Friday, February 15, 2019  The Jewish Press
What If My Child Falls Asleep Before Bentching?
The Talmud (Yevamos 114a) states that the To-
rah tells us in three places (Vayikra 11:42, 17:12, and
21:1) not to cause a child to sin. The Terumas Ha-
Deshen (62) explains that the Torah doesn’t want a
child to become accustomed to sinning to the point
that he will wish to continue sinning when he’s older.
Based on this passage, the Rambam (Hilchos
Maachalos Asuros 17:27-28; see also Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chayim 343:1) rules that giving a child
non-kosher food is forbidden even if the food is only
forbidden by Rabbinic decree. He also rules that
while a beis din is not commanded to separate child
from sin, the child’s father is obligated to do so.
A parent is also obligated to educate his child to
perform mitzvos. The Gemara (Sukkah 42a) states
that a father should teach his child to do mitzvos
he is mentally or physically capable of performing.
Therefore, “a child who knows how to shake [lulav]
is obligated [to shake] lulav; if he knows how to wrap
himself [with a tallis], he is subject to the obligation
of tzitzis.”
When Chinuch Entails Sinning
At times, a parent’s obligation to educate his child
to perform mitzvos may conflict with his obligation
to prevent him from sinning. What should one do in
such situations?
The Talmud appears to address this question in
a number of places. For example, the Mishnah (Rosh
Hashanah 32b) permits a child to blow shofar on
Shabbos even though blowing shofar on Shabbos is
rabbinically forbidden. Why? Rashi explains: “in or-
der to educate him in mitzvos.”
The Talmud even appears to permit a child to vio-
late a biblical prohibition for the purpose of chinuch.
Tosafos (Pesachim 88a) notes that a person general-
ly is not permitted to eat from a Korban Pesach to
which he is not previously assigned. Therefore, it fol-
lows that we should not be permitted to feed a child
the meat of a Korban Pesach since, due to his age, he
cannot be legally assigned to a specific korban. The
Talmud, however, assumes that a child may eat from
a Korban Pesach.
Rishonim offer different answers to solve this
apparent contradiction. R. Shimshon of Shantz, for
example, suggests that eating from a Korban Pesach
to which one has not been assigned is actually not
forbidden. Tosafos, however, argues that the mitzvah
of chinuch sets aside the prohibition against eating
from a Korban Pesach to which one has not been as-
signed. In other words, chinuch sets aside a biblical
prohibition!
The Magen Avraham (343:3) derives a general
rule from Tosafos’s explanation: For the sake of chi-
nuch we may let a child violate a prohibition. The
Shulchan Aruch HaRav (343:5-8) agrees with this
principle. He states that as long as a child continues
to fulfill a mitzvah when he is older, he may fulfill
this mitzvah as a child while violating a prohibi-
tion. That’s why, he explains, children may drink
from the Kiddush wine at shul on Friday night even
though this Kiddush is not said at the place of the
meal and thus should not permit anyone to eat or
drink. Children may drink nonetheless because they
are thereby educated in the mitzvah of Kiddush. (It
would be forbidden, however, to give a child wine
from a bris mila performed on Yom Kippur since the
child is not meant to drink on Kippur when he is
older.)
Others disagree with or limit this leniency. For
example, the Mishkenos Yaakov (Orach Chayim 118)
criticizes the practice of sending a child to shul on
Shabbos while carrying a siddur and tallis. However,
the Beur Halacha (333) cites R. Akiva Eiger who per-
mits doing so under certain circumstances.
Two Types of Chinuch
The Talmud (Nazir 29a) states that chinuch is
a rabbinic obligation. Tosafos, however, appears
to believe that chinuch is a biblical mitzvah which,
 Page 37
By Rabbi David Brofsky
at times, may set aside the obligation to separate a not bring him closer to ahavas and yiras Hashem,
child from sin. If the obligation is biblical, where is but rather will lead him to reject the mtizvos? For
its source in the Bible? example, what if a young child falls asleep at the ta-
Achronim, including R. Moshe Shternbuch ble before reciting Birkas Hamazon? Waking him to
(Mo’adim Uzemanim 3:236) and R. Asher Weiss say Birkas Hamazon is important, but by doing so he
(Minchas Asher, Bereishis 21), discuss this question risks forfeiting his biblical obligation to educate his
at length. There are a number of verses that might child to love G-d.
qualify. “And you shall tell your children” (Shemos R. Meir Schlesinger (Shaalei Daat vol. 6), the
13:8) is one candidate. “And thou shall teach [the founding rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Shaalvim, brought
mitzvos] diligently unto thy children” (Devarim this question to R. Shalom Zalman Auerbach, zt”l. In
6:7) is another. R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (Meshech response, R. Auerbach referred him to a responsa, in
Chachmah, Bereishis 18:19) suggests “[Abraham is which he writes the following: A person might think
blessed because] he will instruct his children and his that he shouldn’t give a non-religious Jew a cup of
house after him to follow in G-d’s ways to perform water if he asks for one since he will likely drink it
righteousness and justice.” without first saying a beracha. However, if he acts
The Ramban, in his comments to the Rambam’s in this manner, he risks violating a larger sin – i.e.,
Sefer HaMitzvos (2; see also Sefer Kinyan Torah causing this person to be angry at G-d and His Torah.
5:41), offers another source: Devarim 4:9-10, which R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s beautiful insight
states: “Beware and watch yourself very well, lest you highlights the difficulty and complexity of chinuch –
forget the things that your eyes saw, and lest these training our children to perform mitzvos while instill-
things depart from your heart, all the days of your ing in them a love for Torah.
life, and you shall make them known to your children Rabbi David Brofsky has taught Talmud and hala-
and to your children’s children, the day you stood be- cha in numerous institutions in Israel, including Ye-
fore the Lord your G-d at Chorev.” He explains that shivat Har Etzion, Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushaly-
these verses teach us that we should not be negligent im, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Midreshet Torah
in transmitting the Torah to our children – i.e., that V’Avodah. He writes a weekly halacha article for Ye-
we must always transmit the Torah to the next gen- shivat Har Etzion’s Virtual Beit Midrash (VBM), and
eration. is the author of “Hilkhot Tefilla,” “Hilkhot Moadim,”
These verses, however, seem to describe a dif- and “Hilkhot Avelut.”
ferent mitzvah than the
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