Thursday, April 7, 2011

Wicked Children and Post-Modern Parents

SELL CHOMETZ - FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER - EARLY MINCHA TODAY see below

 

Question of the Week:

 

One thing I never understood in the Haggadah of Pesach. What's so wise about the Wise Son? He asks his parents, "What are all the laws that our G-d has commanded you?" He seems no better than the Wicked Son, who is criticized for excluding himself and asking "What is this Pesach service to you?" - to you and not to him. Does the Wise Son not also say "commanded you" and not him, thus excluding himself?

 

Answer:

 

The Wise Son and the Wicked Son are not similar at all. They are opposites. The Wise Son asks a question. The Wicked Son isn't asking, he is mocking. He doesn't ask questions of his parents. He belittles them.

 

It isn't his fault. He is a child of post-modern parents. Such parents don't ever tell their children what to do. Instead of giving thier kids direction, they ask them questions.

 

"Do you want to go to bed now gorgeous?" 

 

"What would you like for lunch tomorrow princess?"

 

"Are you ready to stop poking your sister's eye out cutey-pie?"

 

Parents who constantly ask their children questions and give them choices are putting their children into a position of authority that they are not ready for, while undermining their own authority. More than anything else, children need boundaries. They need to be lovingly told what is right and what is wrong, what is allowed and what is forbidden. These ethical lines have to be clear and unequivocal, set down with sensitivity but without room for debate.

 

But to give clear boundaries you have to be an authority figure, you have to carry moral weight in the eyes of your children. A parent who caves in to their kids' desires and cowers to their demands, who consults their children's opinion on everything and always gives them options, will never command the respect needed to lay down the law for their children. Kids of such parents see themselves as the know-it-alls, and their parents as silly old people who haven't got a clue.

 

This is the wisdom of the Wise Child. He recognises that his parents are the source of wisdom, not he, and so he needs to ask them questions, not the other way around. He looks to his parents for guidance, he seeks their input and their point of view, knowing that when it comes to life skills, his youthful energy and idealism are no match for the experience and mature insight of the older generation.

 

A wise child doesn't come from nowhere. He comes from wise parents. Ask your children too many questions and they will stop asking you any. Give your children clear direction, and they will become wise too.

 

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

 

 

To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au  

 

 

 

 

Pre-Pesach Friday Night Dinner at Nefesh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

     sabbath

Come enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable catered Shabbos meal, hear some amazing stories and leave the cooking and cleaning to us.

 

Friday April 15 after shul service.

 

 

Adults - $30, kids under 12 - $15

 

 Click Here to Book Now and pay with credit card or Paypal

 

 

PESACH PREPARATION CLASSES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A Model Seder - An introductory experiential guide through the Seder   

This Sunday night April 10,  8:15pm, with Velvel Lederman at 17 Anglesea St Bondi  

 

Passover in 60 Minutes -All the basic laws including a clear step-by-step guide to the Pesach Seder

Monday night April 11,  8:15-9:15pm with Rabbi Gourarie at 45 Bellevue Rd

 

 

 

SELL YOUR CHOMETZ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

In order to avoid owning any products that aren't Kosher for Pesach, we sell our non-Pesach food for the duration of the festival. To arrange this, please fill in your name (signature not required) and all addresses (work/holiday home included) on the form below and email to rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au by Sunday April 17.
 
 
I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Moss to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chometz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g. Chometz, possible Chometz, and all kinds of Chometz mixtures).  Also Chometz that tends to harden and adhere to the inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets that have been eating Chometz and mixtures thereof.  This includes all above mentioned Chometz that will come into my possession from now until Erev Pesach. He is also empowered to lease all places wherein Chometz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/es listed below and elsewhere.
 
Rabbi Moss has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein.  He also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my Chometz, Chometz mixtures, etc., as provided herein.  This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

Name:
Address(es):

 

NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Friday

Candlelighting 5:25pm 

 

5:30pm Mincha followed by Chassidus Shiur 

6:30pm - 7:15pm Shabbos Service followed by Kiddush sponsored by Libby and Ron Moss in honour of their wedding anniversary, and to welcome Mrs Esther Sosover to town

 

Shabbos day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha
10am -12:15pm Morning Service with kids program followed by Kiddush sponsored by Rebecca and Earl Abraham in honour of the naming of their baby girl - Mazel tov!

Mincha 5:20pm followed by Sholosh Seudos and Maariv

Shabbos ends 6:18pm

Sunday

8am Shachris no beginners' Talmud until after Pesach

 

Monday 

7am Shachris followed by Chassidus

Thursday

7am Shachris 

 

cohavi cleaning 

This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh office | 45 bellevue rd | bellevue hill | NSW | 2023 | Australia

No comments:

Post a Comment