The Consolation of Children

Parashat V’etchanan, Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11

Matt Absolon, Beth T’filah, Miramar, FL

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deut 6:7)

Nothing breathes more life into a community than the sound of young children, laughing and playing. Even the sound of a baby’s cry, somewhere in the back of the room, can bring feelings of hope. Hope in the future, hope in the next generation, hope that there will be someone to teach.

This week’s parasha features children as a central focus for the purpose of God’s covenantal relationship with our people.

When your son asks you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your son, . . . “It will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.” Deut 6:20, 25

The Lord has a keen interest in the way we raise our children. Moreover, the Shema seems to imply that the bearing of children and dedication to their nurturing is an essential mitzvah in our covenantal work. If the words of Torah are on our hearts, we will teach them diligently to our children.

When we gather for the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we read of a terrifying and horrific moment in the history of our people:

Thus says the Lord: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jer 31:15)

Today, Rachel weeps once more. She weeps for 1,139 victims of October 7. She weeps for her children Ariel and Kfir Bibas who remain in captivity. She weeps for the twelve children of Majdal Shams. She weeps for the children who are no more. She weeps and we weep with her.

And in our weeping we are reminded of those generations who went before us whose children were snatched away, whose young ones were dashed, whose very future was snuffed out. To whom would those generations diligently teach the Torah? Whose son will ask the questions? Who will carry on the covenant into the next generation?

We are reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah in the haftarah portion for this week:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. . . . He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isa 40:1–2, 11)

In the passage, Isaiah comforts our people with a vision of children. The Shepherd of Israel will gather the lambs and gently lead those who are with young. He will gather the young children and the expecting mothers. He will gather the future of our people. The faithfulness of the Lord will once again bring us hope through this picture of rebirth. We find hope and consolation in our children.

Here in the UMJC we remain steadfast in our commitment to our children. We are proud, and glad, to have the Ashreinu School where we teach our children and nurture the spiritual development of the next generation. We have youth camps that instill faith and community bonding among our teens and young adults. We find consolation that there will be a next generation of Messianic Jewish children who will be tenderly gathered in the arms of our Shepherd.

As we gather this Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Consolation) I encourage us all to remember those whose children are no more. I encourage us to see children through the eyes of the Good Shepherd who gathers them in his arms. And when we hear the cry of the baby in the room during our morning prayers, or the pitter-patter of little feet running up and down the aisles, to smile and be glad, Ashreinu, for Rachel will find consolation in her children.

Scripture references are from the English Standard Version, ESV.