A shepherd walks through the desert, grazing his father-in-law’s sheep. Suddenly, he sees a bush engulfed with flames, but something seems strange. Upon closer inspection, he realizes that despite the blazing fire, the bush isn’t burning up. As he draws nearer to investigate, he hears a voice calling, “Moses! Moses!” He replies, “Hineni. Here I am.” The voice instructs him not to come closer and to remove his shoes, for he is standing on holy ground. The voice then reveals, “I am the God of your father…,” at which point, Moshe (Moses) hides his face in awe.
Ancient Jewish wisdom addresses an intriguing question. Until God introduced Himself, who did Moses think was speaking to him? Surprisingly, Moshe didn’t seem startled by the voice calling his name. He immediately responded with an attentive “Here I am, ready to do your bidding.” Who did he think was speaking to him? The answer is profound.
The Medrash (Jewish tradition dating back over two thousand years) recounts that God faced a dilemma. If He were to speak to Moses with a thundering, powerful Heavenly voice, Moses would likely have been frightened and fled. After all, he was just a shepherd, not yet a prophet experienced in hearing God’s voice. Yet if God spoke to Moses in a soft tone, he may not have recognized it, as he wasn’t yet attuned to hearing God. What kind of voice would capture Moshe’s attention without overwhelming him?
The answer is the voice of his father, Amram. When Moses first heard his name called, it was in the tone of the one person in the world who could command his immediate attention without startling him – his father. Only after this initial recognition did God clarify, “Actually, I’m not your father. I’m the God of your father.”
The Torah teaches us that God built into the world a unique connection between children and parents, making a child most attuned and sensitive to their parent’s voice. Even from birth, a newborn can recognize and respond to their mother’s voice, and this special connection lasts throughout their life. The Torah emphasizes that the voice a person is most sensitive to – the most compelling and influential – is the voice of their parents.
This special attunement allows parents to effectively communicate values and lessons to their children. A child’s natural desire to respond to their parents acts as a protective shield, guarding them from harmful influences, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual. This is a gift from God, designed to help parents guide and raise their children. However, this relationship isn’t invulnerable. Although children are naturally inclined to respond to their parents, it is up to the parents to nurture and preserve this bond. They must actively defend their relationship against the many cultural forces that may threaten it.
Building and maintaining a strong connection with one’s child requires vigilance and effort. It’s a challenging task, but it is essential and achievable. When parents foster the natural affinity God set between themselves and their children, they establish themselves as the foremost influence in their children’s lives – able to inspire, guide, and protect them.
If you find this concept intriguing, I encourage you to watch Parenting for Children to Listen, the video where I explain the developmental, psychological, and Biblical principles behind building a strong parent-child relationship. You’ll also learn practical tools to help your child naturally and easily follow your guidance.
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