![\"responsibility-1-300x199\"](\"http:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/responsibility-1-300x199-150x150.jpg\")
Responsibility for things entrusted in our care.<\/p>\n“IF A PERSON GIVES SOMEONE ELSE MONEY OR ARTICLES TO WATCH \u2026 (22:6)<\/p>\n
Responsibility for things entrusted in our care.<\/p>\n
Say I borrow someone’s car. Or maybe he asks me to watch his pet.<\/p>\n
I have to take care of them. And I can be responsible if something happens.<\/p>\n
\u2026 But responsibility for things with which we’re entrusted goes a lot further.<\/p>\n
Because it’s really about life.<\/p>\n
Every minute of every day.<\/p>\n
\u2026 Because in Jewish tradition, everything we own is really only entrusted to our care.<\/p>\n
By G-d.<\/p>\n
Our money. Our talents. Our time. And everything else we have in life.<\/p>\n
They’re given to us. With a responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u2026 Sure. We can use them. And enjoy them.<\/p>\n
But it’s our job to use them wisely.<\/p>\n
And to use them to help others.<\/p>\n
\u2026 And Jewish tradition takes it even further.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s something else we should think about.<\/p>\n
If we are parents. Or hope to be.<\/p>\n
\u2026 Children.<\/p>\n
Children are more than a blessing.<\/p>\n
\u2026 They too have been entrusted to our care. By G-d.<\/p>\n
And we can’t afford to lose sight of that.<\/p>\n
\u2026 We owe it to them. And we owe it to G-d.<\/p>\n
Our children need values. Priorities.<\/p>\n
And they need to get them from us.<\/p>\n
Because children aren\u2019t given to us. They are entrusted to us.<\/p>\n
Our job? To help them become great human beings.<\/p>\n
And great Jews.<\/p>\n
2. STORY OF THE WEEK<\/p>\n
A father is trying to help his son do better in school.<\/p>\n
‘You know son. You really should start reading more.’<\/p>\n
And his son is not convinced.<\/p>\n
‘What’s so important about reading?’<\/p>\n
‘Are you kidding?<\/p>\n
Do you know that when Abraham Lincoln was your age, he used to walk eight miles a day to get<\/p>\n
to the library?<\/p>\n
‘Dad \u2026<\/p>\n
When he was your age, he was President.’<\/p>\n
\u2026 It’s something to remember: Sure it’s important to try to inspire our children.<\/p>\n
But the best way is by example.<\/p>\n
3. FROM THE JEWISH MYSTICS<\/p>\n
In Jewish tradition, the number ten is a special number.<\/p>\n
We find it at the Ten Commandments. And at the ten plagues in Egypt.<\/p>\n
And the Talmud says that we also find it back at the creation of the universe.<\/p>\n
They tell us that there were ten creative \u2018sayings of G-d\u2019. \u201cLet there be … let there be \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2026 And the Jewish mystics tell us that all three are related.<\/p>\n
Because there are three steps to creation.<\/p>\n
First G-d creates the world. But there\u2019s more.<\/p>\n
Because Jewish tradition teaches that G-d didn\u2019t simply create a world and \u2018move on to other<\/p>\n
things\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2026 G-d remains involved in His world. Runs it. And cares about it.<\/p>\n
Which is why He brings the ten plagues on Egypt.<\/p>\n
To free the Jewish People from their slavery.<\/p>\n
\u2026 But that\u2019s still not the whole story.<\/p>\n
Because G-d may create it and run it, but He\u2019s not the one who perfects it.<\/p>\n
Who makes it the kind of world He wants it to be.<\/p>\n
A world of goodness and meaning. A world of morals and ethics.<\/p>\n
That only we can do.<\/p>\n
So He gave us the Ten Commandments. And the Torah.<\/p>\n
\u2026 Our guide to completing His creation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“IF A PERSON GIVES SOMEONE ELSE MONEY OR ARTICLES TO WATCH \u2026 (22:6) Responsibility for things entrusted in our care. Say I borrow someone’s car. Or maybe he asks me to watch his pet. I have to take care of them. And I can be responsible if something happens. \u2026 But responsibility for things with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-chicago-torah-network-shabbat-fax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2153"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2157,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2153\/revisions\/2157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}