4. Prayer of the Poor Man (Tefillah L'Ani)

This relates to the verse, "He made him suck honey from a rock" (Devarim 32), and as it is written, "Honey and milk are under your tongue" (Shir HaShirim 4). The reason we begin teaching a child with the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is because our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: We start young children with the Book of Vayikra because Hashem said, "Let the pure ones come and engage in the study of pure things (the laws of sacrifices), and I will consider it as if you had offered a sacrifice before Me." Furthermore, there is a custom to seek out a Torah scholar to lead the child to the schoolhouse. This mirrors the Giving of the Torah, where Hashem specifically sought out Moshe, who was a great and exceedingly humble man. The reason the child is covered under the corners of a cloak (a tallis) is to educate him in Torah through the path of humility and modesty, as it is written, "And so that His awe shall be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin" (Shemos 20:17). Why is all this done? So that the Torah will endure for all generations, for the deeds of the tzaddikim endure forever. The reason the letters are covered in honey after he reads them, and he is made to lick them, is so that the words of Torah will be as sweet as honey in his mouth... And the reason they coax him at first [with sweets] and only later discipline him with a strap is because at the Giving of the Torah, it initially says, "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests" (ibid. 19:6)—meaning, you will only receive reward. But ultimately, it is written, "Whoever sacrifices to the gods shall be destroyed" (ibid. 22:19), and "Those who profane it shall be put to death" (ibid. 31:14), along with other punishments. Furthermore, we accustom children to sway their bodies during their studies, just as it is written regarding the Giving of the Torah, "The people saw and they trembled [swayed]" (ibid. 20:15). This is what King David meant when he said, "Serve Hashem with awe" (Tehillim 2:11). And similarly, King Shlomo said, as it is written, "His lips are like lilies, dripping flowing myrrh" (Shir HaShirim 5:13). And they said...