Children

Lifecycle

מקורות יהדות רבים מדגישים את חשיבות הולדת הילדים וגידולם. הילדים נתפסים כברכה וכהמשכיות של עם ישראל. חובת ההולדה נובעת מהמצווה "פרו ורבו", והיא אחת המצוות הראשונות בתורה. חכמים ראו בלימוד תורה לילדים ערך עליון ואף דרשו שעתיד העולם תלוי בהבל פיהם של תינוקות של בית רבן. גידול הילדים כרוך באחריות לחנכם לערכים, למצוות ולדרך ארץ, וזאת מתוך אהבה, הדרכה ודוגמה אישית.

Notable Sources

All Sources

Teaching the Next Generation

TANAKH

Teaching and reciting the commandments to one's children is essential for maintaining the unity and identity of the Jewish people. The book of Deuteronomy emphasizes the importance of consistently teaching and discussing the Torah with one's children in all aspects of daily life.

and teach them to your children—reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up;

Deuteronomy 11:19

The Breath of Innocence

KABBALAH

The breath of schoolchildren is considered a fundamental force that sustains the world due to their purity and innocence. The Zohar, a central work of Jewish mysticism, emphasizes the spiritual power of children's prayers and their untainted spirituality.

However, hebel is here to be understood in the literal sense, namely “breath”, and conveys a very precious lesson. From the “breath” which issues out of the mouth the voice is formed, and according to the well-known dictum the world is upheld only by the merit of the “breath” of little school children who have not yet tasted sin. Breath is itself a mixture, being composed of air and moisture, and through it the world is carried on. Esoterically speaking, the breath of the little ones becomes “voice”, and spreads throughout the whole universe…

Zohar, Bo 6:143

Defying Pharaoh's Decrees

TALMUD

Pharaoh's decrees to kill male infants were so severe that they eventually included even Egyptian infants. The Talmudic tractate Sotah recounts the heroic actions of Moses' sister, Miriam, in ensuring the survival of the Jewish people despite these decrees.

§ The Gemara returns to the discussion of the bondage in Egypt. “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive” (Exodus 1:22). Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: The use of the phrase “every son that is born” indicates that he decreed even on his own nation that all their male babies must be killed. And Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says further: He decreed three decrees…

Sotah 12a:8-15

Divine Test of Solomon's Wisdom

MIDRASH

The story of King Solomon and the two mothers, as told in I Kings 3:16-28, showcases Solomon's wisdom in discerning the true mother's love for her child. Louis Ginzberg's early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, retells the famous biblical story, revealing deeper layers of divine orchestration and supernatural involvement.

The first proof of his wisdom was given in his verdict in the case of the child claimed by two mothers as their own. When the women presented their difficulty, the king said that God in His wisdom had foreseen that such a quarrel would arise, and therefore had created the organs of man in pairs, so that neither of the two parties to the dispute might be wronged. on hearing these words from the king, Solomon's counsellors lamented: "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a youth." In a little while they realized the wisdom of the king, and then they exclaimed: "Happy art thou, O land…

Legends of the Jews 4:5:25

Compassionate Child-Rearing

HALAKHAH

Despite traditional teachings regarding relations between parents and children, modern sensibilities call for more compassionate methods in child-rearing. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s contemporary halachic work, Peninei Halakhah, addresses the evolution of the parent/child relationship.

(1) Honoring Parents /Attitudes of parents towards children, no hitting (2) Even though the mitzvah of honoring parents is very important, the Shulchan Aruch wrote (Yoreh De'ah 240:19): "It is forbidden [for the parent] to make their yoke heavy upon their children and to be exacting with them about their honor, so as not create a hindrance for the children. Rather the parent should forgive and avert their eyes from them; since a parent who foregoes their honor, their honor is forgiven." (3) Maybe from the side of judgment the parents could demand more honor from their children…

Peninei Halakhah, Family 1:15

The Courage of Pharaoh’s Daughter

JEWISH THOUGHT

Pharaoh’s daughter displayed extraordinary moral courage and compassion by rescuing and raising Moses, an Israelite child, within the royal palace, despite the severe risks involved. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his Haggadah, draws a parallel between Pharaoh’s daughter and the righteous gentiles honored at Yad Vashem.

The third figure is Pharaoh’s daughter, who rescued Moses, knowing he was a Hebrew child. Again it is impossible not to be moved by this act of compassion by one who knew all too well what was at stake. To raise an Israelite child in the palace of the very ruler who had issued the decree of death took moral determination of a high order. A midrash states that when her handmaids saw that she was set on rescuing the baby, they said, “It is the way of the world that when a king issues a decree, even if the whole world does not obey it, his own children and household do” (Exodus Raba 1:23)…

The Jonathan Sacks Haggadah; Essays, Women and the Exodus 20

Stages of a Child's Religious Development

TOSEFTA

Understanding the stages of a child's development in relation to their religious obligations provides insight into the importance of education and religious practice in Jewish life. The Tosefta, a late 2nd-century compilation of Jewish oral law, outlines these stages and the corresponding commandments.

A minor that no longer needs [the help of] his mother is liable in [building a] sukkah. A minor that needs his mother may go out by means of his mother's eiruv (Ket. 65b:9), and if he does not need his mother, they make an eiruv of two meals for the joining of the Shabbat boundaries. [If] he knows how to shake, he is liable in [the commandment of] lulav. [If] he knows how to dress himself, he is liable in [the commandment of donning] tzitzit. [If] he knows how to talk, his father teaches him the Shema and the Torah and the holy tongue, and if not…

Tosefta Chagigah 1:3

Abraham's Love for Ishmael

MIDRASH

Abraham's enduring love and care for his son Ishmael, even after their separation, highlights the power of parental prayers and blessings. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a midrashic text from the early medieval period, offers expanded narratives on biblical stories, including the relationship between Abraham and Ishmael.

