To me the holiday of Succot is all about appreciation. According to our Sages, eating in a Sukkah for 8 days demonstrates our faith in God and His benevolence. We show God that we are willing to leave the security of our homes and live under his protection. We let God know that we appreciate all He has done for us to sustain us everyday.
‘Yom Kippur’ the ‘Day of Atonement’ is coming up. G-d in His infinite kindness has given us a special day in the year where He forgives us for all the wrong we have done during the year.
In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) 1:15 it states: “Say little and do much.” According to our sages, Avraham Avinu, our forefather, espoused this characteristic. We as Jews are advised to follow Avraham Avinu’s great ways. And since I am a parent educator, I’m interested to know: can we use this great piece of wisdom when we parent? Can we emulate Avraham’s middah (character trait) when we try to get through to our kids?
Ethics of Our Fathers 2:15
Let your fellow’s honor be as dear to you as your own…
I have gotten repeated request to write an article about Sandy Hook, about what we should say to our kids. I have been mulling it over all weekend. I realized that I am not sure that I can.
It is that time of year again. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are right around the corner. Now if someone was to ask me, what is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the High Holy Days, I would say “Teshuva”, Repentance.
Pesach is right around the corner and I am just past the nail-biting phase. This is where I just worry about Pesach. I walk from room to room in my house, feeling overwhelmed, not sure how I am going to do it all.
