30 His Way

Educate a child according to his way; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22

One who is born under the constellation of Mars will be a person who spills blood, whether as a doctor, a violent criminal, a ritual slaughterer, or a mohel (circumciser). (Shabbat 156a)

In keeping with the verse from Proverbs, the Talmudic sages understood that a child’s basic nature need not determine his future, although it should guide us in the choices we make as parents. The purpose of education is not to uproot children’s proclivities but to provide them with productive channels for self-expression.