I cannot emphasis, enough, the importance of the Jewish family. The true Jewish family encompasses love, mutual help, understanding and growth to build the kind of attitude that will make self respecting and responsible human beings. Every, smoothly functioning society knows that family comes first.
A home is the sanctuary where the real presence of family life and family love dwells.
It is interested to note that our Torah reading this Shabbat Vayachi, tells us that Yaakov calls his Family together to give them a Bracha. He intimates that only when they avoid dissension will the Bracha be fulfilled. Yaakov seemed to be afraid that perhaps one of his children was unworthy and will not carry on his legacy and way of life into the future. His children, I am sure were dismayed that their father would think ill of anyone of them and not be assured that his legacy will go forth into future generations.
To reassure their father they said in unison, שמע ישראל הי אלוקינו הי אחד, fear not
Like Yaakov, our father, when we recite the Shmah on a daily basis, we, equally, begin to reassure ourselves that our future is in tact and that we live with confidence that all is well in our respective families. However, the surety of such an outcome can only be attained if we put the effort into our family life to see to it that it grows with love and fidelity.
The Rav emphasized that by developing proper human relations structures, the Jew learns how to love, revere, and serve G-D. The Rav goes on to say, that in our Jewish tradition, parents not only must impart formal knowledge to their children, but must form, with them, an existential union and provide them with a total experience that integrates them into the covenantal Jewish community.
To achieve these goals in our Family institution requires submission to divine norms creating bonds of love amongst all the members of the family.
Let us continue to strive to build our families with love and understanding.
שבת שלום
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