A constant mentor – back to basics

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 1/3/2011 Monday 27 Tevet 5771

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Page 41 – a few lines above the middle of the page (line starts “hakoach mamash...”)

With birth/conception, the son lands up with his own power of intellect. The son has an independent power of intellect.

Here is the root of the difference between the mentorship of sechel/ruchni/spiritual and that of tipah/seed/physicality.

The spiritual mentorship is draw principally from the hispashtus of the nefesh. Sechel is an actual perception that represents the nefesh. It is the revelation of the nefesh . It is from the faculty of intellect, which is an expression/revelation. The rav delivers/teaches that which he already recognizes in his sechel. He teaches, not only that which he has already processed, but also from a deeper level.

There are 2 levels the student receives. The teacher presents that which he has already processed, but he also gives him from the koach hamaskil - “a way of seeing”. This is the core element of mentorship/hashpaat of sechel/intellect. He “has an effect” on the student. When the rav intends to teach the student it is not enough to just present what he, himself understands. This is not hashpaa/mentorship.



To do this, to really mentor a student he has to stand in the student's shoes, and feel what it is like to not understand this matter and not to relate to this matter. And now he relates to the student at this deeper level. The teacher has to revisit, “what makes me understand this?” and then he has what he can relate to the student. He brings the student along in the process.

If the teacher doesn't relate on this level, then the student just has a piece of learning that he stores away in his own memory. But if the teacher really relates and mentors the student, then if affects the way the student sees and thinks...!

The student can then become a bar sechel. When facing a question/problem he will use his sechel to identify it and relate to it correctly.

Now the student does not want to be pulled by personal preference, but by the truth of the matter.