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How Do We Inspire Our Children?

“Just as in your heart there is only One, so in our heart there is only One,” 12 Sons Told their Dying Father, Conveying the Essence of Education

54 min

Class Summary:

What is the secret of success in educating and inspiring your children and students? An ancient Talmudic episode regarding an exchanger between Jacob and his children on his deathbed captures the answer.

“Just as in your heart there is only One, so too in our heart there is only One:” Children are the mirror oftheir parents’ hearts.

A textual reflection on the portion of “Shema” demonstrates the point that only that which lay deeply in our hearts will resonate with our children in the depth of their hearts.

Please leave your comment below!

  • S

    student -8 years ago

    Rabbi,,, the third Beis Hamikdosh is supposed to be built by Hashem, if so why is the law of not using children that are learning relevant to today / tomorrow's world.

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  • E

    Eliana -12 years ago

    Working on the common "voice"
    Thank you for your insight in this law. Two thoughts came to mind while reading it:

    1. I suspect that any parent who would drag his or her child in public to humiliate the child by telling a beit din that the child is "rebellious" has no concern for the child's feelings and is probably abusive. In such a case, perhaps the parents should be punished--or at least reprimanded and "sentenced" to parenting classes.

    2. What if the parents are rashas--liars, thieves, even murderers--and the child's rebellion is his/her attempt to get/stay "on the derech"? Such parents are probably good actors and could make a good appearance before the court. And who would the court believe: the parents or the child? What a wonderful (ie, "apparently" halachic) way for them to get rid of another mouth to feed and increase their illicit "profit margin!" I understand that there is a halachah stating that a child should give kibud av v'aym UNLESS the parents are rashas. In such a case, the "rebellious son" is the righteous son and should keep as much evidence as possible to bring the parents to court.



    Having been raised by an abusive immoral parent and an enabler, I think we need to look at halachot governing  parenting very carefully and from every angle possible. In our frum communities, there's a lot of peer pressure to have lots of children. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent, especially the parent of a large family.To make matters worse, there is a trend nowadays in frum communities to not discuss anything negative, such as abuse, drug use, alcoholism, and simply the everyday stressors of life. I think we need to speak the truth--the good AND the bad--to our children, especially as they reach marriageable age, so that they can be realistic in their expectations about life in general and family life in particular. That may reduce the number of poorly raised and neglected children in our communities and bring us all to the moral heights to which we were destined.

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  • N

    nat -12 years ago

    Jews have ONE Father
    Hashem built this law knowing that it can never apply on a spiritual level to the Jewish people.

    Since we have ONE G_D Almighty and this law applies only on certain conditions of TWO parents.

    So the usual metaphor (children of Hashem) does not apply here.



    Maybe a reason why Hashem put this in the Torah is that CHILDREN who read this [and have not yet studied Talmud, -or read this blog:) ] should grow up with respect towards their parents. When I was a child in Cheder, this parsha frightened the wits out of me.



    Hashem is not only caring for the kinderlach, but is teaching us how important chinuch is. An entire parsha in the Torah(!) was wriiten to bring respect into the youngsters' hearts.

    והאלוקים עשה שיראו מלפניו.

     

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  • JS

    Joe Sol -12 years ago

    Issac & Rebekka
    To Roxanne perri.



    According to normative 'peshat'



    Unlike Abraham and Sarah, Issac and Rebbeka were not an ideal couple.



    Besides the age difference being one of the many  barriers between them.



    Issac was known for his stern and harsh manner, perhaps the outcome of  trauma from his brush with death by his very  fathers hands, at the Akeida.



    The narrative itself shows ample proof of a strong  discord and of total breakdown in communication between them.



    otherwise Issac would have known from Rebeka, about Esav's antics.



     she would also not need to go behind her husbands back and promote her son Jacob to lie, steal , cheat  and commit wrongful impersonation, and hurt his brother as well.



    This lead to  many negative  ramifications, and all involved suffered immensly because of Rebbeka's backhanded insistence.



    Which would have been redundant , had she  lovingly relayed information over the true spiritual status of their children!

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  • R

    Reuven -13 years ago

    Stubborn ...
    Sorry, I meant

    The child might            turn             into a villain....

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