(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל ה' אֱלֹקֵ֖ינוּ ה' ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ (ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת ה' אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ (ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזוּזֹ֥ת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
(4) HEAR, O ISRAEL YHVH IS OUR GOD, YHVH IS ONE. (5) And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon your heart; (7) and you shalt teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. (8) And you shalt bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. (9) And you shalt write them upon the door-posts of your house, and upon your gates.
Questions for Discussion:
- What are you instructed to teach diligently to your children?
- What would you say you try to "teach diligently" to your children?
- A more literal translation of that verse would say, "teach through oral repetition to your children." Does that change the meaning for you?
(ו) חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
(6) Train up a child in the way s/he should go, And even when s/he is old, s/he will not depart from it.
Questions for Discussion:
- According to Proverbs, what is your task as a parent?
האב חייב בבנו למולו ולפדותו וללמדו תורה ולהשיאו אשה וללמדו אומנות וי"א אף להשיטו במים רבי יהודה אומר כל שאינו מלמד את בנו אומנות מלמדו ליסטות
A [parent] is obligated to do the following for [their child]: to circumcise him, to redeem him if he is a first born, to teach him/her Torah, to find him/her a partner, and to teach him/her a trade. Others say: teaching him/her how to swim as well. Rabbi Yehuda says, One who does not teach [their child] a trade, it is as if s/he taught him/her thievery.
Questions for Discussion:
- According to the Talmud, what 6 things are you responsible for as a parent?
- What would you expect to find on this list? What is missing from this list?
- Why "teach to swim"?
- What 6 things do you feel obligated to do for your children?
In the first chapter of the Torah, we learn that G-d made Adam and all human beings after "in the image of G-d/ B'tzelem Elokim." Our rabbis taught: Adam, the first human being was created as a single person to show forth the greatness of the Ruler who is beyond all Rulers, the Blessed Holy One. For if a human ruler (like Caesar, the Roman Emperor) mints many coins from one mold, they all carry the same image, they all look the same. But the Blessed Holy One shaped all human beings in the Divine image, as Adam was shaped B'tzelem Elokim in the image of G-d. And yet not of them resembles another.