DEUT250 A teacher should consider his students as his children. Rashi cites the Sifre in which it is explained that the term children in this verse refers to one's students, for we always find that students are termed children. From here we see the Torah's concept of the relationship between a teacher and his students: that of a father to a son. A parent is one who gives his child physical life. A Torah teacher gives his students spiritual life. (See Pirke Emunah, pp. 191-196)