Where to begin?
The most recently reported American scandal? Older scandals that the
administration is hoping citizens will ignore? The newly released Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that pretty much turns us into a nation of troubled
people? Iraq? Syria? China?
I’d rather
start with the good news. Namely, the birth of our newest grandson, the
absolutely delicious and adorable Joshua Hyam.
It is a
misnomer to say that a baby is a “good” baby, but some are definitely calmer
and cuddlier. On these counts, Joshua is a winner. As a bonus, when he was with his mother I spent
time with his older sister. Since Popop and I brought her the Sid Hoff classic,
Danny and the Dinosaur, I was able to
refresh my memory of the book by reading it dozens of times. I’m delighted that
I could still buy a copy considering the picture of guns (gasp!), children
riding on a dinosaur with nary a seat belt not helmet in sight (yikes!), and
perhaps worst of all children spending an afternoon playing all over the
neighborhood without any adult supervision (gadzooks!).
An
additional bonus was spending time with a number of our other children and
grandchildren, including a surprise visit from the most recent reigning newest
edition, who claimed the title for only a few short months. I am pleased to say
that she handled being dethroned with grace and giggles.
Of course,
these little ones are the reason that I can’t ignore what is going on in this
country or the world. I pray that they and their generation grow up in a world
of peace and prosperity, but I believe that God expects us to do our part in
safeguarding the blessings he sends us rather than relying solely on (and sadly
often undeserved) miracles.
What a wonderful blessing to your family and you’re family is so blessed to have you and Popop! Congratulations!
Another blessing for the Lapin family. Congratulations! Little Joshua will have a life of love and ancient Jewish wisdom.
Thanks to your musings, I realize that the truth I learned as a child is still held dear by
people who are not afraid to say it, write it, and stick by it.
I watch your TCT program everyday and am always smiling when its finished.
Dearest Susan and Rabbi Lapin,
Congratulations on your latest grandchild. What a blessing! Even though the world is in turmoil, seeing a little one come into the world makes it all seem right; children should be the priority in life. They are out legacy and our future. I am so glad to hear about little Joshua than the rotten scandals anyway. Thank you for sharing!
Shalom!
Carol
Dear Rabbi Lapin, thanks for your demonstration of unity, Echad vs. Rishon. Just recently I was discussing the concept of counting with a colleague. Russian numbers begin with odin, dva, tri ‘one, two, three.’ But a Russian actually counts using raz (‘one time’): ‘raz, dva, tri.’ Apparently odin ‘one’ in practice does not stand alone as a numeral. Are these concepts perhaps akin?
Dear Ms. Susan, you are right to be concerned about the programmed proscription of certain concepts in the curriculum of our young. The burden of responsibility rests and should rest chiefly upon the shoulders of the parents to enculturate the young, not upon schools federally mandated and steered, shackled and fettered. Underlying your statements intimating what is wrong with our world I sense the growing unease with the New Order that we all feel. Namely, that it is hard enough to raise our children to orient themselves toward right thoughts and right actions, but it is much more difficult if the wheels of the educational establishment are spinning in the opposite direction. How to spin clockwise when the schools spin counterclockwise? I predict monstrous friction that will be potentially damaging to our children’s psyches.
In MY Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the chief disorder of our time would be liberalism: the blind, unshakeable delusion that Big Government with its compulsory Redistributionism, its armed Security thugs and its Thought Police can do good in this world. That is like belief that one can lift the earth from its pedestal by twisting a rope made of sand. It just ain’t gonna happen.
Congratulations to you and Popop on the birth of little Joshua. May he bring great joy to all of you! And thanks as always for sharing your AJW.