Why it is Difficult for Children to do Certain Things
Berel was blind. His friend, Schmerel, felt bad for him that he spent so much time at home.
"Berel," said Schmerel when he came to visit him one day. "How about I take you out, to get some fresh air?"
"That sounds nice," said Berel. "I would appreciate that."
"The sun is setting right now," said Schmerel. "Come, let me show you the sunset."
"But-"
"C'mon! We don't want to miss the sunset!"
Shmerel led Berel out, over to an area where you could view the majestic sunset over the horizon.
"Isn't it beautiful, Berel?"
"But I can't see it."
"But it's a gorgeous sunset! Aren't you enjoying yourself?"
"No."
"Sheesh, Berel. You should enjoy the sunset. It is simply marvelous!"
"I'm not enjoying this, Schmerel."
"Berel, you've got to learn to appreciate a beautiful sunset. I mean, really!"
"Ari!" cried Ari's father, coming out of the shul to see him playing outside. "The Torah reading is starting! Come on in!"
"But I'm playing," said seven-year-old Ari.
"Well, stop playing. Come on in and hear the Torah reading."
Ari reluctantly followed his father into shul.
"I'm bored," complained Ari, five minutes into the Torah reading.
"Ari, you're not even following the reading," said his father reprovingly, showing him the place in the Chumash.
"I wanna go back outside and play."
"But this is the Torah reading! The heilegeh, beautiful Torah! How could you not be enjoying the Torah reading?"
"It's boring."
"Chas v'shalom, Ari. Now be quiet and follow along."
"Dovy! I'm tired of having to call you several times! Get over here!"
Dovy's father was about to make Kiddush, but, as usual, nine-year-old Dovy was in the living room, playing with his toy cars.
"Dovy," said his father, appearing in the doorway angrily, his arms crossed. "That does it. You are going to get punished."
"But Tatte," said Dovy, getting up and coming over sulkily. "I was about to come!"
"This is Shabbos Koidesh!" said his father, leading him over to the Shabbos table. "On Shabbos Koidesh we stand by the table, and hear Kiddush! You shouldn't be playing with your toy cars in the first place when it's time to make Kiddush! You should come right to the table, all excited for Kiddush!"
"Nosson!" said his mother angrily. Ten-year-old Nosson didn't look like he had benched very well; his lips had hardly moved as he held the bencher limply in his hands after the meal.
"Yes, Mommy?"
"You didn't bench properly!"
"But I did, Mommy!"
"Don't give me that. I saw you. You were hardly saying the words! You're going to bench all over again, and I am going to supervise you as you do so!"
"But, Mommy!"
"Dont' 'but Mommy' me!"
Nosson was looking so forward to going to play after the meal. His eyes practically welled with tears as he was forced to turn back to the beginning of benching.
"Now I want to hear you say the words nice and slowly, and with feeling!" said his mother sternly. "You really need to take benching more seriously!"
"Berel," said Schmerel when he came to visit him one day. "How about I take you out, to get some fresh air?"
"That sounds nice," said Berel. "I would appreciate that."
"The sun is setting right now," said Schmerel. "Come, let me show you the sunset."
"But-"
"C'mon! We don't want to miss the sunset!"
Shmerel led Berel out, over to an area where you could view the majestic sunset over the horizon.
"Isn't it beautiful, Berel?"
"But I can't see it."
"But it's a gorgeous sunset! Aren't you enjoying yourself?"
"No."
"Sheesh, Berel. You should enjoy the sunset. It is simply marvelous!"
"I'm not enjoying this, Schmerel."
"Berel, you've got to learn to appreciate a beautiful sunset. I mean, really!"
"Ari!" cried Ari's father, coming out of the shul to see him playing outside. "The Torah reading is starting! Come on in!"
"But I'm playing," said seven-year-old Ari.
"Well, stop playing. Come on in and hear the Torah reading."
Ari reluctantly followed his father into shul.
"I'm bored," complained Ari, five minutes into the Torah reading.
"Ari, you're not even following the reading," said his father reprovingly, showing him the place in the Chumash.
"I wanna go back outside and play."
"But this is the Torah reading! The heilegeh, beautiful Torah! How could you not be enjoying the Torah reading?"
"It's boring."
"Chas v'shalom, Ari. Now be quiet and follow along."
"Dovy! I'm tired of having to call you several times! Get over here!"
Dovy's father was about to make Kiddush, but, as usual, nine-year-old Dovy was in the living room, playing with his toy cars.
"Dovy," said his father, appearing in the doorway angrily, his arms crossed. "That does it. You are going to get punished."
"But Tatte," said Dovy, getting up and coming over sulkily. "I was about to come!"
"This is Shabbos Koidesh!" said his father, leading him over to the Shabbos table. "On Shabbos Koidesh we stand by the table, and hear Kiddush! You shouldn't be playing with your toy cars in the first place when it's time to make Kiddush! You should come right to the table, all excited for Kiddush!"
"Nosson!" said his mother angrily. Ten-year-old Nosson didn't look like he had benched very well; his lips had hardly moved as he held the bencher limply in his hands after the meal.
"Yes, Mommy?"
"You didn't bench properly!"
"But I did, Mommy!"
"Don't give me that. I saw you. You were hardly saying the words! You're going to bench all over again, and I am going to supervise you as you do so!"
"But, Mommy!"
"Dont' 'but Mommy' me!"
Nosson was looking so forward to going to play after the meal. His eyes practically welled with tears as he was forced to turn back to the beginning of benching.
"Now I want to hear you say the words nice and slowly, and with feeling!" said his mother sternly. "You really need to take benching more seriously!"