A father and son were heading home one Friday afternoon after purchasing 3 loaves of challah for Shabbat.
On their way, a poor man stops them, asking for a challah, and the father happily hands him one. ” How many challahs are left?” he asks his son,
” why, 2 of course,” says the boy. ” No, you’re making a mistake my son…you’ll understand after Shabbat,” says the father.
Shabbat ends, and the father turns to his son again and asks, ” So, how many loaves of challah are left now?” Clearly, none!” responds the boy.
” you’re mistaken,” says the father, ” we do, in fact, have 1 challah left. You see, the challah we gave away to the poor man always remains with us – that act of kindness never ceases to exist.”
People often ask, What can I do to educate my children better? I send them to the best schools, providing them with education under truly skilled teachers…what more can I do?
The answer is simple, and yet one that requires our active input. Life is not taught by the book, it is taught by example. So while proper schooling is vital, we cannot expect the school’s efforts to bear fruit without our daily living example.
Consider your own childhood experiences: how often does a precious memory of your parents’ behavior motivate you to persevere or inspire you to make a sacrifice in life? Indeed, we ought to provide our children with similar memories.
It is the lifestyle we choose, and the way we behave towards others, that will ultimately teach our children proper values, inspiring them to lead beautiful, fulfilling lives.
Let’s truly “walk the talk” by demonstrating to our children behaviors that will leave a lasting impact.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendy
