Sunday, June 28, 2009

Tanya educating the child in the positive precepts

Awe or fear is what constrains the Jew from transgressing the prohibitive commandments,and the love of G-d is what motivates the Jew to do the good deeds as enumerated in the positive precepts or mitzvos.These explanations are made in Tanya Part I, chapters 4 and 41.The root and foundation of all commandments both positive and negative allude to the love and to the awe of G-d. Educating the child includes training in the positive precepts stated in Orach Chayim, Section 343.






Awe is the root and fundament of [what constrains one to]10refrain from evil,”
ensuring that one will not transgress the prohibitive commandments,11
והאהבה לועשה טוב, וקיום כל מצוות עשה דאורייתא
ודרבנן
and the love of G‑d [is the root and fundament] of [what motivates one
to]12
“do good,” and to observe all the positive commandments of the Torah and the
Sages,
כמו שיתבאר במקומן
as will be explained in their proper
place.
“As will be explained in their proper place”
refers to chs. 4 and 41 in the first part of Tanya.
This reference, as the Rebbe points out, corroborates the
tradition handed down by chassidim that the Alter Rebbe originally intended to
reverse the current order,
with this second part of Tanya appearing
first, as Part I, and the fifty-three chapters of the first part becoming Part
II.
ומצות החינוך היא גם כן במצוות עשה, כמו שכתוב באורח חיים, סימן שמ״ג
(13The
commandment of educating [a child] includes also [training in the performance
of] positive precepts, as is stated in Orach Chayim, Section
343.)


10.
Tehillim
34:15.
11.
The Rebbe raises the question why the Alter Rebbe does not add the
expression “all prohibitive commandments” as he soon does with regard to
positive commandments — “all the positive commandments.” In explanation, the
Rebbe suggests that perhaps a word was inadvertently omitted, and the text below
should read, “all positive and prohibitive commandments of the Torah,” thereby alluding both to the love and to the awe of G‑d as the root
and foundation of all commandments, both positive and prohibitive
.
12.
Tehillim, loc. cit.

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