In Judaism, it’s often mother who knows best – The Jewish Star
Posted By admin on January 20, 2022
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
When I was young, I was an avid reader of novels. As Ive grown older, I have found myself more interested in good biographies, especially of great men, and I try to focus on what exactly made them great. Particularly, I try to discover the roles played by father and mother in the formation of these personalities.
Until relatively recently, Jewish tradition did not have many biographies of our heroes and heroines. Bible and Talmud contain much material about the lives of prophets, kings, and sages, but only occasionally give us a glimpse of the role that parental influences played in making them great.
I recently came across a passage in a book by a man I admire, Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Reines (1839-1915). He was the head of a very innovativeyeshivain Lida, Lithuania, and was one of the founders of the Mizrachi Religious Zionist movement. He was a prolific writer, and one of his works is entitledNod Shel Demaot (A Flask of Tears).
In this book, Rav Reines writes about the important role that mothers play in the development of their children. He emphasizes the role of the mother in the development of the Torah scholar. He argues that the mothers feminine intuition and maternal compassion, together with the fathers teaching, motivates and informs the budding Jewish leader.
The sources of his thesis include a verse from this weeks Torah portion, Yitro(Exodus18:1-20:23), in which we read that the L-rd called to Moses from the mountain and said, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel. You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (ibid19:3-6).
The Midrash explains that the house of Jacob refers to women and the children of Israel to men. Both men and women must be involved if we are to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Why the women? asks the Midrash, and answers, Because they are the ones who can inspire their children to walk in the ways of Torah.
Rav Reines adduces another biblical verse to make his point. He refers to the words in the very first chapter of theBook ofProverbs, in which King Solomon offers this good counsel: My son, heed the discipline (mussar) of your father, and do not forsake the instruction (Torah) of your mother (Proverbs1:8).
From this verse, it seems that the mothers message may be even more important for the childs guidance than that of his father. After all, father merely admonishes the child with words of discipline, whereas mother imparts nothing less than the instruction of the Torah itself.
Then comes thetour de forceof Rav Reines essay, the biographical analysis of a great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya. The student ofPirkei Avot will recognize his name from a passage in Chapter Two of that work where we read of the five disciples of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai.
They are enumerated, and the praises of each of them are recounted. Of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, we learn, Ashrei yoladeto (happy is she who gave birth to him). Of all the outstanding disciples, only Rabbi Yehoshuas mother is brought into the picture. What special role did she play in his life that earned her honorable mention?
Rav Reines responds by relating an important story of which most of us are sadly ignorant. Recorded inBereshit Rabba 64:10, it tells of a time, not long after the destruction of the Second Temple, when the Roman rulers decided to allow the Jewish people to rebuild the Temple. Preliminary preparations were already under way for that glorious opportunity when theKutim, usually identified with the Samaritan sect, confounded those plans. They maligned the Jews to the Romans and accused them of disloyalty. The permission to rebuild was revoked.
Having come so close to realizing this impossible dream, the Jews gathered in the valley of Beit Rimon with violent rebellion in their hearts. They clamored to march forth and rebuild the Temple in defiance of the Romans decree.
However, the more responsible leaders knew that such a provocation would meet with disastrous consequences. They sought for a respected figure, sufficiently wise and sufficiently persuasive, to calm the tempers of the masses and to quell the mutiny. They chose Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya for the task.
The Midrash quotes Rabbi Yehoshuas address in full detail. He used a fable as the basis of his argument:
A lion had just devoured its prey, but a bone of his victim was stuck in his throat. The lion offered a reward to anyone who would volunteer to insert his hand into his mouth to remove the bone. The stork volunteered, and thrust its long neck into the lions mouth and extracted the bone.
When the stork demanded his reward, the lion retorted, Your reward is that you can forevermore boast that you had thrust your head into a lions mouth and lived to tell the tale. Your survival is sufficient reward. So, too, argued Rabbi Yehoshua, our survival is our reward. We must surrender the hope of rebuilding our Temple in the interests of our national continuity. There are times when grandiose dreams must be foresworn so that survival can be assured.
Rav Reines argues that this combination of cleverness and insight into the minds of men was the result of his mothers upbringing. The ability to calm explosive tempers and sooth raging emotions is something that Rabbi Yehoshua learned from his mother.
He was chosen for this vital role in Jewish history because the other leaders knew of his talents, and perhaps even knew that their source was to be traced back to his mother, of whom none other than Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had exclaimed, Happy is she who gave birth to him.
