Even though we change our Shemoneh Esrei to praise Hashem’s strength in giving rain immediately after Sukkos, we don’t ask for rain in our tefilos until the 7th of Cheshvan (this has to do with the needs of travelers returning from the Beis HaMikdash after Sukkos – may it be speedily rebuilt! ) When we do add the prayer for rain we say, “give us rain and precipitation for a blessing,” and we know that we praise hashem for each and every droplet. This made me think of education.
Montessori education understands that it’s not only the big points of education – the grand lessons – that make the child mature, resilient and successful. It’s the small, daily observations the child makes – the tiny droplets – that the child see over and over that mold his or her character and (pardon the metaphor) “quench the thirst” for knowledge and direction. By taking on daily responsibilities – little things, like setting their own places at lunch, and organizing their own cubbies and materials – our children are learning larger lessons and developing into better people. And the middos of patience, openness and understanding that they see again and again from our staff (even under pressure) are equally important.
Rebbi Akiva saw droplets of water dripping into a depression in a flinty stone and he understood the value of education. It’s the long-term effect that matters. Of course there are “educational moments”, times when it will be easier to learn a given thing – and our system emphasizes creating those moments through a wide variety of means – but most education is like rain: it falls slowly, gently, and penetrates persistently. And although it may take a while to see its effects, they are surely what makes the plants grow, and give life to all.
May Hashem bless us with a good winter: rain when and where we need it, and the joy of watching our children grow healthily and happily.
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