Life’s a Smorgasbord

“…When a man brings a sacrifice from among you to Hashem…”

(Vayikra 1:2)

There’s an ancient custom for children beginning to learn Chumash for the first time to start with the topic of korbanos. Wouldn’t it make more sense to begin with Sefer Bereishis, which the children are familiar with and to which they can easily relate, rather than the esoteric subject of sacrifices? (Rabbi Ozer Alport, Parsha Potpourri)

Reut was a local high school girl who’d helped out in our house for several years, folding laundry, washing dishes, and peeling veggies. She was sweet and quiet; the kids liked her, and I appreciated her reliability in a chaotic world of toddlers and tantrums.

After she graduated high school, Reut regretfully left her post to find proper employment, but we still saw her around the neighborhood and kept in touch. When she got engaged, our whole family rejoiced. She graciously invited all of us to the chasunah.

Rabbi Chaim Zvi Senter suggests that the reason for this practice is to teach children early on that the need to sacrifice is a vital and critical component of Judaism. Whether it involves sacrificing our hard-earned money to share with the less fortunate, sacrificing our valuable time to pray and do mitzvos, or sacrificing potential pleasure by abstaining from forbidden but tempting foods, it’s essential that an observant Jew be willing to give up things that he desires to fulfill Hashem’s Will.

My kids were really excited to see Reut dressed in white, and I decided to take them with me to the kabbalas panim and chuppah. We wished her a warm mazel tov as she sat resplendent on her chair, then moved back to let others have their turn.

The hall was beautiful, with fountains of water along the walls and filmy white tulle twining around long pillars of flowers. I was gazing around, enjoying the ambiance, when Yitzi tugged at my sleeve.