From the horse's mouth…
The proclamation מה טובו אהליך יעקב
("Ma tovu oyholeycho Yaakov…" - how good are your dwelling
Yaakov) uttered by none other than our arch-enemy בלעם
(Balaam), sums up his impression when he saw how Am Yisroel (the
Jewish nation) arranged the layout of their dwellings: "How regal are
Yaakov's tents and how pure are Yisroel's dwellings!". Balaam horosho - being the
greatest prophet in history, whom HaShem placed at the service
of the non-Jewish world - perceived the essence of what makes the chosen nation
so unique. According to Chazal, one can decipher the
"curse in disguise" that he had prepared - by analysing the blessing
he was forced to pronounce. As Rashi brings down, a
mouthpiece appeared in his mouth, with which HaShem directed
all the statements that he transmitted about the Jewish people.
A Lifestyle
Let us find out the qualities that Bilaam saw in bene Yisroel (the
Jewish children); he didn't only see physical structures. He saw a whole
lifestyle. He witnessed Jewish families leading a life of holiness. This
holiness envelopes them and wherever they go is their purity evident.
The perpetual wish
The most fervent dream of a parent is to see their child emulate the
ideals and behaviours they believe in. The best compliment you can give
for a parent is to praise their child's stellar behaviour. See a
youngster swell with pride when you tell him: "you must be so'n'so's son"
(or daughter). This is a chain reaction, where every link forms a qualifying
'tug' up and down the generations. Young couples base their decision
about their באשערטע (soul mate) by
imagining their progeny experiencing a journey that they jointly created - a
life path in which both of their footsteps are etched in the sands of time.
Makes one wonder: where in the world do you still find a civilised
society in which the role model is the father, where the mother is being
idolised as the ideal person to emulate?
Calm amidst chaos…
After dismissing western civilisation - where role models are the idols
of the sports or icons of the fashion industry, it is infeasible to even
contemplate eastern extremism, which hails death as a goal to be emulated,
we're left with the unique model of living, as promulgated by the eternal
Jewish family. As a lifeboat in a
foaming sea of ever changing stars and fads, the Jewish family succeeds in
perpetuating a continuum of holiness and purity. What advantage did this
people have over most others? Where did it take the power from? Whence did this
holiness pour forth from?
Homing in on Home…
In order to adequately answer this enigma, let's take a walk down memory
lane and watch our glorious past. Throughout the ages, we can trace the path
that our forebears have paved, as it was hewn into the DNA of נשמת ישראל (our collective psyche).
In the [new] beginning…
נח (Noah) was the first man to set foot on dry earth after the
flood. By planting a vineyard he laid the foundations for a civilisation
that will live a life of well-being, a life full of the nicer things that were
embodied in יפת (Japheth) - the good-looking son. Then
came his pious son שם (Shem) and realised
that having a nice tent is bordering on the physical, that all the trappings of
luxurious living are only useful for the here and now. In order to qualify for
an elevated existence, one has to create space where the שכינה
(Holy presence) can spread its protective wings over the dwellers of this משכן מעט (miniature Mishkon).
Ask your elders…
The first family of Hebrews - the Abrahams - set the example, which was
emulated by their beloved and only son יצחק
(Isaac). When choosing a match for his son, our patriarch Abraham insisted that
the girl that will marry Isaac must be able to fill the void that was left bare
upon the death of Sara, our first matriarch: Chessed, Tznius and
an unconditional love for למוד התורה (Torah-learning).
This last treat was evident when Sarah was letting her only son leave her side
so that he could attend the ישיבה (Yeshiva) of שם ועבר (Shem and Ever). Indeed, Rivka's
love for her Yaakov is for him being יושב אהלים
(the one who dwells in tents), alluding to his diligent Torah-learning.
Studying at the feet of Shem, his great-grandchild-protégé Yaakov learned
from him how to plot his way in life.
Sticks'n'Stones
From Yaakov's proclamation - when he woke up all alone on Har
HaBayis - surrounded by stones and with just his walking stick for
company, "אין זה כי אם בית אלקים"
(this is but the house of HaShem) we learn that he is continuing to
weave an unbroken chain for generations to come, where every generation that
follows will build a Bays Eloykim. This secret formula - that in
order to preserve the purity of Am Yisroel one must create the
atmospheric condition that befits a Bays Eloykim -
he perpetuated through his children, שבטי י-ה
(the holy tribes).
Taking root…
These then were the patriarchs of our nation, who planted the powerful
roots for their offspring. The saplings were empowered to fight off any
materialistic aspirations, clinging to their goal of creating cocoons where the Shechina (the
holy presence) will dwell בתוכם (amongst each and
every one of them). This holiness was handed down from father to son and from
mother to daughter until this day. This kept the flame of undiluted spiritual
Judaism alive, enabling the inner beauty of our souls, to shine forth and
influence their environs. They entertained an aspiration to always reach
higher, leaving materialism in the shade.
Unique amongst the nations…
Throughout the millennia, there is hardly a comparable phenomenon to the
unique Jewish family values. These values were put to test time and again over
the centuries, when the tightly-nit family was threatened by upheavals such as
ant-religious coercion, exile or revolution. Throughout this long and bitter גלות (exile) the Jew always sought to ensure
that his family perpetuates those lofty values, for which he and his forebears
have offered up their very lives. Generation after generation, the family
life helped shape the super-seed that would take root in the quicksand of time,
when all odds were stacked up against its survival. This ensured the
continuity of a people that survives without a land that it can call
"Home".
(Un)expected Outcome…
When a family, tribe or a people immerses itself in a culture other than
their own tradition, they would disappear after a generation or two. In
contemporary parlance, this would be termed as integration, or assimilation.
Not so when children propagate the tenets that they saw at home.
The parents form the foundation on which the core family values are
based. They act as live role models that cause the child to become imbued with
the spirit of Torah. They create an aura of holiness that is imbibed by
their toddler even before he can talk.
Perfect Formulae…
The child grows up in an environment where it inhales all the good and
purity, the holiness and love, the warmth and the contentment that his parents
engender in their habitat. The education that the parents impart on the child
acts as a launch pad of his/her future life and the stability to lead it
correctly.
הביטו אל שרה תחוללכם
(watch your forebear Sarah)
Soroh Schenierer kept prodding her students on, by
relentlessly demanding they grow in spirit and in deed. She expected maximum
input from her pupils and realised maximum output for Am Yisroel.
Just by looking at the worldwide network of Beis Yaakov schools
(and the plethora of offshoots that have sprung up since the war, like Beis
Chana, Beis Malka, Beis Rochel and Beis
Trana - to name but a few) one realises the mega‑undertaking that this
Tzadekes (righteous woman) built up from scratch with her ten
fingers.
By helping BYGS, you help to keep her legacy alive, furthering the
assurance of an authentic and traditional Jewish continuity. In doing so,
you acknowledge her contribution to the survival of The Jewish Family. This treat
- Hakoras Tova - was one of her hallmarks that our children at
BYGS are being brought up with and by emulating her ways may we merit to see דורות ישרים ומבורכים, Amen.
