Rabbi Zobin writes:
In the 22 Kislev edition of Yated, A. Ross, M.Ed.
responded to an article by Dr. Miriam Adahan about children
being overworked in the school and cheder, especially
at the lowest grades. Her response seems to sidetrack the
main point of Dr. Adahan's article, based on my
experience.
Children are now required to study more intensively, for
longer hours and from a younger age, than ever before in
history. As a result, children now play and sleep less than
ever before, have less time to relax and sometimes are
discouraged from any type of non-studious activity as being
time-wasting.
The consequences are that many children are less developed in
many areas which are essential for their being able to cope
with their studies in later years. They are also emotionally
weaker and become less able to withstand the rigors of
adolescence and adult life.
The point is that many of the ailments plaguing the
educational scene are direct consequences of this unhealthy
attitude to chinuch and that the normalizing of a
child's routine and diet automatically clears most of these
problems.
This view, which is actually based on Chazal and the Shulchon
Oruch, is also backed by the results of an enormous amount of
scientific research and is confirmed by daily experience.
[Ed. Rabbi Zobin runs the FRAMEWORK program that diagnoses
and treats -- with a high rate of success -- children with
all kinds of learning aberrations. He can be contacted at 02-
5373340.]
*
And another letter referring to a past article about not
leaving children alone.
Y.G. writes:
I would like to add that there is a letter from R' Shmuel
Wosner shlita which strongly emphasizes this point
(Shevet Levi 7:159), saying that he is in doubt as to
whether a father who is a Hatzola volunteer and receives a
life-and-death call while alone with his small children
should respond to the call or not. His reasoning is that
leaving small children alone can sometimes result in a
question of pikuach nefesh, itself! Therefore, it is
more important for him to remain with his children and let
another volunteer respond to the call, even though he
might be able to arrive before others!
We may deduce by ourselves the answer to whether or not we
should leave young children alone [at home or in a car] to
run an errand, get a bite to eat or engage in any other
activities mentioned in Rabbi Zobin's excellent article [even
catching a minyan!].
*
And another response to this same article from a reader in
Bnei Brak:
Approximately 25 years ago, a young kollel family in
Toronto hosted HaRav Mordechai Shulman zt'l, Rosh
Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak, who was approaching his
seventies. The hostess was planning to attend a local wedding
and in lieu of a babysitter, she arranged for the next-door
neighbor to "listen in," a common practice in the pre-
intercom days. The neighbor would check in on the sleeping
children every half hour or so.
Rav Shulman was present while the arrangements were being
made and seemed to understand English perfectly. He offered
to remain home and babysit so that his hostess could
attend the wedding!
"If I were the baby, I wouldn't want to stay home by myself,"
he noted. The mother inferred the mussar message this
busy godol was conveying and the readiness to
sacrifice his precious time in Toronto for the sake of the
children's safety.
*
This reader asked for some material on shidduchim, a
subject which we have neglected for a while. We would
certainly welcome articles along those lines! Can be FAXED to
Weinbach at 02-5387998 or sent directly to Panim Meirot 1,
Jerusalem. Amateur efforts will also be considered.
*
And a letter from Hershel Wolf:
Perhaps the readers can help me:
I am trying to gather information about how Torah was taught
in Europe before the Holocaust.
So far, from hearing from older Litvishe tamidei
chachomim, it seems that cheder was only until 2
p.m. and then the children played. There was no homework.
They learned only chumash and mishnayos but no
gemora. In Yeshiva Ketana, they learned gemora
with Rashi and some Tosafos and went through several
masechtos.
In Yeshiva Gedola, they started to learn b'iyun with
some Rishonim, Maharsha and P'nei Yehoshua. Seder
ended after maariv at around 8:30 p.m. but those who
wanted to learn more continued until later.
I would appreciate hearing from readers, whether they
themselves remember or whether they can ask older members of
the community/family for information.
Replies can be sent e-mail to hershwolf@go.com.
*
And finally, a request from the Yated European
distributor, to our young poet C. Zahn in Australia, to
contact him for possible family relation at tel. 44-161-740-
5998, fax same with 5903 ending. Address: Zahn, 44 Stanley
Rd., Salford M7 4HN, Manchester, England.
