new column
Our children as
our disciples
Parents need to be more than just their
children’s car service
by Rabbi Ze’ev Kraines
ers!” We are proclaiming that our path
of life is a continuation of the influence
of the forefathers and matriarchs of our
people. Even a convert is referred to as
a child of Avraham, our father.
Hashem himself reveals that this
mentoring role was the crucial factor in
Avraham’s election as the progenitor of
His nation:
I have chosen him because he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep G-d’s way,
doing righteousness and justice.
(Genesis 18:19)
Raising and elevating
“…And I would like to thank my mother
for schlepping me to soccer practice.”
Sound familiar? We hear these words
of appreciation at barmies and batties
all the time. And I’m not knocking
them. Our children need love – great
gobs of it – and schlepping them is just
one of the ways we show them that we
care. We actually spend a lot of time in
the car with our children in South Africa. It’s an opportunity for connection;
one that is lacking in other countries.
Believe it or not, we’re lucky!
But, when I hear these words expressed
at a milestone moment in a child’s life, it
always gets me thinking: Isn’t there
something else that our children should
perceive as our essential parental role?
The answer might not be so obvious,
even to ourselves. Parents indeed have
many roles. We are primary caregivers,
legal guardians, first aid specialists, assistant coaches, social directors, etc. As
we are constantly juggling these tasks
while trying to put out the bush fires of
66 JEWISH LIFE n ISSUE 85
daily life, perhaps we may be excused
for losing track of who we are.
Judaism offers a timeless insight into
this issue. The halacha states that a person should always refer to his father as
Avi Mori – my father, my teacher; and to
his mother as Imi Morasi – my mother,
my teacher. Hashem has entrusted these
preci