schools

Shavuot night: Do you know where your children are?

Posted

Rabbi Oppen is Principal of Judaic Studies at HAFTR HS and Rabbinic Associate at Congregation Beth Sholom

Just as we prepare our cheesecake, blintzes and meals for Shavuot, we must be mindful to prepare for the chinuch of our children.

Shavuot is the Yom Tov when we relive and celebrate the receiving and acceptance of the Torah; a day we are taught, when one can reach great spiritual levels. 

The Magan Avraham explains the custom of staying up the first night of Shavuot and learning, noting that the is because B’nei Yisroel went to sleep the night before they were to receive the Torah, and Hashem had to awaken them. Thus, to rectify and atone for sleeping and not expressing the proper respect and enthusiasm the night before Kabalat Ha’Torah, we learn throughout the night with simcha and fervor. We do so to demonstrate our eagerness and zeal to be mekabel the Torah, to receive the Torah.  

Yet, if G-d forbid, one stays up on this holy night not to engage in Torah study but to be mevatel Torah, disturbing and disrupting others from learning, “shul hopping” not for learning but for the sake of hanging out and checking which shul has the better refreshments, engaging in illegal behavior, drinking alcohol or smoking, not only are these individuals not rectifying Klal Yisroel’s mistake, they are making a mistake of their own by disgracing the holy Yom Tov of Shavuot and our Torah itself!

Unfortunately, almost every year we hear of tragic stories of children who end up in hospitals, or chas v’shalom worse. None of these children planned to sabotage or hurt themselves, but rather they made poor choices, and sadly in many instances the parents had no idea where their children were since they thought they could trust them. Even one child hurt is one too many. 

Parents, it is not the responsibility of the shuls’ or yeshivots’ obligation or responsibility during Shabbat and Yom Tov to parent your children. Parents MUST be the parents and be responsible for the health and whereabouts of their children. 

Page 1 / 2