As our students head off for summer break, this week’s parsha, Sh’lach, offers us some of the most important lessons of childhood. The parsha tells the dramatic story of the twelve spies sent ahead by Moshe to learn all they could about the land Hashem had promised them. Ten spies return with fearful, discouraging reports of giants roaming the land who are more powerful than they, while only two, Yehoshua and Calev, offer a message of confidence and reassurance. Naturally, in response to the inflammatory reports of the reactive spies, Bnai Yisrael become consumed with despair and panic, fueling a rebellion which leads to a 40-year delay in entering Eretz Yisrael. They failed to achieve what they had been longing for.
Over the summer, like B’nai Yisrael before them, our children will experience new situations, people, and challenges they have never encountered before. Learning from Parshat Sh’lach, we can help our children overcome their fears of the unknown by reminding them that they are capable, adaptable, and able to find the good in what at first glance may scare them. We have the power of language to frame how we perceive our circumstances, and overcome the initial reactions that are shaped by fear and uncertainty. The language we choose when guiding our children becomes the script they internalize and apply to similarly stress-inducing circumstances in the future. Positivity and emunah build their self-confidence; negativity can crush it.
At OCA, we are guided by a philosophy in which, rather than focus on our students’ perceived limitations, we trust in every child’s potential to overcome challenges. As Yehoshua and Calev before us, we believe in children’s capacity to accomplish what seems difficult and out of reach, even when the obstacles appear overwhelming. As the precursor to Mrs. Shar’s famous line, “I can do hard things!”, Calev silenced Bnai Yisrael, saying, “We can go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it.”
May your children learn from Parshat Sh’lach to embrace their summer filled with opportunities to test their limits and capacities, to develop new friendships, and acquire new skills. So, when they return in the fall, they will not only be physically taller, but stronger and more confident in themselves and their potential, as well.
Shabbat shalom!