Bamidbar 5774

“These are the generations/descendants of Aharon (Aaron) and Moshe (Moses) on the day the L-rd spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aharon: Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.” (Bamidbar/Numbers 3: 1-2)

Why does Torah name Aharon’s sons and not the sons of Moshe?

Citing Talmud (Sanhedrin 19b) Rashi writes: “They [Aharon’s sons] are considered the descendants of Moshe because Moshe taught them Torah. Whoever teaches Torah to the child of his fellow, it is as if he [the teacher] has given birth to him [the student].”

Rabbi A.L Scheinbaum in Peninim on the Torah gives the explanation of Harav Elimelech Moller: “Through the knowledge of Torah one becomes a new human being. The Torah one absorbs infuses him with new life, transforming him entirely… In Shemot (Exodus) 4:12, when Hashem instructs Moshe to go to Pharaoh, Hashem tells Moshe, ‘And I will teach you [horeiticha] what to say.’” Harav Moller notes that horeiticha is a derivative of haryon (pregnancy, gestation). Through His teaching, Hashem remakes Moshe into a new person capable of speaking to Pharaoh.

Rabbi Scheinbaum continues: “To teach is to create a new entity. It is to breathe new life into a person. Consequently, one who teaches Torah to a student is actually giving birth to him. Just as a father shares in the physical creation of his child, so, too, does the rebbe (Torah teacher) play a primary role in his spiritual conception.”

As parents, we are the primary teachers of our children. Torah (Devarim/Deuteronomy 6:7) says, “You shall teach them diligently unto your children.” Because few of us can home-school our children, we must entrust the job to teachers, rabbis and mentors, the best of whom will love our children and look out for them as much as we do.