This wonderful insight of Rav Reines is important for all of us to remember, particularly those of us who are raising children. Psychologists have long stressed the vital roles that mothers play in child development. In our religion, we put much stress on the fathers role in teaching Torah to his children. But we often underestimate, and indeed sometimes even forget, the role of the mother.
Our tradition urges us to embrace the role of the mother not just in the childs physical and emotional development, but in his or her spiritual and religious growth as well.
We would do well to remember that Rav Reines is simply expanding upon G-ds own edict to Moses at the very inception of our history: Speak to the house of Jacob! Speak to the women as well as to the men.
Mothers, at least as much as fathers, are essential if we are to create a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Go here to see the original:
In Judaism, it's often mother who knows best - The Jewish Star
- The Supremacy Of Torah - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 22nd, 2022
- Thanking G-d For Who You Are And Who You Are Not - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 22nd, 2022
- Shabbat Behar: Valuing the Land J-Wire - J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service - May 22nd, 2022
- Celebrate with our community at the Jewish Federation Annual Meeting - Jewish Community Voice - May 18th, 2022
- Here comes Alice Walker and the Jews, again - The Jewish Star - May 18th, 2022
- Torah prioritizes the mother's life and health | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net - May 18th, 2022
- Baseless Hatred is Destroying Our Nation - The Stream - May 18th, 2022
- The Year Of Slipping Away (Part I) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 18th, 2022
- Seeking help both for ourselves and fellow Jews - The Jewish Star - May 18th, 2022
- Baddiel: Jews Don't Count TV documentary will have 'surprising' differences to book - Jewish News - May 18th, 2022
- In Israel, Tzaddikim Are Buried All Around - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 18th, 2022
- The Fight is Part of the Mitzvah - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 18th, 2022
- Planting the seeds of inclusivity - Jewish News - May 18th, 2022
- The Opening of the Shema Prayer Explained - jewishboston.com - May 18th, 2022
- Why Ed Koch's response to AIDS was very political and not very Jewish - Forward - May 18th, 2022
- The Scandalous History of the Aleppo Codex - aish.com - Aish - May 16th, 2022
- Loving And Living With Dead Jews - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 16th, 2022
- Buffalo shooting: how white replacement theory keeps inspiring mass murder - The Guardian - May 16th, 2022
- What's the Omer? - J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service - May 14th, 2022
- The Fall of 'Roe' would also be an attack on religious liberty - St. Louis Jewish Light - May 14th, 2022
- This bird you cannot change | Yardaena Osband | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - May 14th, 2022
- The Eight Genders in the Talmud | My Jewish Learning - April 20th, 2022
- A Class of Their Own - Tablet Magazine - April 20th, 2022
- How Matzah and the Teshuvas HaRashba Saved Yidden from Terrorism - VINnews - April 20th, 2022
- Do We Have the Game All Wrong?: Natasha Lyonnes Cosmic Journey Into Russian Doll Season 2 - Rolling Stone - April 20th, 2022
- First night of Passover and Good Friday bonding. - KABC - April 20th, 2022
- Holding The High Line: Rapids Charlotte Preview - Last Word on Soccer - April 20th, 2022
- Ascending from slavery: Why I fight for the Temple Mount - The Times of Israel - April 20th, 2022
- "I live my life my way and my wife lives hers as a religious person. It does not have to fit in" | CTech - CTech - April 20th, 2022
- Does Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine Portend The Coming Of Mashiach? - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - April 20th, 2022
- Missouri moves closer to legalized sports betting. Are Jews allowed to gamble? - St. Louis Jewish Light - April 13th, 2022
- Why did Jesus dip a piece of food and give it to Judas? - Aleteia - April 13th, 2022
- Should we forgive slave owner Tobias Rustat? | Derek Taylor | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - April 13th, 2022
- The Pundit: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Nomination and the Jewish Approach to Textual Interpretation - The Commentator - The Commentator - April 13th, 2022
- In Egypt, Walking in the Footsteps of the Exodus - aish.com - Aish - April 13th, 2022
- The Prince of Egypt Gets Part of The Exodus Wrong - Solzy at the Movies - April 13th, 2022
