8th of Adar II 5774 B”H Last week, I ran into a couple of friends at the gym. We started a conversation about how the “US” under the control of this “current administration” has lost all of its beliefs in G-d, its Youth, Morality, and the Seven Laws of Noach. After listening to their conversations, I added the following thoughts of the Ramban: He wrote a letter to his son called Iggeres HaMussar, in this letter Ramban lays out the foundation of spiritual structure which is the parents responsibility to teach their children, and it begins at the kitchen table. I’m going to share my conversation with Ben and Jacob. The Introductory Verse: Heed, my son, the discipline of your father and do not forsake the guidance of your mother (Proverbs 1:8). Parenting: Transmitting the Building Blocks of Character A parent’s responsibility begins at the kitchen table, in the home a parent begins to mold his child’s character. Even if one is not capable of of teaching his child the actual texts of the Torah or the Bible --Chumash, Mishnah and Gemara- , he is still obligated to instill within him Torah, or the Bible, values and morals. Parents must be ever cognizant of the fact that middos (moral values) are in a sense hereditary. Just as parents transfer their genes to their offspring and thereby determine their physical characteristics, so they transmit their attitudes, values, and character traits to their children. Indeed, parents who don’t control their own anger raise hot-tempered children. Rabbi Finkel, the “Alter of Slabodka,” wrote: The son of a good family who stole apples from a cart did not become a thief overnight. The deed has its roots in previous generations. Perhaps his very pious grandfather hid behind the bimah of the synagogue in the name of humility, but the act contained a trace of deception because he was acting more pious than he really was. His scholarly son went a step further and “stole” chiddushei Torah from other scholars by reciting them in his own name. The grandson in turn became an apple thief. An entire tractate of the Mishnah is devoted to the study of Jewish ethics. Appropriately, this tractate of moral training is called”Avos,” Fathers. Parents should foster in their children a spirit of reverence and awe for G-d. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh (comm. to Deuteronomy 31:13) writes: A child must be trained to fear G-d at the earliest possible age. Even if he is too young to begin formal learning, he should be trained in the fear of Heaven, because then he will remain G-d fearing for the rest of his life. Elsewhere, the Ohr HaChaim (comm. to Leviticus 19:3) writes: Holy men have told me that when a person is overwhelmed by impure thoughts and his Evil Impulse threatens to entice him to sin, there is one powerful preventive device. One should project a mental image of one’s parents; when one sees them before him, the forces of sanctity are reinforced with in him and he will find within himself the strength to overcome temptation. Thus, Potiphar’s wife nearly succeeded in seducing Joseph until the image of his father Jacob appeared before Joseph, and helped him to overcome his passion. This explains the order of the verses of the Torah. First the Torah commands: Be holy! and immediately afterward it commands: Every man of you shall fear his mother and his father, as if to say, “If you wish to safeguard yourself from temptation, fear your parents and picture them standing before you.” As mentioned in our introduction, Ramban addressed this letter to his son Nachman. Ramban wrote another letter to his son Shlomo, who was in the service of the Spanish government. Therein, Ramban emphasizes how beneficial it is for a child to always think of his parents’ teachings: My son, remember me always and let the image of my countenance always be before your eyes; let it never depart from you. Remove from your heart the desire to do anything that you know I despise. Be with me always. Observe the commandments of G-d and live. A Parting B’rachas: “May you now apply the lessons you have just studied to your everyday life so that you will experience the bliss of the World to Come within your lifetime on earth. May this prepare you for your final reward when you completely enter the World to Come.” AMEN!!! With all of The Creator’s love! Ref: A letter for the ages: By Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:51:25 +0000
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