Answer
First of all - if we are wishing Happy Half Birthdays - I'd like to point out that it's Jonah's half birthday today. But he has one every year so it's not quite as exciting. Also, he is not impressed because he would like to be 4 not 3 1/2. And the reason he wants to be 4 is because he thinks then he will be able to wipe his own tushie. And the reason he thinks he will be able to wipe his own tushie is because his newly 4 year old friend came over and insisted that he was able to wipe his own tushie now that he is 4. I had to call his mom to confirm. Believe me, I was hoping he was right!!
But that's a side point......
I was getting ready to serve dinner last night and Jonah came into the kitchen to ask for a cup of milk (he had eaten dinner earlier and was getting ready for bed). He told me he knows he can't drink it at the table. He said he knows milk is dairy and we can't have it with meat. I said he was right because it wouldn't be kosher. Then he asked why? And I said because Hashem said we have to eat kosher. He said why? I said because we are Jews and Hashem wants us to. Hashem said we should not eat milk and meat together so we don't. I could tell he was really thinking about something and trying to process the information and something wasn't sitting well with him.
Then he stumped me....... he said, "But Mommy, what will happen?"
And I didn't know what to say. My immediate thought was, "Nothing." There is not going to be a lightning bolt coming down from heaven. He's not going to get sick from it. And he won't understand the reward of Olam Haba yet.
I told him to go ask his father. And I felt really bad about that. I felt like I should have an answer for him. But I was just totally thrown off. I didn't expect my 3 1/2 year old to be asking what will happen if he doesn't keep kosher?!
Jonah is smart and he has a good memory and he's not going to forget it. So I want to bring it up again and give him an answer.
From a Chinuch perspective - what do I tell him? How do I explain it to him on his level? Is there a way? What should I say?
But that's a side point......
I was getting ready to serve dinner last night and Jonah came into the kitchen to ask for a cup of milk (he had eaten dinner earlier and was getting ready for bed). He told me he knows he can't drink it at the table. He said he knows milk is dairy and we can't have it with meat. I said he was right because it wouldn't be kosher. Then he asked why? And I said because Hashem said we have to eat kosher. He said why? I said because we are Jews and Hashem wants us to. Hashem said we should not eat milk and meat together so we don't. I could tell he was really thinking about something and trying to process the information and something wasn't sitting well with him.
Then he stumped me....... he said, "But Mommy, what will happen?"
And I didn't know what to say. My immediate thought was, "Nothing." There is not going to be a lightning bolt coming down from heaven. He's not going to get sick from it. And he won't understand the reward of Olam Haba yet.
I told him to go ask his father. And I felt really bad about that. I felt like I should have an answer for him. But I was just totally thrown off. I didn't expect my 3 1/2 year old to be asking what will happen if he doesn't keep kosher?!
Jonah is smart and he has a good memory and he's not going to forget it. So I want to bring it up again and give him an answer.
From a Chinuch perspective - what do I tell him? How do I explain it to him on his level? Is there a way? What should I say?
posted by DonutsMom at
11:07 PM
4 Comments:
Greetings from the Holy Land- My answer to Jonah would be that we do what Hashem asks because we love Hashem- just like we do what Daddy asks us to do- not because he will reward or punish us, but because we love Daddy.
By
dad, at 3:39 AM
And Mommy.
Also, because there are rules that Hashem and Mommy and Daddy make that we have to keep just because they "said so." What will happen if we don't listen? We will be doing the wrong thing. And we want to do the "right" thing.
By
Veev, at 4:08 AM
I agree with Aviva. I don't know if 3.5 is old enough to understand the concept, but the idea is that we do the right thing not because of the consequences but because it's right. We shouldn't lie or steal even if we won't get caught.
What did his father tell him?
:-)
By
Shlomo, at 6:00 AM
change the subject, want some candy??
just kidding all you serious people!
Good answers guys.
By
Rolling hills of green, at 4:11 PM
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