|
All for One and One for All Jonas Goldstein teaches his son the essence of brotherly love and shares this teaching with his community as they gather to honor Avi's bar mitzvah: All for One and One for All! |
|
|
As a parent, it is sometimes difficult to know how to best teach your child…how to make it “stick”. It may take years, or generations, before you can tell if you were successful in imparting the things most important to you, and sometimes, you don’t know if you were successful- you just hope for the best. Avi, one of the things your mother and I have tried to teach you and your brothers is to care for and look out for each other- we remind you every Shabbat when we bless you…ysimcha elohim, q Ephraim v cheemanshe… ..may hashem make you like ephraim and manashe, that your relationships should, in that respect, be as between the brothers Ephraim and Menashe--filled with understanding, respect and love. I’d like to share a story which took place not too long ago….. Your brother, Samuel, had just started taking fencing lessons…as he is athletically inclined, he took to it quickly. I inquired of his teacher as to what dvd’s or books I could buy to help nurture his interest. One of the titles he recommended for this purpose, was the three musketeers movie from the early 1970’s , starring Raquel welch, Richard chamberlin, and Michael york. We got the movie, and watched it. It was fun for the whole family, with lots of discussion and popcorn. We got to hear the famous rallying cry, one for all and all for one……and I wanted to take that and make it something that you and your brothers would aspire to…. So, in order to make it “ours” I decided , why not turn it around a little, and teach it to the boys in Hebrew. All for one, and one for all translates into, with the help of the rabbi……… Ha Kol, le echad, v echad le koolam…. Now the hard part……how to get you and your brothers to want to learn it. A few days later we are in the car, and I lay out my wish for you and your brothers to learn the phrase, all for one, and one for all, in Hebrew. I am met with some resistance.”dad”…… ….after several attempts, I sweeten the pot………”ok, everyone who learns how to say it gets a dollar”……boom, avi”dad, tell me that again”………after several tries, he gets it!………at the same time, Samuel is saying it over and over, and within a few minutes, bam, he gets it…..while all this is going on, Lev is getting a little down and depressed…..he is trying, but it is just not happening for him right away ….”dad”, he sobs, “I’m never gonna get it……..”….then it seemed like the clouds opened up, sunshine streamed down, and pierced the roof of the car, and shined on avi’s face…….avi turns to me and says…..”hey dad, I have an idea……why don’t we make it so that we all have to be able to say it in Hebrew before anyone gets a dollar, and we can all help lev”……boom…… ….i felt like willy wonka (played by gene wilder)_ at the end of the original ww and the chocolate factory- remember, when instead of giving away Wonka’s secret gobstopper to the competition, Charlie leaves the Gobstopper on Willy Wonka's desk, knowing that that was the right thing to do. Wonka puts his hand on the gobstopper and says…” So shines a good deed in a weary world. Then he jumps up excitedly and exclaims, “Charlie You won! You did it boy! You won the grand and glorious jackpot. I’m giving the whole chocolate factory to you”…….remember that? Now back to the car…….Avi, I exclaimed, you did it!you did it my boy!…did what dad?….the concept I was trying to teach you and your brothers avi, all for one and one for all…instead of just looking out for yourself, you wanted to help your brother..…it came from inside you! I will always remember that huge smile you had on your face after that…….and I remember exclaiming outloud…”well, looks my work is here is done!” well……..almost!….. Avi, we are so proud of who you are…Mazel tov on your bar-mitzvah…… | |
You need to login or register to post comments.
Magazine