The Eternal Legacy

The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear G-d and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

At some point in one’s life, the stark reality of the inevitable comes to the forefront. While we are young, unless faced with an unexpected illness or trauma, G-d forbid, we are usually quite carefree. Our thoughts may occasionally touch on death, but we generally toss it to the side since it is too far down the road to give it much deliberation.

When my father, of blessed memory, left this world recently, I was suddenly struck with the overwhelming realization that my brother, cousins and I are ‘next in line’. Other than one aunt and uncle (may they live long, healthy lives), all my parents’ generation have passed away, leaving us at the helm. That is the cycle of life but it is not something to take lightly. We have 70, 80, 90 years to fulfill our purpose here on earth and once that time is up, there is no turning back. It’s not like an exam where we are given a second chance to bring up our marks. Either we make the grade or we suffer the consequences in the Heavenly Courts. According to most reports, being required to return to ‘repeat the class’ is not something we would desire to do.

If we have been blessed with children, what we bequeath to them when we pass on is also of utmost importance. It isn’t the dollar value of the Estate or material possessions which will assist them in the long run. A baseball trophy will eventually be thrown out by subsequent generations. What is everlasting and has profound significance, is the spiritual legacy we leave behind.

The best time to start preparing is now! If our Heavenly Father allowed us to bring babies into the world, we owe it to them (and to Him) to guide them on the proper path. A foolproof method of raising children is to lead by example. If we work on ourselves, strengthening in Torah, Mitzvot (commandments), Kedushah (holiness) and Emuna (a firm belief in one G-d) we will be a shining beacon for their future.

Nothing brings a sparkle to the eyes of a little girl like watching her mother and/or grandmother lighting Shabbat candles. No one can fill a boy’s heart with as much joy as his beloved father and/or grandfather as they walk to Shul (synagogue) together. A child whose parent sits on his or her bed each night while saying the bedtime “Shema” (bedtime prayer), is imbued with priceless memories that will be forever ingrained in his or her neshama (soul). Children absorb the radiance of the piety that is revealed to them. Sadly, they also soak up the negative so we must be ever so careful of our actions. We must accept our responsibility to our children before it’s too late.

Since we have no idea when our time is up, it behooves us to take our duties seriously each and every day. We mustn’t waste precious time. We are taught to perform our obligations out of love and not fear, but if we need a little boost to get on the right track, acting from fear of Hashem is not wrong. Soon those tasks will be borne out of love and devotion.

Our sages tell us that our reward in Gan Eden (Heaven) is contingent on the following three generations.  If our children feel that raising their own offspring in a secular lifestyle is more valuable than striving to submit to their spiritual yearnings, and our grandchildren concur, we lose our ticket to Paradise. Yet, as long as we are alive and able to make positive changes, nothing has been lost and there is nothing to despair. With teshuva (repentance) and prayer, we can alter the current reality.

The holy Baal Shem Tov, whose yartzeit is on Shavuot, says, “The forty-two ‘stations’ from Egypt to the Promised Land (see Parshat Massei) are replayed in the life of every individual Jew, as his soul journeys from its descent to earth at birth to its return to its Source.”

On our travels in life, each step, each ‘station’, holds an experience which can potentially bring us closer to our ultimate goal. All of the setbacks, difficulties, lessons learned and knowledge gained enable us to attain our true purpose and soul correction.  Continuity can only be obtained within a framework of Torah and a growing closeness to the Almighty.  This is the sublime truth we should impart to our progeny.

It says in the Talmud (Tamid 32a) “Whoever wants to live, must make himself dead.” Though this sounds contradictory, it is revealing that only once we have learned what it really means to live, will we be ready to die. If we internalize the message properly, we will also understand that it is not solely for our own good, but for the benefit of the Jewish people in particular and mankind in general.

It is a tall order, but with a lot of effort and G-d’s help, we shall surely prevail!