Doorways of Confidence
Now once a child is instilled with that confidence in the nation he belongs to, the Hashem he belongs to, so all of the things connected to Hashem and His loyal people become more important. On that foundation you can teach a child to love mitzvos. When he passes a mezuzah you can teach him not merely to look at the mezuzah and to kiss it, but to love it. A mezuzah reminds you that you belong to the forever nation, the nation that Hashem is watching over.
Even when you go to the beis haknesses it becomes a place of pride and happiness. That's how it should be! There's a shul that has a big sign outside: Come into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courtyards with praise. So walk with your child hand in hand to the shul and tell him, “Aren't we happy that we’re going now to the house of Hashem?” Tell him “Aren't we lucky we can go into a shul, this beautiful place, a place where Hashem is? Aren't we happy that we are the one nation of Hashem?” The child says yes, and you've laid down a foundation for the future. And if your father or mother didn’t tell you that, so take yourself in hand and talk to yourself. Make yourself your own best child.
Good Yom Tov!
That’s also how parents should train their children in simchas Yom Tov. “You know what Yom Tov means? It means we were chosen!” That’s the way to make simchas Yom Tov. Now, I know that some parents think simchas Yom Tov means taking out the children chol hamoed for a ride to go to the park. There's nothing wrong but that's plain simcha, not simchas Yom Tov.
Make a little mesibah for them. It's more important than two hours in the Bronx zoo or who knows where. Sit down and make a little mesibah; even a five minute mesibah lekovod Yom Tov, a little gathering. Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, Friday afternoon. Sit down and talk for a couple of minutes about Yom Tov and tell the children, “Let's sing a song about how Hashem chose us to be His people.” And you’ll sing Atah bechartanu or something else. And then tell them, suggest it, “Kinderlach, aren't we having a great time?” They all chime in, “Yes. But can we go to the park now?” That's excellent. These few minutes have laid a foundation.
Good Shabbos!
Teach them the simcha of Shabbos. One of the reasons Shabbos is fun is because it’s the day we’re celebrating that tremendous declaration of Hashem, Between Me and the Bnei Yisroel, it is a covenant forever. Shabbos is a sign, a covenant, that we will be with Him forever. Hashem said, ‘We are together forever. Like I am forever, you are going to be forever too.”
And therefore no other nation has received this gift. The gentiles are told, “Keep working even on Saturday. Because Shabbos is a special day between Me and My nation.” Of course, it’s good for their health too, to be busy always. But the reason why they’re forbidden from keeping Shabbos is because it’s a special bris between us and Hashem. That’s what you have to tell the children every Shabbos.
Of course, you can enhance the fun of Shabbos by buying migdanos and ma'adanim. You have candies and cakes and nosherei and ice cream in honor of the Shabbos. But it's very important to emphasize to the children, to suggest to them that Shabbos is intrinsically fun because it means that we—‘we’ means the little children too—will be forever with Hashem. That’s the great happiness, the great optimism, that is the foundation of our homes.
