Parshah for Parenting: Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5769

This week's portion includes the instruction
to leave the corners of our fields unharvested
so that the poor in the community may gather them and be fed.
Rashi comments on this instruction
that anyone who fulfills it
is like someone who built the holy Temple
and offered sacrifices therein.

In other words,
doing something to positively affect the world
is equal (or greater) to
being in audience with the Holy One.

These days,
most of us don't have fields
to leave unharvested.
We do, however, have
our homes
our daily work
our families and friendships
our children.

When we use these things
to change the world for the better -
make our personal spaces ones of beauty, comfort, truth,
give some of the income that sustains us to help sustain others
do actions and speak words that show those dear to us how we love them

and raise our children
with the expectation
that they will give more to the world
than they take from it -

it is as though we have built the Temple

and offered sacrifices therein.

Parshah for Parenting - Terumah 5769

(you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him....And let them make Me a mishkan that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:2,8)

Gifts of gold, and silver, and brass,
of fine fabrics, spices, and oils,
of precious stones.

The Israelites built this structure not so G-d could dwell in it,
but so that He could dwell among them.
No Israelite could do it alone - everyone's effort brought His presence into the community.

In our house, we have a mishkan.
It's made up kisses from Ashi,
smiles and giggles from Rami,

a morning "Modeh Ani" with Abba,

and a bedtime "Shema" with Ima,

extra morning minutes spent cuddling on the couch,

extra love baked into the cookies,

one more book read together,
one more answer to Ashi's constant question, "What's that?"

an extra round of "Mishenichnas Ashi/Rami,"

an extra minute tacked onto bathtime.

All given with a willing heart. All bringing a little more holiness into the house.
G-d dwells among us,
even though the house isn't adorned with rich fabrics or fine stones.

(In fact, our house is pretty much a disaster.)

Parshah for Parenting - Mishpatim 5769

"Mishpatim" means "laws."
After the spectacle of the
giving of the Ten Commandments
at Sinai
comes a
long
list of
laws.
Non-spectacular.
Won't stop you in your tracks.
But Torah all the same.
Amazing all the same.

The day to day moments with the boys
are, by and large,
non-spectacular.
But they're amazing all the same.
Breathtaking
(just in their own way)

Parsha* for Parenting - Yitro 5769

This week's Torah portion includes the commandment,

"Honor your father and your mother."

The Talmud** comments*** on this verse
that there are three partners in the creation of a child:

his father,
his mother,
and G-d.

It also comments that a child represents
his parents' invitation for G-d to dwell among them.

(Well, obviously.)

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*"Parsha" refers to the section of Torah that is read every week.
** The Talmud is a record of rabbinic commentary, law, and stories from around the year 500.
***Kiddushin 30b