Shalom Bayit, Shalom

Day 126: Shabbat

It's so nice to be writing from home again! This year winded down nicely and, I don't want to give it any kenahuras but, I'm pretty much one class away from getting straight A's! As soon as I hear about my math final, I'll be able to sleep easy knowing I totally rocked my freshman year.

Back to business!

• God's Four Questions: N/A
• Do You Scream When You Should?: N/A
• Paying a Laborer's Wages Promptly: N/A
• What a Worker Owes His Employer: N/A
• What We Owe Our Siblings: I love my brother. I'm so lucky he's my brother and I'd kind of wanted to post a picture of us earlier, so here we are in the good old days:
  
• Anger: Three Thoughts Before You Explode: N/A

Day 127: What Does It Mean to Honor and Revere Your Parents?

I took a class on this very topic last summer. It was all about the difference between honoring and revering our parents. 

There are many things that go into both honor and reverence and the thing I find very interesting about this commandment, is that it's so subjective. Honor and reverence don't always look the same to each parent. What one mother might find respectful another might find disgusting. [Note: I find this especially funny considering I'm writing this on Mother's Day and I know that each אמא has a different way she likes to celebrate.]

One of the points that Rabbi Telushkin makes in today's section is that children learn how to treat their parents by watching their parents tend to their parents. In other words, children learn how to take care of their parents by seeing how their parents act towards their grandparents. I hope that makes sense... So bottom line: if you want your children to treat you well, show them how to treat parents well.

Day 128: What You Don't Owe Your Parents

Parents tell their children all the time what they think. There's not problem with that. People are allowed to express their views and opinions to others; what they can't do is make the others accept their views and opinions.

"As a child, you owe your parents many things: gratitude, attention (Expressed through visits and phone calls), honor, and even a sense of reverence. What you don't owe your parents, however, is control of your conscience" (183).

Day 129: Escort Your Guests

We always use the term "Jewish goodbye" when we begin the process of saying goodbye to family or friends and don't leave the premises until twenty to thirty minutes later...sometimes longer. But why can't we change the definition of a "Jewish goodbye"?

What if instead of a "Jewish goodbye" meaning saying goodbye and never leaving, it meant escorting your guests into the street in order to make sure they drive away safe. Extend the metaphor for a second: make sure their taxi picks them up or their plane takes off safely or anything along those lines. 

"Take a few dozen steps more, go out with them into the street, and let them experience the honor and affection you feel for them" (184).

Let's have a revolution and redefine the "Jewish goodbye."