The children settled down when their Rebbi walked in the classroom. They noticed an exceptional expression of joy on his face. When the Rebbi reached his desk, he said, “I have very exciting news, boys. The celebration of receiving your first siddur will be at the home of HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg. In fact, the Rav himself will be giving the siddurim to you.” The room was filled with sounds of boys’ cheers.
The celebration at Rav Scheinberg’s home went very well. However, someone noticed that Rav Scheinberg was upset about something. When they asked him about it, he explained: The first spiritual event in these children’s lives is specifically when they receive their first siddur. The word “siddur” comes from the root סדר (order). It is important for a young Ben Yisroel to understand that to live a productive and successful Torah life, his life must always be in order. A child should not leave his routine, even if it means coming to me to receive his siddur. I should really have gone to them.
