The Maharid’s Insight regarding the Tefilah for Chinuch
This provides us with a better understanding of the inquiry of the holy Admor, the Maharid of Belz, zy”a. Seeing as the education of our children is the foundation of Judaism, why isn’t there a tefilah for “chinuch” in Shemoneh Esrei? He answers that because this matter is so vital, the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah feared that such a tefilah would arouse the prosecutorial forces. Therefore, they concealed a tefilah for “chinuch” in Modim in the expression: "לדור ודור נודה לך ונספר תהלתך"—from generation to generation, we will thank you and declare Your praise. With these words, not only do we express our gratitude to Hashem, but we also pray that we will continue to do so in every generation.
Let us elaborate based on our current discussion. The foundation of the entire Torah is teaching it and passing it on to our children and grandchildren, as per the passuk: "והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך". As mentioned above, this alludes to the two “vavs” that Amalek aims to steal from Yisrael. This is the ongoing battle with Amalek referred to in the passuk: "מלחמה לה' בעמלק מדר דר". Therefore, we pray in the berachah of Modim for the “chinuch” of our children: "לדור ודור נודה לך ונספר תהלתך"—that we will succeed in teaching the Torah to our progeny in the next two generations. For, if we do so, HKB”H guarantees us that the Torah will continue to illuminate our lives in all future generations.
Upon further consideration, it is evident that our three holy Avos—Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov—paved the way for all Yisrael to adopt this behavior. Here is what the Gaon Chida wrote on the subject in Midbar Kedeimos (1, 1) citing an ancient, hand-written manuscript from the disciples of Rabeinu Yehudah HaChassid, z”l:
"אבות העולם אברהם יצחק ויעקב ראו זה את זה, וט"ו שנים למדו התורה בכל יום ולילה ט"ו שעות, ובן ט"ו לתלמוד, ובחגיגה (יב:) מונה ט"ו דברים שיש בערבות, סולו לרוכב בערבות בי"ה שמו, לכך יסד דוד המלך ע"ה ט"ו שיר המעלות, וט"ו מעלות בעזרה, וט"ו שבחות בישתבח... ובט"ו ניסן נגאלו ישראל ממצרים".
The lives of our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, overlapped. They learned Torah together every day and night for fifteen years. At the age of fifteen, a boy begins studying Talmud . . . David HaMelech, a”h, composed fifteen Shir HaMa’aloss; there were fifteen steps in the azarah; there are fifteen expressions of praise in Yishtabach; Yisrael were redeemed from Mitzrayim on the fifteenth of Nissan.
According to this scheme, Yaakov Avinu, the third of the holy Avos, was the embodiment of the second “vav” in the passuk: "והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך". Therefore, he fathered twelve shevatim, who were all religious and embodied the fulfillment of the two “vavs.” They perpetuated the tradition of Torah "מדור לדור" with the “vavs” intact. For this reason, the Gemara states definitively (Berachos 16b): "אין קורין לאבות אלא שלשה"—only three are called Avos—because they paved the way for all of Yisrael.