- Israel's Minister of the Hyphen - Tablet Magazine - April 13th, 2022
- Gemara: The Essence of the Talmud | My Jewish Learning - April 9th, 2022
- Who Was Elijah and Why Do Jews Open the Door for Him on Passover? - jewishboston.com - April 9th, 2022
- The Contemporary Metropolis and Reshut HaRabbim - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - April 9th, 2022
- March Madness for Jews: Why the Sarachek tournament is such a big Orthodox deal - Forward - April 9th, 2022
- The Second Season of 'The New Black' Is Even Better Than the First - Algemeiner - April 9th, 2022
- Expel that yeast! (And get rid of the thorn from your own life) J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - April 9th, 2022
- Leading the people back to Egypt | Joshua Berman | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - April 9th, 2022
- Stop trying to get Jews to date each other and start focusing on nurturing friendships - Forward - April 9th, 2022
- Q & A: The Mitzvah Of Maggid (Part III) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - April 9th, 2022
- Q & A: Will The 'Real' Adar Please Stand Up? (Part I) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - March 12th, 2022
- The UK's immigration system is not fit to respond to the Ukrainian refugee crisis - PoliticsHome - March 12th, 2022
- Correlating the Nuremberg Nazis and the 10 Sons of Haman - VINnews - March 8th, 2022
- Yichud And Its Messages For Therapists - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - March 8th, 2022
- Im a cantor in Texas and parent of a trans child. My states assault on trans youth is terrifying - Forward - March 8th, 2022
- Broken Box Mime Theater to Present World Premiere of TAKE SHAPE - Broadway World - March 8th, 2022
- We Jews of Ukraine ask: Why is Israel abandoning our country? - Haaretz - March 3rd, 2022
- Opinion: The fight to criminalize abortion is about religion, and as a non-Christian, it's a violation of mine - Columbia Chronicle - March 3rd, 2022
- A Scholarly Rabbi Comments on the Book of Esther and More - San Diego Jewish World - March 3rd, 2022
- Join Rabbis Stiffman, Goldstein to learn The Spirituality of Laughter - St. Louis Jewish Light - March 3rd, 2022
- After departing Ukraine, Kyiv rabbi says hes working to help those left behind - The Times of Israel - March 3rd, 2022
- It is not yet time to unmask - The Jewish Standard - March 3rd, 2022
- Last Chance: Lowest Prices of the Year Ends at Midnight! - VINnews - February 26th, 2022
- Jewish history is repeating itself in Ukraine. This time, we must fight Putin back - Forward - February 26th, 2022
- The women's precious gifts, made with consummate skill - The Times of Israel - February 26th, 2022
- Malice In Wonderland - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - February 26th, 2022
- Royal Family: The disgusting reason why the Queen's most famous 3billion crown is purple - My London - February 26th, 2022
- Tying The Knot - aish.com - Aish - February 26th, 2022
- At 78, a long-anticipated theatrical debut (with thanks to Edward Albee) - Forward - February 26th, 2022
- 5 ways Jewish culture shaped 'Star Trek,' from Gates of Heaven - Albany Times Union - February 26th, 2022
- Why Are There Two Talmuds? The Answer: The Diaspora - Algemeiner - February 21st, 2022
- MOScout Daily Update: Kehoe Gets FOP for 2024 - Steve West Again... - Reaction to Danforth Plan and more... Missouri Scout - Moscout - February 21st, 2022
- Of God and war - The Jewish Standard - February 21st, 2022
- Rapids Podcast: CCL Fever, Chris Cartlidge Interview - Last Word on Baseball - February 21st, 2022
- Now Is the Time! ArtScroll's 30%-Off Talmud and Mishnah Sale - VINnews - February 11th, 2022
- Rabbinic Rabies and Rabid Rabbis the 'Mad Dog' in Talmudic Texts - The Media Line - February 11th, 2022
- Opinion | In the Jewish Tradition, the Words We Choose Matter - The New York Times - February 11th, 2022
- Written in the Book of Life: On Kathryn Schulz's Lost & Found - lareviewofbooks - February 11th, 2022
- Why the Torah cares so much about these two little sheep J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - February 11th, 2022
- True colors | Meirav Kravetz | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - February 11th, 2022
- How inclusive are we willing to be? | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net - February 11th, 2022
- Raunchy, sarcastic TikTok Talmud commentary isn't profane; it's Torah - The Times of Israel - January 30th, 2022
- Talmudic Legal Thinking: Author Brings Humor, Sports and Celebrities to this Serious Topic Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News - January 30th, 2022
- Former teacher banned 'indefinitely' over charges of sexual misconduct - Jewish News - January 30th, 2022
Comments