Parashat HaShavua

This week’s Torah portion, Toldot, revolves around the sibling rivalry of the twins Esav and Ya’akov and the role played by the parents, Yitschak and Rivkah in this complex family dynamic. Most sibling problems do not reach the mythic proportions in this Torah portion. Yet even on a more limited scale, they can be pretty intense. Maybe there is something we can learn from the rather extreme example the Torah offers us. The key is in Esau’s words: “Do you have but one blessing,my father?”

The answer, in fact, for parents is “no”.

Each of us, has many blessings to offer, and each child needs different kinds of blessings from his parents. Focusing on what each child needs rather than on distributing our attentions fairly can sometimes take the edge off the competition between siblings. We as parents might be better off starting from the realisation that the love that we have to give is not a limited commodity which we divide equally, but rather an endless blessing that is received differently by each of our children.


TALK TO YOUR KIDS about the problem of sibling rivalry.

CONNECT TO THEIR LIVES:

• Do you ever feel that things are unfair between you and your brother and sister?
• Do you feel that your place in the family birth order (first, middle, last) put you at a disadvantage? 
• Do you feel your gender has put you at a disadvantage?

By Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses www.myjewishlearning.com/article/when-siblings-fight/

Chavayah

Our Chavayah students have landed in Israel safely and are enjoying the best that Israel has to offer. It is hard to believe that in less than a week, they have experienced so much!

Here is a taste of what our students have been up to:

• A visit to the ancient Cannanite and Israelite village of Tel Gezer
• The madness of Machane Yehuda on Friday afternoon
• Shabbat in Jerusalem, visiting the Kotel on Friday night and different synagogues on Saturday
• A hike in the Yizrael Valley at Har Gilboa with a swim at the natural spring at Sachne
• A hike at the Sataf Trail in the hills outside Jerusalem.

We look forward to hearing more about their adventures!