FAMILY CONNECTION

     

There is no replacement for Family.  A family serves to unify people in love , understanding and above all in feelings of empathy. There are no two families alike but at the same time every family plays an important part in the progress of man and especially in the future of Yiddishkeit.

     There is a very cogent story found in our literature. A student once came to the Shul of Rabbi Simcha Bunim in Poland.The Rabbi welcomed him and asked "Why did you come here? What are you looking for?" The student replied, "I am seeking G-D." Upon hearing his quest, Rabbi Bunim said, "One can find G-D anywhere; for it is written in Tehilim, ‘The whole earth is filled with His glory.' Here in this Shul one comes to find oneself.”

     Indeed these are times that the search for self begins in our early years and continues throughout our Blessed lives. The search for meaning is deeply personal and in the words of our Talmud "Seek and you shall find.”

     Our Parsha this week describes another meeting between Moshe and Pharoah.  Moshe is demanding the release of the Jewish people from bondage. Pharoah asks Moshe מי ומי ההולכים, “Who do you expect to go with you?”  Moshe responds,בנערינו ובזקנינו נלך “We will go forth with our children and with our elders."

     This is an important lesson to the world and especially to ourselves. Judaism can only succeed if we, as adults, walk together into the future with our children. Know my friends, children are the heart of our way of life. Children need to be nourished with love and patience and also with respect. 

     We as adults have a grave responsibility when it comes to our children, and to paraphrase a famous cliché, “it takes an entire community to raise a child".  We all must work towards this endeavor if we want to succeed in our glorious future.

     Children give us hope, laughter and Nachas and we are to remember that they always must come first if we are going to succeed as an עם קדוש, as a Holy Nation and an עם סגולה.

     To achieve this glorious goal our aim must be to recognize the Jewish people are first and foremost a family.  Only through a family oriented way of life can we assure the continuity of our Tradition and the survival of our Mesorah  to the next generation.

     It is no coincidence that we are referred to as B’nai Yisroel, the Children of Israel. For we are indeed a family bringing about our Jewish identity.

     The well being of our family will assure the well being of our children.  Our Torah and our traditional lessons that are learned by our children are " caught" and not only " taught" , which suggests that our children learn by example and this learning process continues, daily, through the experiential  influence of the members of the family.

     Rabbi A.J. Heschel writes “to educate the child without including the entire family is like attempting to heat a home with all the windows open.  With the family, we keep the embers of Torah aglow in the hearts and minds of our children  ולמדתם אותם את בניכם. To achieve this very significant goal in our Jewish lives we must act with  respect and dignity, kindness and peace and above all with love, fulfilling the words of Moshe  בנערינו ובזקנינו נלך

     To further this Family bond let us Bless our children and grandchildren on Friday  night at our Shabbos dinner table with the ancient  Bracha המלאך הגואליייי forging a magnificent connection within our family. 

     May Hashem Bless us with much Nachas and Mazal from all our children.  

Shabbat Shalom!