R' A. of Teplik told me that the Rebbe once told him not to be a teacher of young children. R' A. argued that it is said that the Baal Shem Tov taught that it is good to be a teacher.342The Baal Shem Tov himself worked as a teacher of young children in his youth (Shevachey HaBaal Shem Tov, p. 43).
The Rebbe replied, “I do not know if the Baal Shem Tov ever really said that. Even if he did say it, it no longer applies. The tzaddik of each generation has the power to erect boundaries and direct the community. I say that the best way to serve God today is by not becoming a teacher.”343See Tzaddik #465, #591; Alim LeTerufah #163. Cf. Sanhedrin 104b; Likutey Moharan I, 37:6.
The Rebbe was once speaking to one of his followers who was a teacher. The Rebbe asked him, “How much do you earn each term?” The man specified the amount. The Rebbe calculated how much it came out to for each day and showed that it was a very small sum.
The Rebbe said, “If this is the case, figure how much you earn each hour. It is a mere trifle. You are being taken away from your own studies and losing your future reward for a mere gulden or two.
“If you are involved in business, you may take a gulden or two that is not rightly yours. This is because it is impossible to be exact to the penny [at all times] and such accidents do happen. Your customer will certainly forgive you. But if you waste an hour while teaching, your employer will definitely not forgive you.”
שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵר"א מִטֶּעפְּלִיק, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ לְעִנְיַן מַה שֶּׁרְצוֹן רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל לֹא הָיָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְלַמֵּד כַּנַּ"ל. וְהוּא הוֹכִיחַ לוֹ שֶׁטּוֹב יוֹתֵר לִהְיוֹת מְלַמֵּד וְסִפֵּר לוֹ בְּשֵׁם הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב ז"ל, שֶׁמְּסַפְּרִים בִּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁטּוֹב לִהְיוֹת מְלַמֵּד.
R' A. of Teplik told me that the Rebbe once told him not to be a teacher of young children. R' A. argued that it is said that the Baal Shem Tov taught that it is good to be a teacher.342The Baal Shem Tov himself worked as a teacher of young children in his youth (Shevachey HaBaal Shem Tov, p. 43).
עָנָה וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב ז"ל אָמַר כָּךְ. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אָמַר כָּךְ, כָּל צַדִּיק הַדּוֹר יֵשׁ לוֹ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת גְּדָרִים וּלְהַנְהִיג אֶת הָעוֹלָם כְּפִי אוֹתָן הַדּוֹרוֹת. וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר עַתָּה שֶׁטּוֹב לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁלֹּא לִהְיוֹת מְלַמֵּד.
The Rebbe replied, “I do not know if the Baal Shem Tov ever really said that. Even if he did say it, it no longer applies. The tzaddik of each generation has the power to erect boundaries and direct the community. I say that the best way to serve God today is by not becoming a teacher.”343See Tzaddik #465, #591; Alim LeTerufah #163. Cf. Sanhedrin 104b; Likutey Moharan I, 37:6.
(וְסִפֵּר לִי הַנַּ"ל בְּשִׁנּוּי לָשׁוֹן מִזֶּה, אַךְ זֶהוּ הַיּוֹצֵא מִדְּבָרָיו).
This man told this account to me slightly differently, but this is the gist of what he said.
וּפַעַם אַחַת דִּבֵּר עִם אֶחָד מֵאֲנָשָׁיו שֶׁהָיָה מְלַמֵּד. וְשָׁאַל אוֹתוֹ: כַּמָּה יֵשׁ לְךָ שְׂכַר לִמּוּד לִזְמַן? הֵשִׁיב לוֹ: כָּךְ וְכָךְ. וְחִשֵּׁב עִמּוֹ כַּמָּה עוֹלֶה עַל יוֹם, בְּוַדַּאי עוֹלֶה סַךְ מֻעָט מְאֹד.
The Rebbe was once speaking to one of his followers who was a teacher. The Rebbe asked him, “How much do you earn each term?” The man specified the amount. The Rebbe calculated how much it came out to for each day and showed that it was a very small sum.
וְאָמַר לוֹ: אִם כֵּן תַּחֲשֹׁב עוֹד כַּמָּה עוֹלָה עַל שָׁעָה אַחַת שְׂכַר לִמּוּד, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יַעֲלֶה כִּי אִם דְּבַר שִׁבּוּשׁ. אִם כֵּן, כְּשֶׁאַתָּה מְבַטֵּל שָׁעָה אַחַת מִלִּמּוּדְךָ, אַתָּה אוֹבֵד עוֹלָם הַבָּא בִּשְׁבִיל דְּבַר שִׁבּוּשׁ בִּשְׁבִיל גָּדוֹל [סוג מטבע] אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנַיִם.
The Rebbe said, “If this is the case, figure how much you earn each hour. It is a mere trifle. You are being taken away from your own studies and losing your future reward for a mere gulden or two.
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן וְתִגְזֹל חָלִילָה אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בְּהַמַּשָּׂא וּמַתָּן אֵיזֶה דְּבַר שִׁבּוּשׁ גָּדוֹל אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנַיִם עַל יְדֵי אֵיזֶה אֹנֶס, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִזָּהֵר וּלְדַקְדֵּק עַל פְּרוּטָה אַחַת, בְּוַדַּאי יִמְחַל לְךָ. אֲבָל הַשָּׁעָה שֶׁאַתָּה מְבַטֵּל מִלִּמּוּדְךָ, בְּוַדַּאי אֵין הַבַּעַל הַבַּיִת מוֹחֵל לְךָ בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן.
“If you are involved in business, you may take a gulden or two that is not rightly yours. This is because it is impossible to be exact to the penny [at all times] and such accidents do happen. Your customer will certainly forgive you. But if you waste an hour while teaching, your employer will definitely not forgive you.”