Για να το διαβάσετε στα Ελληνικά, κάντε κλικ εδώ
What is important in a home? What defines its atmosphere?
The furniture? The music? The décor? The lights?
This Tuesday, I went the 7th grade to volunteer at a center that distributes clothes to needy people. We had to put away the summer clothes and arrange nicely the winter clothes. Most of the pupils helped, some arranged to come again in their free time, but one pupil adamantly refused to participate. It repulsed her to touch the clothes of strangers and could not understand why she must do an effort for people she doesn’t know.
Προσπάθησα να την καταλάβω και συνειδητοποίησα ότι αυτά είναι μηνύματα τα λαμβάνει από το σπίτι της… Στεναχωρήθηκα…
I tried to understand her and realized that these are the messages that she gets from her home… It upset me…
The Mishna teaches us:
“Yossei the son of Yoezer of Tzreidah, and Yossei the son of Yochanan of Jerusalem, received the tradition from them. Yossei the son of Yoezer of Tzreidah would say: Let your home be a meeting place for the wise; dust yourself in the soil of their feet, and drink thirstily of their words.
Yossei the son of Yochanan of Jerusalem would say: Let your home be wide open, and let the poor be members of your household.” (Ethics of our Fathers 1:4-5)
When we host in our homes gathering where wise and positive topics, we get inspired. There are wise and special who have a lot to teach us, let us be close to them and thus, we will learn from them and grow.
In addition, when we host in our homes people who are needy, we create an atmosphere of solidarity. Whether it is a material need, someone who doesn’t have food, or people who need our company, our listening ear, and our smile.
We choose the atmosphere of our home through our actions and our visitors. What atmosphere do you want in your home!
Good luck to us!
Hanna
