Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad

 Ex. 6:20, 26 ESV

How is a person identified?

Moshe and Aharon were presented by the Torah with their genealogy. The Torah does not introduce a person according to their knowledge of theology, languages, history, music, literature, mathematics, science or anything like that.

There are people who feel they are nothing because they have no academic degrees. Others believe that they are important just because they have a degree. But the Torah doesn't present or introduce a person according to degrees and titles but according to their family.

Do you want to know how a person is? Look at his family or ask his family how he is.

After a long explanation of their genealogy, the Torah says, these are Aharon and Moshe. This teaches us that a person is what his ancestors were, and what his family is. One's family is very important to the Eternal. That's why it is very important to take care of one's family over studies or work. Family is much more important than academic achievements. The one who can't take care of his family is not able to be a leader in the Eternal's people.

The work of a woman who decides to take care of her children at home is of much more value in heaven than the one of a woman who leaves home to study and work to bring more money leaving her children in the care of others. If you are a woman who left your  studies to take care of your children and raise them in the ways of the Eternal your work has much more value than your neighbour's who left her children in daycare to become someone or to have more riches in this world.

May the Eternal help us understand what is important to Him so that we are not guided by the corrupted values of this world.

Blessings,         

Ketriel