The most important child I will ever give birth to is myself, and raising me is a mission that encompasses every second of my life
Six babies at once. Children think the idea of giving birth like the women in Mitzrayim is wildly exciting. Mothers secretly wonder why this was considered a brachah.
Torah Jews have always valued large families, but if a woman is not the kindergarten- teacher type, the thought of spending years (and years) sweeping up Cheerios and resolving conflicts over Legos sounds daunting. Is her Jewish identity really tied up with having children, and if it is, where does that leave other aspects of herself?
Even if the Torah hadn’t been given, the Gemara tells us, there is a lot we could have learned from the animal world (Eiruvin 100b). We could have learned propriety from the cat and self-sufficiency from the ant, chastity from the dove and decency from the hen.
A great contemporary thinker points out that we might expect the Gemara to add parenting to the list of what we can learn from the animals. Anyone who has watched the beautiful documentary The March of the Penguins, can’t help but be moved by the incredible devotion of penguins to their offspring. The long, dangerous journey through icy tundra in order to lay the egg, the months spent huddled together for warmth just to protect those young — talk about sacrifice!
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