The title of this week’s essay, “How to Talk So Children Will Listen,” borrows from the well-known parenting book by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Here, however, the lesson comes not from modern parenting literature, but from this week’s Torah portion.

The Torah presents some of the laws of the priesthood and introduces the first priests: “These are the descendants of Aaron and Moses on the day G-d spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai” (Numbers 3:1).

This is puzzling because Moses’ children were not priests; they were Levites. Only Aaron’s children were priests. Why, then, does the Torah describe Aaron’s children as descendants of both Aaron and Moses? Rashi (ad loc.) explains that one who teaches the Torah to a child is considered as though he fathered the child. Since Moses taught his nephews the Torah, it is considered as if he had a hand in fathering them.

At first glance, this is puzzling. How can teaching earn someone parental standing?

Rashi’s next comment offers a deeper insight. He notes that the verse specifies “the day that G-d spoke to Moses at Sinai.” Aaron’s children were not born on that day, but Rashi explains that they became Moses’ children on that day because this was when Moses began teaching them “what he learned from G-d.”

On the surface, Rashi is simply explaining the context. But there is a deeper message here: Moses taught only after he himself had learned. Real teaching can only occur after the teacher has learned.

Forging Character At first glance, this seems obvious. Of course, a teacher must know the material before teaching it. But........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)