What does it mean to be responsible for someone? Should we help people we don’t know? How do we show up for people in our family? In an emergency, who comes first?
In one of the earliest stories of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), Cain asks God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Jewish culture places high value on areyvut, Hebrew for “mutual responsibility” Our mandate to care for one another starts with our family, as demonstrated in PJ Library stories such as Anna & Solomon, by Elaine Snyder, and Rosie Saves the World, by Debbie Herman.
In Anna & Solomon, Anna puts her family members on the boat ahead of her so that no one will be left behind. Even though it takes some time, eventually they are all able to be together again. In the second story, Rosie, an enthusiastic girl eager to change the world, realizes that she has neglected some of her responsibilities at home. Both these books help children understand that a responsible person must balance helping others with helping their family — and that the helping starts at home.
Read
Discuss
- In Anna & Solomon, Anna keeps putting other family members on the boat to America before herself. Why do you think she does this?
- What does it mean to be responsible for someone else?
- Why should we help people we don’t know?
- What are some of the ways you and the rest of your family help each other?
Do
Host a Mini-Mitzvah Day with another family. Bake cookies for your local firehouse or other community helpers (and save some to eat yourself), make no-sew blankets for a children’s hospital, or come up with something else to share. Deliver your gifts together as a family.
More
Mitzvah-a-Day Printable
Easy Family Service Projects
What is a Mitzvah?
July 9, 2024