For the first time in over 30 years, we are empty nesters. With our children married or away at school, we are rediscovering what a quiet life looks like.
Well, not exactly. We are blessed with grandchildren, a growing Chabad Center, and plenty of responsibilities, opportunities, and demands on our time. Still, some days it is nice to come home to a quiet house.
P.S. The kids still call. :-)
There is a certain freedom to youth, before the responsibilities of marriage and raising children. You have more room to explore, pursue your dreams, and dedicate yourself to a cause that touches your heart. Indeed, many movements that change the world begin with the passion and idealism of young people.
Youth is like a cedar tree, reaching toward the sky, pouring its energy into growing tall.
Marriage and parenthood ask something different of us. A good marriage requires us to make room for another person’s needs. Raising emotionally healthy children calls for connection, love, patience, and a willingness to give of ourselves, even when we are tired or would rather be doing something else.
This stage of life is like a date palm. It may not reach the towering height of a cedar, but it produces nourishing fruit.
The cedar’s height is impressive. The palm’s fruit sustains others.
We often picture sacrifice as a dramatic moment of heroic devotion. But some of our deepest sacrifices unfold quietly, through the daily commitments that help another person grow.
In our parsha, after the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac, the Torah turns to what seems like an unrelated family genealogy. Among the names is Rivkah, Isaac’s future wife.
After the extraordinary devotion of the Akeidah, the Torah directs our attention toward the next chapter: marriage, family, and the continuation of Jewish life.
The willingness to give everything in one extraordinary moment is awe inspiring. The willingness to give of ourselves day after day builds a home and nurtures the next generation.
There is something worth remembering here during the next sleepless night, the next challenging moment in a relationship, or the next time someone needs more from us than we feel ready to give.
We may not feel as though we are reaching great heights. But we may be growing precious fruit.
Good Shabbos!
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