Teach Children the value of their Prayers
"The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings." (Shemos 25:20)
A Child's Prayer
The first Kaalover Rebbe, R' Yitzchak Isaac, zt"l, would go to the town's school every morning to simply answer "amen" to the Brachos recited by the children.
The Baal Shem Tov, zt"l, even in his youth, would gather the children and walk with them to school so that he could answer "amen" to their brachos.
There are other countless stories that reflect the value that the tzaddikim placed on the tefilos of children throughout the generations. They cherished these pure tefilos and taught the children the immeasurable importance of their tefilah.
Holy Voices
Chazal explains (Shabbos 119b) that the entire world's existence is only sustained by the air from the mouth of schoolchildren, because it is not tainted by sin. Their tefilos have the unique power to nullify the ill intentions of the enemies of the Jewish people. As it says (Tehilim 8:3), "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to put an end to enemy and avenger".
Mordechai HaTzadik understood the incredible power of children's tefilos. Therefore, when the decree to annihilate the yidden was established, Mordechai sought to harness this power to nullify the decree and destroy the yidden's enemies. The Midrash (Esther Rabba 8:7) taught that he gathered 22,000 children and prayed with them. When Hashem heard the holy voices of these children, when He heard their tefilos and outcry caused by their suffering and persecution, His abundant Mercy was aroused, and Hashem set in motion the miracle of Purim. Immediately, Haman dressed and escorted Mordechai by horse. Everything was changed for the ultimate goodness.
The Zohar relates (Volume III 204b) an astonishing story: When R' Yossi from Pekin passed away, the people gathered to take care of the deceased. When they entered his home, they found his young son standing beside his father's bed, crying aloud, and praying to Hashem for the loss of his father who had been taken from him. Then, R' Yossi opened his eyes and was returned to life!
This story demonstrates the unimaginable power of a child's tefilah, a prayer that is uttered with the purity only a child can possess, that innocently flows from the depths of their heart. These prayers can even resurrect the dead.
A Prayer for All
Nowadays, these tefilos are needed even more to replace the holy sacrifices which have been unfilled since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
The renowned Maggid from Dubna, R' Yaakov, explained this idea through a wonderful parable:
There was once an extraordinarily wealthy man who was unpleasant to everyone. He was rude and judgmental. He acted entitled. Eventually, everyone began to distance themselves from him, and they harbored animosity in their hearts against him.
However, the man's business began to fail and eventually his entire fortune was gone. He had become poor and destitute. His situation became so dire that he didn't even have a single slice of bread in his house. And, with no other options, he had to go knocking door-to-door seeking charity and handouts. As he went from house to house, his pleas were met with ridicule and shame. They recalled how he treated people when he was wealthy. No one was willing to help him. So, he returned home broken, desperate, and veiled in a cloak of misery.
He gathered his children and said to them, "Listen carefully children. Usually, a father provides for his children because they cannot support themselves. They haven't developed the tools or education yet to work in a business that demands a certain skill set. But, we no longer have a business. Now, in our current circumstances, our "business" is to knock on doors and depend on the generosity of others. Therefore, I need your help. You need to go to "work". Your innocence and grace will rouse their mercy and kindness whereas I cannot. They will give you something, and they will inadvertently be supporting me as well."
The lesson of this parable is clear. When the Beis HaMikdash stood and the sacrifices were offered, when the world was flowing with an abundance of mitzvos and Torah, the children were sustained by their fathers. After all, the children did not have a role in the Beis HaMikdash. But now, because of our sins, we have been exiled from our lands, and our only Avodah, our work, is to ask for mercy and kindness.
Therefore, the children, as in the parable, are more suited for this work. They are pure and their breath is not tainted by sin (Shabbos ibid). They can arouse that mercy and kindness through their tefilos. As their tefilos sustain and support them, they will, inevitably, support the "fathers" as well. The answer of their prayers answers the prayers of all.
Purifying the Atmosphere
R' Yehoshua of Dinov, zt"l, explained with this, the reason why many tzaddikim and pious yidden are not meticulous to daven at sunrise, as has become the custom for many. The Bnei Yissachor wrote that his rebbe, the Chozeh from Lublin, praised this explanation.
The explanation is as follows: Our world has become infected and polluted by the forces of impurity. Therefore, it is difficult for our tefilos to rise to the Heavens. There are spiritual obstacles and hindrances. Therefore, it is fitting to delay shachris, the morning prayers, until the school children have had an opportunity to daven. Their tefilos and their purity pierce through the impurities, they break through the thick veil of all the superficiality and obstacles; their tefilos literally purify the spiritual atmosphere. Therefore, as their tefilos rise, as they eradicate all the obstacles, so too, the prayers of everyone can now rise to the heavens without delays or obstructions.
Teach their Value
Each child on his own level, needs to understand how valuable their tefios are. Therefore, it is incumbent on the parents and teachers to encourage children to daven to Hashem. To teach them how beautiful and cherished their tefilos are in the Heavens.
They need to lovingly explain to them how much Hashem values their tefilos and that through their tefilos they can have an incredible impact by drawing goodness and brachos into this world on behalf of their families, friends, and the entire Jewish people.
This is the deeper meaning of our pasuk when it says, "The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards". The cherubim were in the image of innocent children. Their wings-hands spread upwards to signify tefilah, as Moshe said to Pharoah (Shemos 9:29) "When I leave the city, I will spread my hands to the Lord".
These cherubim protected and shielded the Aron HaKodesh that contained the Torah and the Luchos. This serves as a symbol for the yidden to remember the importance of children's tefilos that protect all of the Jewish people who study Torah.
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