Children Are Our Future
Yael Eckstein | March 30, 2021
“On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt’” — Exodus 13:8
This week, my family and I join Jews around the world in celebrating the most important event in Jewish history — the Exodus and redemption of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt. As the time of Passover is a non-working holiday, these devotions were prepared for you in advance to help you discover the many lessons in faith Passover has for you.
When my husband and I first got married, we had all kinds of plans. We chose to make our home in a nice suburban town in New Jersey and anticipated a great future. However, not long after, I started to sense that something wasn’t right. My heart told me that as Jews we belonged in Israel.
My husband and I had many discussions about making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) and the challenges it would entail. Ultimately, it was the realization that our children are our future that gave us the strength to completely change our lives and move to Israel.
Children Are Our Future
Judaism has always been a child-centered faith, and our children’s future has always been of the utmost importance. On the eve of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Moses entreated the people to teach the next generation about God and His salvation no less than three times on that historic night (Exodus 12:25-27, 13:8, and 13:14). From the very beginning of the nation, teaching the next generation and passing on the faith were presented as essential.
Every year on Passover, we fulfill the Bible’s directive to teach the next generation through the seder, the ritual Passover meal. Children are the focus of the night, and the seder is designed to hold their attention and pique their curiosity. On this momentous night of the year, we honor our people’s past and ensure the continuation of Israel in the future by retelling the story of the Exodus to our children through their eyes.
It’s easy to get caught up in our own faith journey and focus exclusively on our own spiritual challenges while losing sight of the next generation. But we need to remember that God calls us to pass our faith onward so that His truth will be heard until the end of time. The children of today are the parents, leaders, and teachers of tomorrow. Let’s make sure to give them our best so that they can do their best in continuing to build God’s Kingdom for generations to come.