B'nai Yisrael was commanded to gather in Jerusalem every seven years to fulfill the mitzvah of Hakhael, in which the King would read publicly passages in Sefer D'vorim. The entire Jewish nation was required to appear as the Torah specifies: "The men, the women, and the taf (very young children)." Why were the little children required to be present at this magnificent event, when they certainly were too young to comprehend what was occurring? The gemara Chagiga states that young children were brought in order to grant a reward (s'char mitzvah) to their parents who brought them. According to the Ramban, however, the taf were brought because, by hearing Torah and witnessing the great religious experience of Hakhael, the children would gain a love of Torah and mitzvos. Such an experience would help guarantee shmiras ha'mitzvos and yiras shamayim when the child would reach the age of formal learning. This approach provides us with a profound insight into early childhood education. Experiences early in life, even before traditional starting points of education, have an everlasting effect upon a child's neshama. Chinuch never should be viewed only as an academic exercise consisting of curriculum and knowledgeable teachers. Rather, in addition to academia, chinuch must address the very soul of the child. Children must be provided with role models who are capable of nurturing a child's religious essence. A love and respect for Torah only can be conveyed by teachers who are living embodiments of Yiddishkeit. At YNJ, it is our goal to incorporate into our curriculum and extra curricular activities this ability to touch the young hearts of our children with a beautiful and sincere Judaism.