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The Vilna Gaon on Personalized Spiritual Growth

The Vilna Gaon's interpretation of the principle of training a child according to his individual path, understood as a systematic approach to character development where each person must identify his own proper mode of spiritual growth rather than follow a uniform standard.

כל שהוא כו' אורח חיים

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Source 1 · Acharonim
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Gra on Pirkei Avot 2:1

גר"א על פרקי אבות ב׳:א׳

Gra on Pirkei Avot 2:1

On the mishnah of the proper path for a person, the Gra frames character and conduct as an ordered system of avodah, where each person must identify the right middah and mode of growth for himself. This fits the idea of training a child 'according to his way' rather than by a one-size-fits-all standard.

כל שהוא כו'. כמ״ש (משלי ג' ד') ומצא חן ושכל כו' אלקים ואדם. והוי כו' שמ״ש (משלי ה' ו') אורח חיים פן תפלס נעו מעגלותיה לא תדע וע' רש״י שם ובילקו' ר״פ עקב.

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