Thursday, May 21, 2015

Court Jesters or Parents?

Day 139: When It's Good to Be a Fool

"[...] your children are not supposed to honor you, they are also supposed to enjoy you" (200).

The pictures I have of my parents from when I was younger...my dad with me on his shoulders and half my shirt over his head while he makes a surprised face at the camera, my mom hiding behind a bench with my brother and I peeking over the top. If you looked at these pictures you'd probably think "what is an adult doing making those ridiculous gestures in a picture?" but here's the thing: they were doing it right.

As Rabbi Telushkin explained, over 1800 years ago, a man left a strange clause in his will: his son should not receive his inheritance until he becomes foolish. Rabbi Joshua ben Korcha expressed his opinion out of his own experiences with his children. "When a man has children it is not unusual for him to act like a fool when it comes to them" (Mishna Psalms 93:12).

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