by Reb Gutman Locks on Mystical Paths

     This very young boy sat on the floor in the middle of the entrance to the inner area of the Kotel reciting the blessings that he learned to read in gan (kindergarten). He touched each word with his finger as he said it out loud. When he finished he jumped up and ran excitedly to his father and proudly told him what a great thing he did. He had just read each of the morning blessings at the Kotel! And he was right, too. It was a great thing.

     It is a wondrous thing to teach a small child to read. It is even more wondrous to teach him to love the words.