The Ark We Build Before the Rain

The Ark We Build Before the Rain

“I wanted to sit in the corner and let other people run the synagogue. Somehow, I was becoming my father.” In Monday morning’s Breakfast & Class, marking the

second day of Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, we explore how the example we witness as

children can become the responsibility we accept as adults. Through the Zera

Shimshon’s explanation of why Noach’s children were saved, Rabbi Abittan’s

memorable teaching about what children see at home, and personal recollections of a father devoted to his community, we consider the lasting influence of the lives we live.

But example is only the beginning. Drawing on the Sefer HaHinukh and practical

lessons heard from Rabbi Paysach Krohn, we discover how inviting children to

participate—in giving, helping, and serving—can help shape their hearts. As the

holidays give way to ordinary days, this class asks a question for parents,

grandparents, and all of us: What are we teaching through our actions, and who

are we inviting to work alongside us?