אות - רמ

R' A. of Teplik told me that the Rebbe once told him not to be a teacher of young children. R' A. argued that it is said that the Baal Shem Tov taught that it is good to be a teacher. 342 The Baal Shem Tov himself worked as a teacher of young children in his youth ( Shevachey HaBaal Shem Tov , p. 43).

The Rebbe replied, “I do not know if the Baal Shem Tov ever really said that. Even if he did say it, it no longer applies. The tzaddik of each generation has the power to erect boundaries and direct the community. I say that the best way to serve God today is by not becoming a teacher.” 343 See Tzaddik #465, #591; Alim LeTerufah #163. Cf. Sanhedrin 104b; Likutey Moharan I, 37:6.

This man told this account to me slightly differently, but this is the gist of what he said.

The Rebbe was once speaking to one of his followers who was a teacher. The Rebbe asked him, “How much do you earn each term?” The man specified the amount. The Rebbe calculated how much it came out to for each day and showed that it was a very small sum.

The Rebbe said, “If this is the case, figure how much you earn each hour. It is a mere trifle. You are being taken away from your own studies and losing your future reward for a mere gulden or two.

“If you are involved in business, you may take a gulden or two that is not rightly yours. This is because it is impossible to be exact to the penny [at all times] and such accidents do happen. Your customer will certainly forgive you. But if you waste an hour while teaching, your employer will definitely not forgive you.”