Question:
Can you explain my children to me? I have dedicated my life to looking after their every need. But if I ask one of them to get me a glass of water they moan and groan. Why are parents so much more devoted to their children than children are devoted to their parents?
Answer:
We are all descendants of Adam and Eve, the first human
We are not just apes with intelligence, but ethical beings with a belly button
beings. We have inherited from them the basic ingredients of human nature. They didn't have parents. They were created, not born. They had no umbilical cords, they probably didn't even have belly buttons. That's why the desire to look after our children is human nature, but looking after our parents (and our belly buttons) are skills that don't come naturally.
The genes we pass on to our children are not enough. We must pass on to them a moral code too. If they are raised to think of themselves as mere intelligent animals, then they will follow their instincts, which program them to care for themselves and their young, not their parents. But if we teach our children that they are moral beings who can go beyond their genetic programming, then we raise them to know that life is about doing what is right rather than what feels right, what is good rather than what feels good.
We are not just apes with intelligence, but ethical beings with a belly button.
Bellybuttons I find the notion of whether Adam and Eve had bellybuttons to be fascinating. Being that they are created by G-d, a navel would seem superfluous. But then each of us is created in the Divine Image. And WE have bellybuttons. So does G-d?
I understand the practice of navel gazing as an aid to meditation. It takes me to the source of my personal physical existence and connects me in a direct line (cord) back to Adam and Eve. And with the cutting of the cord, I am separated from my Mother's heart and become dependent on my own. As such, I am brought into plurality and must find my way back to the One G-d.
So did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons?