Living Torah Archives

The Torah relates the story of how Chana persevered in her prayers and was finally granted a son. But more than just a biblical tale, it’s a lesson for us in our responsibility to the future generations.

The first commandment in the Torah is to have children. When G-d created Adam and Eve, He blessed them and said: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth.”

The Haftorah of the first day of Rosh Hashanah relates the story of Chana, a childless woman who entreated G-d for a son at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Eventually she gave birth to a son who would become the prophet Shmuel.

The food that a child eats and the air that he breathes have an important impact on a child. Likewise, the actions of parents have an effect on the child. Here, however, we learn that even the parents’ conduct before the child is born play an important role in the child’s development.

Every child has natural inborn traits, some positive, some negative. These often become apparent in the earliest stages of childhood. It is the parent’s sacred duty to caution the child against the negative ones and to teach him discipline

The fact that a parent feeds and clothes a child does not mean he may do with the child whatever he wants… The parent himself is a possession of G-d; how much more so their child, who is only entrusted to the parent for safekeeping. There is only one path – the straight path, the path of life: to educate them and raise them to Torah, marriage and good deeds.

Rabbi Shmuel Lew, a veteran Shliach and educator, shares a lesson he received from the Rebbe about disciplining children.

On Rosh Hashanah, we are reminded of the Jewish mother’s dedication and self-sacrifice in fostering our nation’s deep commitment to G‑d.