Parshah Insight: Toldot

Being proud of where you come from There are many layers as Rabbi Shochet says - we have many ancestors. There are issues of observance (I have to go back to great-grandparents to find those who would be proud of my level of observance). But closer to me are those who are proud and who are themselves, kind. Those who love Hashem and who thank him everyday. We can learn positive traits from everyone and we can, in turn reflect them. And we can be proud of our children who learn the same positive traits and pass them on. As a returnee to Judaism, I would also like to pass on observance, and I'm sure that my great grandparents are very proud of my son. Reply

footsteps your lesson is excellent. However it overlooks an important phenomenon. i have met many Jews, including rabbis and other observant individuals who did not come from a home exuding Judaism. If they had followed their parents footsteps they would have been atheists. As one example, it is well documented that the average Holocaust survivor was not religious. On kibbutzim, non observance is typical. Reply