The King’s Little Children
Children are not ours; they are precious souls that by Hashem's grace have been entrusted to us for safekeeping and for educating until can stand on their own.
I’ve said many times that damage to the soul is far more serious than damage to the body. Remember this important rule: A broken bone heals much faster than a broken heart. This rule holds especially true with children.
During the Gaza War last year when for six weeks, Katyusha rockets were falling on my beloved hometown of Ashdod three times a day, I saw an unforgettable site: a courageous little boy of eight was getting a wound stitched without the help of anesthetic; the little hero didn’t emit the tiniest whimper. Yet, the very same child could completely lose his entire emotional equilibrium when viciously insulted by parents.
Contrary to popular opinion, our children are not ours; they are precious divine souls that by The Almighty’s grace have been entrusted to us for safekeeping and for educating until they’re old enough to stand on their own. Children are not our servants, and certainly not our slaves. The tasks we give them to perform in and around the household should be designed as an integral part of their education – our helping them to prepare for life – and not for the purpose of lowering our domestic or garden help expenses.
By religious law, we are required to speak to our children with the same respect that we’d speak to any adult stranger. Just as we have a duty to protect our children’s physical health, we have a duty to protect their emotional health. Parents with no training, knowledge, or awareness of what proper child education is according to Torah statutes are often the prime causes of their children’s emotional difficulties. One can be a stern parent and a good disciplinarian without attacking the child’s dignity. On the contrary, a child who knows that he or she is loved, respected, and held in high esteem will readily fulfill the parents’ will. A child who lives under a reign of tyranny will revolt at the first opportunity.
Education, yes; tyranny and insult, no! On the bottom line, we should treat our children like miniature dignitaries, as if the King entrusted His own little child into our care. You know what? That’s exactly what they are – The King’s own little children!
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