Sanz Rebbe: A father may hit - melamed not

A delegation of dozens of spiritual directors of the various Hasidic Talmudei Torah and administrators of the 'Darcei Avot' Talmudei Torah of Sanz Sanz, were welcomed at the residence in Kiryat Sanz at the Sanz Rebbe of Netanya, to consult with him on education.

At first the Rebbe spoke about the great task that lies on their shoulders and then asked the Board to present their questions and answered in detail and reasoning:

B'Chadrei Charedim presents the questions and answers.

• How much time should be spent on the weak students on account of the more talented students?

The Rebbe replied: "I hear many educators, who ask this question, and it hurts me a lot, since, does he ask the same question concerning his sons at home. Anyone with a few boys knows, there is one more talented and another who is less talented, and does someone ask who to spend more time on?

"We can and should combine both. In every institution we have talented students and disadvantaged students and those who are 'the best', this title may be good for a year or two but then there are students of all ranks, and if there was such a reality of only best students then Mashiach would have come in previous generations. It is the job of the teacher to do all he can to lift them up, so they will also feel happy and satisfied in what they can do to succeed."

"Responsibility for the excellent and talented students really depends on the teachers and principals, when we see a student who has special talent and is able to know and to rise more than studying; we need to worry about enrichment programs.

"Yes, one has to find ways to attract the hearts of the excellent students during classes themselves, who feel that most of the lesson is for the weak, and for example take the end of class, or after class, a special time in which we relate more to them, and the right to impose a specified additional duties of reviewing and clarifying matters, shall lift them and give them satisfaction and desire to transcend."

Is it good to snitch?

• May a teacher order students to inform about another student who did something wrong?

"My father of blessed memory once spoke to the Union City boys, and said, when a boy came to tell the mashgiach a matter that it is an amendment, for the good or for the yeshiva, it is not defamation.

"It is clear that if there is someone who brings ruin and destruction to the institution, one does not need to maintain his mouth and tongue at this time."

"We obviously need to explain to students that we only tell the melamed when this is for repair and strengthening of the case. This includes teaching and learning the laws of defamation and the size of the protections and the prohibition against it, to tell them that there are times we need to say and tell the educator, if it is to correct it."

• How much to invest and put emphasis on the tests, due to the fact that there are students who struggle and fail to make gains.

"Reality has taught and demonstrated that there is almost nothing like a "test" which brings prodding and pushing to persist in studying the Torah. Every kid or a boy who is committed and connected to the tests frame, must persevere in learning even during the inter arrangements and in the evening, Friday night, Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos, what will not happen if not examined when not studying during these hours.

"Indeed, with those students who find it difficult the tester must consider them, test them easier and ask easier questions, of course, in a clever way so that the students will not feel it, and that way will feel equal to everyone without a sense of discouragement."

Physical punishment, how?

• How should physical punishment be in education?

"Contemporary physical punishment does not work, and therefore teachers should not use it, but a father can sometimes easily hit his son as it says 'spares the rod - spoil the child', meaning his son, and my father of blessed memory would say, when a teacher had to give beatings to a student, he would hit him on his back lightly with the tzitzit.

"We have to remember that we usually operate with more affection and love, and most severe cases can be resolved with words of encouragement and reinforcement, without having to go to the sentence, but of course that occasionally needs to be used to some extent. Teachers who go this way of bonds of love and affection, students remember them for the better over the days and years, and they remember their days what they have learned for good."

Here the Rebbe went out against economic punishment: Offset amounts of money which the child won as a prize and the like:

"This is not the right way, since the purpose of punishment is to make him mend his ways and understand that he did something wrong, but in detracting a prize due to him it might make him bitterer and not benefit through it. Leadership above is so renowned that the person committed the penalty for heaven; he is not punished by cutting the salary due to him on the practice. In my eyes it is not decent to fine him a few shekels for the crime of chutzpah, for example, because no child is given a heavy fine, but a shekel or two, and the student learns that it is the value of the sin of arrogance to the melamed .

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!