Parents should not teach their children Torah just because “it is a useful tool in life” or because “it will provide them with a good reward in the world to come”.
Parents must view this act of teaching as an act of partnership.
When they teach their children Torah, they are thereby making them partners in their inheritance and sharing with them a part of their very own identity.
It is just as precious as a parent transmitting his very own DNA to his child. For the Torah is an inseparable part of our life.
Practically speaking, we should teach our children Torah just as we teach them how to eat.
At first they are suspicious about the food we present to them, but then they discover that it is not so bad.
From time to time, the food is even chewed for the sake of our children’s safe digestion.
A similar approach must be adopted when teaching Torah. King David put it best in his book of Psalms: “O Taste and see that God is good.”
We must provide our children and Jews worldwide a taste of the Torah.
Its samples are endless and every Jew can undoubtedly find one that suits his or her taste.
Some will search for intellectually-stimulating samples while others may be content with simple stories.
At times, educators will even need to ‘chew’ the Torah’s teachings.
But all of its samples must be presented to everyone since they are the everlasting inheritance of every Jew.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
From a lecture by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, January 25, 2009
(Rendered by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche)