_(english).jpg "Oblivious to the Music")
_(english).jpg "15 Lessons from Shiva")
Train a lad according to his manner; even when he grows old he will not deviate from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Parents have the primary responsibility for training their children, and most do their utmost to provide their children with the tools to carry them successfully through life. Generally, the emphasis in education is on skills that will enable children to earn a livelihood and be contributing members of society.
Parents also hope that their children will live to a ripe old age. When that wish comes true, the former child who is now a septuagenarian retiree cannot make much use of the livelihood skills the parents had provided. Diseases of old age may preclude many activities, including driving a car, and a house bound, bored retiree may find the "golden years" a burden. Parents should therefore provide their children with a training that will serve as a basis for adapting to all phases of life.
Yes, even when their children are the tender age of five, parents should be thinking about providing for their happiness sixty years later. As the Psalmist says, They will blossom in their old age (Psalms 92:15).
(1) Anonymous, June 9, 2010 1:05 PM
Reflection
Thank you for this timely reflection. There are more and more of us going into those "golden" years and the young ones need both an example and a theoretical framework. There are many prayers thanking Hashem for the creation of light. Thinking about it for a minute I had to conclude that in the beginning Hashem had to create every photon of light. For example, we have the sun which is an interaction of hydrogen and helium (I think). Now, if Hashem is creating this then is not every single photon created by Him individually? It would have to be. It is like a programmer (only an analogy) making some kind of a great software action program. Even though the program performs all these flawless actions the fact is that every one of them was programmed. Nothing happens without Hashem's Hand. Now, just the idea of Hashem being responsible for every photon of light in our solar system and then in our galaxy and then in our universe, is mind expanding. It certainly brings gratitude to one's heart. I wonder if this is an example of our retirement wonderings?