Monday, August 2, 2010: Lindsay Lohan is released from prison and reenters rehab.
The tale of Lindsay Lohan is extremely sad, with a dose of pathetic sprinkled on top. She was a cute child (actor) who started doing commercials at 3 years old. And it pretty much went downhill from there.
Lindsay didn’t stand much of a chance. Ultimately, she, like everyone else, is 100% responsible for her actions. But it is really difficult to overlook the negative influences in her life before she even got to kindergarten. Never mind whether it’s generally a good idea to have a young child doing more than a 100 jobs before her teens, let’s think about the motivation behind it all.
From a Jewish perspective, children are a gift from G-d and parents are charged with doing everything they can to nurture and guide them toward a happy and healthy life of their own. Once you become a parent, it’s no longer all about you. Perhaps no one ever mentioned this to Mr. and Mrs. Lohan.
There is a very famous Bible story in which two women are fighting over the custody and identity of a baby. Each mother insists that the child is her own flesh and blood. Unfortunately, DNA testing only became readily available in the 1990’s, so that wasn’t an option. How was King Solomon going to figure this one out? He decided to let the women know that the fairest way around the problem was to give 1/2 of the baby to each of them. One of the women thought that sounded fabulous. The other begged the king not to harm the child and to simply hand it over to the other woman. Rather than getting her “fair share,” she put the welfare of the child before her own happiness.
The commentators ask the following question: Was Solomon planning to literally cut the child in two? Not likely, they say. It sounds more like a shared custody situation; the child shuttled back and forth between two “mothers,” with two identities, and two very different lives. Better than being sliced in half, but detrimental, nonetheless.
The Rabbeim teach very clearly that, among other things, parents are to give children a clear message of values that they can use to direct their path throughout life. Chasing fame, fortune, money and glamour at the expense of–and on the very backs of–our children couldn’t be further away from that ideal.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is an icon of style and glamour, but she also clearly understood her role as mother, as well. She once said one of the wisest things to come out of a Kennedy:
“If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much. “
Instead of just wallowing in the tasty, gossipy nature of the Lindsay Lohan story, what can we take away from it?
First of all, let’s wish Lindsay well. At 24, she has, G-d willing, a long life ahead of her and the chance to make something wonderful of her privilege and opportunities. Also, let’s see it as a cautionary tale and the springboard for a great mitzvah. When you look at your children, see the opportunities for greatness: Just make sure that you define greatness as more than just money, power or fame. Deeper values make for healthy, complete human beings.
Aim higher,
Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu
Upcoming featured events (click for more info):
Kollel Hiking Club
Dinner for Singles
Kollel Business Club
No comments:
Post a Comment