The Torah recounts the years of Sarah's long life: "A hundred years and twenty years and seven years; these were the years of Sarah's life." Noting the verse's wordiness, the Sages commented that all of her years - whether age seven, twenty, or a hundred - shared the same goodness, the same purity and youthful innocence.

Despite her long years of barrenness, despite being kidnapped (twice) as she accompanied her husband Abraham in his many wanderings, Sarah did not become hard and cynical. Their son was named Isaac - Yitzchak, 'he will laugh' – due to Abraham's wonderment and Sarah's amazed laughter. "God had given me laughter; all who hear will rejoice for me." 

At one hundred, the Midrash teaches, Sarah was like a twenty year old; and at twenty, like a seven year old. Throughout her life, she remained the same young girl, shining with the inner beauty of her childhood innocence.

How to Educate

From the inspiring example of Sarah's purity and faith, we can learn an important lesson in education.

The nation's future depends upon how we educate the next generation. How should we tend to the vineyard of the House of Israel, so that the saplings will prosper and grow, anchoring their roots below and producing fruit above? How can we make sure that our children will grow into complete Jewish adults, firmly rooted in their heritage, 'pleasing to God and to man'?

We must take care to avoid slavish imitation of the educational methods of other nations. Our educational approach must match the special nature and characteristics of the nation.

Two Views of Childhood

The question of education revolves around an even more basic question. What is childhood? Is it just a preparatory stage leading to adulthood? Or is there an intrinsic value to childhood?

If life is all about working and earning a livelihood, then a child is simply a lump of clay to be formed into some tool needed in the nation's workforce. Childhood is but a preparation for adulthood, when one becomes a productive member of society, fuel to feed the engine of the national economy.



We must take care to avoid slavish imitation of the educational methods of other nations.

But there is another view of life, an idealistic outlook which sees value in life's purity, in its goodness and innocence. Such a viewpoint sees in childhood a stage of life that has value in its own right. The Sages recognized the special importance of childhood. "The world endures only for the sake of the breath of school children," for their Torah is learned in purity, undefiled by sin (Shabbat 119b).

When children are educated properly, we may discern within their pristine souls untold measures of holiness and innocence, purity and elevated traits. But only if the grace and beauty of these delicate flowers has not been crushed by the spirit-numbing reality of the factory floor and the cynical manipulations of corporate culture.

Childhood is good and holy, but it is too weak to withstand the powerful and complex forces of society. It is our obligation to guard over the simplicity of childhood, to carefully allow our children to mature without losing their natural innocence. Then they will acquire the physical strength and spiritual resilience that they lack, while retaining the innocent exuberance of childhood.

My Anointed Ones

'Do not harm meshichai, My anointed ones' – this refers to school children' (Shabbat 119b). Why are children God's 'anointed ones'? Anointing is not a one-time event, but an initiation ceremony that impacts the years to come. A king is anointed, and throughout his rule, he is the melech ha-mashiach, the anointed king.

So too childhood. When it has not been debased by the degrading pressures of an exploitative society, childhood is our anointing, our initiation, so that we may enjoy its pure fruits throughout our lives.

This is the beautiful example of Sarah. She lived a life of holiness and pure faith, retaining her childlike wonder and purity throughout the many vicissitudes of her long life.

(Adapted from Ma'amerei HaRe'iyah vol. II, pp. 230-231, from a 1905 sermon that Rav Kook delivered at the opening of a Talmud Torah school in Rehovot. Sent to Arutz Sheva by Rabbi Chanan Morrison of Mitzpeh Yericho, author of "Gold From the Land of Israel". His website, ravkooktorah.org, is dedicated to presenting the Torah commentary of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook)