One of the most important mitzvos at the Seder is "Vehigadita l'vinchah", retelling the story of yitzias mitrayim/Exodus to our children, and even more than that to impart to our children the significance of the event and how it is one of the foundation stones of Yidishkeit/Judiasm.
One of the main, if not the main lesson that we learn from Yitziyas Mitzrayim is Emunah in Hashem. That everything is from Hashem, that everything Hashem does is for a reason, and lastly that everything that Hashem does for a reason fits into the big puzzle that we call life. I heard two stories that can maybe help us prepare for next years Seder and just teach us a lesson about how to teach our kids in general.
The first story I heard in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z"ya. In Europe in the early nineteen hundreds the was a grade school girl who was doing very poorly with her math studies. She started going out to the park to do her studies thinking that maybe the fresh air would help her. She noticed an old man on a bench, went over to him and asked him if he could help her with her math, and he said gladly. So every day she would meet this old man and he would help her with her studies. Her grades gradually improved and her teacher asked her what had changed. She told the teacher about the old man and the teacher asked what his name was. So that day she asked the man and he gave her his card. She gave the card to her teacher and she exclaimed "Albert Einstein! Maybe you could ask him to come and speak to the class?" And so she did. And Albert Einstein came in and gave over the basic idea of the theory of relativity to a class of grade school kids in a way that they were able to understand. End of story. Reb Shlomo asked; How was Einstein able to get grade school kids to understand the theory of relativity, even if it was only on a basic level? The answer Reb Shlomo said is that the theory of relativity was Einstein's life! When you live something you can give it over to anyone! So we have to live our beliefs, not just talk about them! That's how we can give over our heritage to our children!
The second story is told in the name of Uri Zohar. There were two chareidim riding on a Vespa (scooter). An anti-religious cop started to follow them so that he could give them a ticket. He followed them for an hour and they did nothing wrong, so in frustration he pulled them over. "I've been following you for an hour and you did nothing wrong! How could it be!" the cop said. "Hashem is with us!" said the chareidim. "Ah, three on a scooter! Now I could give you a ticket!" The lesson of that story is that we have to live with Hashem with us at all times! As if he is mamesh with us sitting next to us! That is what we have to teach ourselves and our children!
A gut moed to one and all!
peace & joy,
Etan
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