Naso 5774

“And it was that on the day Moshe (Moses) finished erecting the Mishkan (Tabernacle)…” (Bamidbar/Numbers 7:1)

Why does Torah credit Moshe with erecting the Mishkan when another man, Betzalel, was the G-d-appointed artisan who carried out the work?

Writes Rashi: “Scripture credits Moshe with it because he utterly devoted himself to it, overseeing that the design of each article conformed with what he was shown on the mount [Sinai], to instruct the craftsmen, and he did not err in any design.” In other words, Moshe had the vision, the self-sacrifice and devotion to ensure that the building project was finished, and that it was carried out the right way. While Moshe did not take part in the construction, he deserves to get the credit for taking responsibility and being accountable for the project’s completion.

As parents who wish our children to succeed and excel, we may be tempted to take over their homework and school projects so our children will get better grades. Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich in a video on www.aish.com warns against this dishonest and dangerous practice: “If we do their work, who is accountable? They will learn to be responsible if we let them be responsible. They will make mistakes. They will suffer the consequences. If we allow our children to be responsible, they will be the Moshes of the Jewish people.”

http://www.aish.com/tp/pak/parenting/Robbed_of_Responsibility.html

Chaye Sarah 5774

“She [Rivka/Rebecca] said, ‘I will also draw [water] for your camels, until they will have finished drinking.’” (Bereishit/Genesis 24:19)

In this week’s Torah portion, Avraham sends his servant Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak (Isaac). Eliezer meets Rivka by a well where she is drawing water. Demonstrating sensitivity and compassion for animals, Rivka insists that Eliezer’s camels receive water. This display of concern and caring for animals is one of the determining factors for Eliezer to choose her as a wife for Yitzchak.

Kindness to animals and the prevention of cruelty (suffering) to animals, tza’ar ba’alei chayim, are important obligations in Judaism. Jewish wisdom recognizes a parallel between the way a person treats animals and the way he or she treats people.

Torah has many laws that emphasize kindness to animals. For example, an ox and a donkey may not be yoked together for plowing because the ox is stronger than the donkey (Devarim/Deuteronomy 22:10). Torah prohibits killing an animal the same day as its young (Vayikra/Leviticus 22:8) and a mother bird must be shooed away from her nest before her eggs are taken (Devarim 22:6). The Talmud (Berachot 40) exhorts that a person may not eat until all of his or her animals have been fed.

Specific laws apply to animals on Shabbat, the Sabbath. Just as people refrain from work on Shabbat, animals, too, must rest (Shemot/Exodus 20:10).  Certain caretaking tasks must not be done, or must be done differently, so that one does not violate Shabbat. For example, animals must be milked by hand on Shabbat so they will be comfortable, but a Jew may not benefit from or use the milk collected on Shabbat. (It can be given to baby animals.)

If an animal is in pain or in danger of dying, it is permissible to perform certain acts that would normally not be allowed on the Sabbath. For example, an animal may be moved and medicated. To alleviate an animal’s suffering or to save its life, it is permissible to ask a non-Jew to do things that Jews are not permitted to do on the Sabbath.  

Parents, if your household includes pets, then you know that having animals at home is an excellent opportunity to train your children to be kind to animals, and by extension, to other people. Pet ownership also teaches children to take responsibility and to think of others’ needs before their own. Children benefit from taking charge of feeding, watering, walking and cleaning up after their pets.   

Bereishit 5772

In this week’s parsha, Adam and his wife eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. G-d calls to Adam and asks, “Where are you (Ayeka)?” Adam answers: “I was afraid…so I hid…The woman whom You gave [to be] with me gave me from the tree and I ate…The woman said [to G-d],‘The serpent misled me and I ate.’” 

If G-d is all-knowing, why does He ask where Adam is?  What is G-d really asking when He says ayeka?

This parsha teaches that we cannot hide from G-d.  G-d knows exactly where we are – not only what we are doing, but what we are thinking.  With His question ayeka, G-d challenges Adam to accept responsibility for his actions.  Rabbi Yisroel Jungreis and Rabbi Osher Anshel Jungreis note that the Hebrew word ayeka can be read another way, as eicha, meaning “how?”  G-d is asking Adam how he could have sinned, how he could have ignored the first and only commandment that G-d gave.  G-d is asking Adam to examine his life, his thoughts and his actions and to be accountable for them.

Instead, Adam shifts the blame to his wife, and his wife blames the serpent. Neither is willing to accept responsibility.  Neither one has the courage to say, “Forgive me, I was wrong. Let me redress this wrong."

"'Where are you?'" explains Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, "is G-d's perpetual call to every man. Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished? You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your mission in life. You have lived so many years and so many days. Where are you? What have you attained?"

As parents, we must teach our children to take responsibility for their actions.  We cannot allow them to blame others for their mistakes.  We must teach them from the earliest ages that their actions have consequences, and they should not make excuses.  And when they admit their wrongdoings, we should emulate G-d -- embrace them and forgive them.