when we see with our own eyes in our many sins that the youth who have departed from the Torah have also abandoned the observance of Shabbath and other observances, it certainly devolves upon every father to strengthen his sons in the Torah of the L-rd and to train him in His mitzvoth, as it is written (Mishlei 22:6): 'Train the youth, etc.' And his reward for this will be very great, far greater than that of the preceding generations, as we find in Avoth d'R. Nathan 3:6: "Better a hundred times with suffering than one time without suffering," and (Ezekiel 44:15): "But the Cohanim - the Levites, the sons of Tzaddok, who kept the keeping of My sanctuary when the children of Israel strayed from Me — they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, etc."

Among my books is a copy of Mishlei with Yiddish translation. For the sake of Hashem, have them read it daily. It is better than any Mussar book. They should also read Koheles a lot because it points out the vanity of this world, and other books as well. But G-d forbid that reading should be the objective! Reading Mussar alone does not necessarily move one to act differently. Going out into the world without a good understanding of it defeats the whole purpose. It is like one sows without having plowed; the wind and birds will carry the seeds away because they aren't closed off and protected. So is he who merely reads Mussar like him who plants without a fence; pigs will eat and trample on everything. Some plant on stone. This is comparable to a heart of stone which cannot be penetrated unless it is struck until it breaks open. That's why I wrote you to hit our children if they don't obey you. "Train a lad in the way he ought to go" (Mishlei 22:6). This is an important principle of education.

We have arranged to refer every temperament to its element and every quality to its temperament,¹We meet with the same thought in Jehuda ha-Levi; cf. Dukes ("Phil.," pp. 74 and 127, notes 2 and 3). as required by the argument, which we shall make clear in another place with the help of the Almighty, the Sufficient, may He be exalted. Having sketched this diagram as just explained, we would say here that the sum of the human qualities which we can enumerate is twenty, of which some are praiseworthy per se, and others blameworthy per se. Whosoever wishes to attain to the improvement of his qualities must pursue in his own person the goodly course so that the praiseworthy qualities come to be to him excellences, unto which he must accustom himself, from which he must not separate from the time of his youth, and whereunto he must apply himself step by step and little by little. Thus saith the sage (Prov. xxii. 6), "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." The philosopher hath said, "Intelligence is a gift, moral conduct is an acquirement, but habit is master over all things."

Kabbalists know that the agent (שר העולם) whom G–d appointed to be in charge of this universe is Mattatron (Chagigah 15 et al). It is said that Psalms 37,25: נער הייתי גם זקנתי, "I have been young; now I am old," must have been said by this angel, that he referred to the length of time he had been in the service of the Lord (Yevamot 16). This angel is reputed to have the keys to Heaven, and Kabbalists see some allusion to the identity of this נער, in Proverbs 22,6: חנוך לנער. They perceive חנוך as being Mattatron. Tosaphot query how this Mattatron could be described as שר הבריאה, in charge of the universe, seeing that חנוך did not live till long after the universe was created, and they therefore solve the problem in a different way. [This problem is discussed in Tosaphot Yevamot 16, and relates to part of the liturgical poetry in the morning prayer of שמחת תורה. Ed.] I do not think that there is really any substance in the query posed by Tossaphot for all those who have been granted some insight. The שר הבריאה certainly existed ever since the בריאה itself, and he is called Mattatron, since it is his function to guard over everything that reflects G–d's expressed will. The word מטרה is the translation of the Hebrew word שומר, guardian. חנוך performed a similar function on earth until G–d decided to remove him from earth while alive (Genesis 5,24). While on earth, he performed what the Kabbalists call the בחינה התחתונה, the "minor" function of Mattatron on earth. This "minor" function is known as מנעל, shoe. The force in charge of such activities is called Sandalphon, from the Hebrew סנדל, a sandal. Solomon sings the praises of such people when he says in Song of Songs 7,2: מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים, "How lovely are your footsteps when shod in pilgrim's sandals."