Standing by the Well - How we act away from home.

 At this week’s Shabbat Assembly I talked to the students about the test of acting correctly when you are away from home.  In the parsha, Eliezer, Avraham's servant, was searching for a wife for Yitzchak. He was instructed to go to a specific area to find a wife. Why does he go to a well to look for this person? Why not go into the city to the homes of the people whom Avraham told him would be okay to marry?  The Chizkuni explains that Eliezer was looking for a wife at the well on purpose. He wanted to see this person and observe her behavior when she was away from her home.  This would be a true test of what type of young lady she was.  Had she been in her parents' home she would have done as instructed and offered guests food and water. She would have been polite and courteous in front of her parents.  Eliezer was looking to see how this young girl would respond when she was on her own. 

Similarly, we as parents and teachers educate our children to do the right thing and to behave properly. However, the children's true test is not when they are with their parents and teachers. The true test is when the children are at recess or lunch, or on the school bus, or at a play date. At these times, when they are on their own, they must demonstrate that they have incorporated good manners and appropriate behaviors into their lives. I hope the students will take this lesson to heart and assimilate it into their lives when the adults are not around.

Avraham and Rav Ovadia Yosef zt"l The Lesson of Caring

At the Shabbat Assembly I talked to the students about caring for all people.  In the Parasha we learn of the life of Avraham Avinu. He welcomed all types of people into his tent. As his name change signifies, he was the אב המון גיום, "the father of many people".  

I shared a story with the students about how Rav Ovadia Yosef, who passed away on Oct 7, 2013, showed great caring for people.  The story was about a college friend's first experiences with Rav Ovadia. My friend was 15 years old and living in Los Angeles, CA. Rav Ovadia was visiting from Israel and was speaking at different shuls during his stay in L.A.  On Sunday night my friend and his father went to hear Rav Ovadia's lecture. My friend loved it! He was in awe of this great Torah Scholar and person. The special robe and head dress added to his allure. The next night the lecture was at a different shul and he wanted to attend. His father was not able to take him since he had a meeting. His Mom told him that she would take him. They drove to the lecture and when they arrived they saw that it was men only. They looked around to see if they knew anyone entering the lecture hall, but they did not. Nobody else was arriving so they were about to turn around and go home. Just then a car pulled up and Rav Ovadia got out. He walked up to the entrance and greeted them. He shook my friend's hand and went inside.  A few moments later he returned and asked them why they were standing outside. My friend's Mom explained that her son wanted to hear the lecture but they did not realize it was men only, and she was wearing pants and she did not feel comfortable coming inside. Rav Ovadia motioned to them to follow him inside. Once inside he asked the first row of men to clear out the bench for this mother and son. He started the shiur by saying "Praised are the parents who bring their children to Torah." 

This story about Rav Ovadia clearly illustrates Avraham Avinu's example of accepting people and making them feel comfortable. In my humble opinion, this great jesture by a great man teaches all of us an extremely important lesson.

A Message from Martians

At this week’s Shabbat Assembly I talked to the students about listening to people. There are times when people - our parents, teachers or even our friends - attempt to tell us something and we don't listen. Either we think we know better, or we wonder who they think they are that they believe they can tell us what to do. But as this cute story about a trip to Mars illustrates, others may be trying to tell us a very important message. 

Two astronauts land on Mars. Their mission: to check whether there is oxygen on the planet.

 "Give me the box of matches,” says one. "Either it burns and there is oxygen, or nothing happens."He takes the box, and is ready to strike a match, when out of the blue, a little green Martian appears waving all six of his arms and yelling..."No, no, don't!"The two guys look at each other, worried. Could there be an unknown explosive gas on Mars?Still, he takes another match...and… A crowd of hysterical green Martians is coming to them, all waving their arms. "No, no, don't do that!" One of the astronauts says, "This looks serious. What are they afraid of? Nonetheless we're here for Science, to know if man can breathe on Mars." So he strikes a match--which flames up, burns down, and NOTHING HAPPENS. So he turns to the Martians and asks, "Why did you want to prevent us from striking a match?" The leader of the Martians says, "It's Shabbos."

So when your friends, teachers, or parents are trying to tell you something, take the time to hear them out and then make your decision. These people are looking out for you and trying to help you. After hearing their comments you can make a more informed decision.