Again after three years Abraham went to see his son Ishmael, having sworn to Sarah as on the first occasion that he would not descend from the camel in the place where Ishmael dwelt. He came there at midday, and found there Ishmael's wife. He said to her: Where is Ishmael? She replied to him: He has gone with his mother to feed the camels in the desert. He said to her: Give me a little bread and water, for my soul is faint after the journey of the desert. She fetched it and gave it to him. Abraham arose and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, for his son…

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30:7

Adjusting the Timing of Circumcision

MISHNAH

The timing of a child's circumcision can be adjusted based on specific circumstances, including health and the occurrence of Shabbat and festivals. The Mishnah, an early third-century codification of Jewish law, provides detailed guidelines for when a brit milah can be postponed.

Although a child is generally circumcised at eight days, as the verse states: “And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised” (Leviticus 12:3), nevertheless, at times he is circumcised at nine days, at times at ten days, at eleven days, and at twelve days, no earlier and no later. How so? In his usual manner, a child is circumcised at eight days. If he was born at twilight and it is therefore uncertain on which day he was born, he is circumcised at nine days…

Mishnah Shabbat 19:5

A Father's Duty

HALAKHAH

The Torah obligates a father to provide for his children until they reach the age of six, and outlines social measures if he fails to do so. In his 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides details the father's obligations and the community's role in ensuring children's welfare.

Just as a man is required to provide his wife with her subsistence, he is required to provide for the maintenance of his children, both male and female, until they reach the age of six. Afterwards, he should continue to provide for their maintenance until they reach majority, as ordained by our Sages.
If, however, he does not, he should be rebuked and embarrassed publicly, and appeals should be made to him. If he [persists in his] refusal, a public announcement is made with regard to him: "So and so is cruel and does not desire to provide for the maintenance of his children…

Mishneh Torah, Marriage 12:14

Stages of Development in Jewish Law

GUIDES

Understanding the stages of a child's physical and halakhic development is crucial for observing Jewish laws related to menstruation, mitzvot, and liability for punishment. The Babylonian Talmud, particularly Tractate Niddah, provides detailed discussions on family purity laws and the stages of physical development in children.

Another detailed discussion in this tractate is the various stages that a child passes through on his or her way to adulthood. What are the external physical signs that indicate the stages of a developed youth, and which subsequent signs are indicative of adulthood? These definitions are important with regard to both the halakhot of menstruation as well as the obligation to observe mitzvot and the liability for punishment that come with adulthood.

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Niddah, Introduction to Niddah 14

Hannah's Fervent Prayer

LITURGY

Hannah's story is a powerful testament to the emotional and spiritual struggle of longing for a child and the fulfillment of a vow to God. The Haftarah reading for the first day of Rosh Hashanah recounts Hannah's fervent prayer for a child and her dedication of her son Samuel to God's service.

And there was a certain man from Ramathaim-Zophim, the hills of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Yerocham, the son of Eliyhu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuf, a distinguished man. And he had two wives; one named Hannah and the other, Peninah. And Peninah had children but Hannah had no children. And this man went up from his city, from year to year, to prostrate himself and offer sacrifices to the Adonoy of Hosts, in Shiloh. And there, the two sons of Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, were priests to Adonoy…

Machzor Rosh Hashanah Ashkenaz, Reading of the Torah, Haftarah for the First Day of Rosh Hashana 2

Nurturing Potential from Infancy

MUSAR

Children possess inherent potential and qualities that need to be guided and shaped during their formative years to ensure ethical behavior in adulthood. Solomon ibn Gabirol, an 11th-century Jewish philosopher, integrates Jewish thought with Greco-Arabic philosophy to explore the development of moral qualities from infancy.

Know thou that all the qualities of man, of the possession of which he gives evidence at the period of his youth and manhood, are in him during his infancy and boyhood: though it be not in his power to manifest them, they are nevertheless within him in potential, (if) not in actu. Thou wilt observe that in some boys the quality of prudency manifests itself, and in others impudence; some incline to enjoyment, others aspire to virtue, and still others are disposed to vices; these qualities above mentioned and others similar to them being among those of the animal soul…

The Improvement of the Moral Qualities, Introductory Essay 39

The Primacy of Child Welfare in Jewish Law

HALAKHAH

In Jewish law, the welfare of the child is the paramount concern, not the rights or benefits of the parents. This responsa emphasizes that in matters of child placement, a beit din (Jewish court) considers only the child's best interests.

The laws regarding child placement are not laws relating to the good of the parents, but rather laws for the benefit of the children; a son or daughter is not an object subject to the rights of a father or mother. The father and mother have no rights, only duties … [as] they are obligated to raise and educate their children. When a beit din is determining the placement of a child, concerning the ties between the child and his parents, there is only one factor … the good of the child, where he will be and under what conditions…

Rabbinic Authority I, Part II; Rabbinic Authority; The Reality, Chapter 4; Decisions in Even haEzer, c) A Father's Duty of Child Support towards His Estranged Children 45

The Heder 1878, Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, Gift of the Oscar and Regina Gruss Charitable and Educational Foundation, Inc. The Jewish Museum, New York.

Relatedראו גם

Sheetsדפי מקורות

Related Sheets