The Secret of the Chalakah: The Child's Receiving of the Torah and the Trait of Humility
Lesson No. 20 | Lesson 1: (Continued from No. 19) Thursday Morning, Parashas Chukas, 1 Tammuz 5755 - After the Prayer
The custom of bringing a child to the Talmud Torah (Torah school) at the age of three is not merely a milestone, but a literal reenactment of the revelation at Mount Sinai. Through covering the child with a tallis (prayer shawl) and coating the letters with honey, we instill within his soul the secret of humility and self-nullification, which are the true prerequisites for receiving the Torah.
The Kol Bo cites the ancient custom, practiced already a thousand years ago, of how a child is introduced to the Talmud Torah. When the child reaches the age of three, letters are written for him on parchment or a board, he is bathed, and dressed in clean clothes. Challahs are kneaded for him with honey and milk, fruits and various delicacies are brought to him, and he is handed over to a Torah scholar who takes him to the school and covers him under his wings.
The child is fed from the challahs and fruits, the letters are read to him, and then they are covered in honey and he is told:
"Lick the honey off the letters."
Vayikra with a Small Aleph
When we begin teaching a young child Torah, we start with Toras Kohanim, the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). As brought in Torah 282 in Likutey Moharan, young children, who possess the breath of a mouth untainted by sin, receive this breath from the true tzaddik. Therefore, we begin with the word "Vayikra" with a small aleph.
Moshe Rabbeinu, in his humility, did not want to write the aleph at all. He argued, "I am like Bilaam." When Korach said about Moshe that he was like Bilaam, Moshe agreed with him and said, "Hashem speaks with me, but He also speaks with Bilaam." Regarding Bilaam, it is written "Vayikar" (And He happened upon) without an aleph, and Moshe wanted to equate himself to him out of his lowliness. The entire essence of beginning one's learning is to instill within the child the trait of humility of Moshe Rabbeinu.
Comforting the Pure Soul
When a child descends into the world, he is distressed and cries. A pure soul that was close to the Shechinah (Divine Presence) in Heaven asks itself: Where have they brought me? To such a dark and gloomy world? The baby who comes into the world is completely in despair. Therefore, we make a "Shalom Zachar" (welcoming celebration for a newborn boy) and a festive seudah (meal) at the Chalakah (haircutting ceremony) — in order to comfort the child. We say to him, "Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them and thank Hashem." Everything is done to comfort the broken soul over its descent into this world.
The Child's Mount Sinai Experience
The day of the Chalakah and bringing the child into the Cheder (Torah school) is not just a regular event; it is as if we are all standing right now at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Gemara in Tractate Kiddushin states that when a person teaches his grandson Torah, the verse considers it as if he received it today from Mount Sinai.
"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Anyone who teaches his grandson Torah, the verse considers it as if he received it at Mount Sinai, as it is stated: 'And you shall make them known to your children and your children's children,' and juxtaposed to it is: 'The day that you stood before Hashem your God at Horeb.'"
The Gemara relates that Rabbi Chiya bar Abba once met Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi running in the marketplace with the child to the Cheder, and on his head was placed a rag or a simple hat unbefitting his honor. He did not look for his beautiful hat. Rabbi Chiya asked him, "Did you not have time to put on a normal hat?" Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi answered him, "Is this a simple matter in your eyes? It is written, 'And you shall make them known to your children,' and immediately after, 'The day that you stood before Hashem at Horeb'! Taking a child to the Cheder is like receiving the Torah right now from Mount Sinai, so you put something on your head and run!"
The Secret of Covering with a Tallis
When bringing the child for the Chalakah, we are, so to speak, offering him before Mount Sinai. Hashem says, "Let the pure ones come and engage in pure things, and I will consider it for you as if you have offered a sacrifice before Me." Therefore, we seek out a Torah scholar to lead the child to the school. The Torah scholar serves as an intermediary between the child and Hashem, just as Moshe Rabbeinu was the agent and intermediary at the Giving of the Torah.
Here we reach the deepest point of the Chalakah: The entire Chalakah is designed to instill humility in the young child. We cover him with a tallis and take him while he is covered, so that he will already become accustomed to being hidden. We train the child from the age of three to conceal himself and his actions, to be humble like Moshe Rabbeinu.
The hidden tzaddikim, those who no one knew when they came and no one knew when they left, are the ones who accomplished the greatest things in the world. The revealed is absolutely nothing compared to the hidden. The entire purpose of studying Torah is to reach the "Name of Ma" (the Divine Name associated with selflessness and humility) — to absolute self-nullification, lowliness, and humility, to the realization that a person is the least of all. By covering the child with a tallis on his first day of learning, we plant within him the seed to become a true tzaddik, hidden and humble.
Part 3 of 4 — Lesson No. 20