4 | MAY 6 • 2021
PURELY COMMENTARY
guest column
Mother’s Day Viewed
Through a Jewish Lens
M
y earliest memory
of Mother’s Day
goes back to when
I was about 6 years old. I
conspired with my sister,
who is two
years my senior,
to surprise
my mother by
making dinner
for the family.
While she
was still in
bed, early
on that Sunday morning,
we attempted one of our
favorites: spaghetti and
meatballs.
It was an absolute
disaster! The chopped meat
was frozen, as we were yet
unaware of the need to
defrost it the night before.
Despite the flopped dinner,
she truly appreciated the
sentiment, and we helped
her clean up the not-so-small
mess that was left behind.
As one travels along the
journey of life, Mother’s
Day takes on different
meanings. To a young
child, it may mean trying
to create a nice surprise for
the most important woman
in the child’s life. Freshly
cut foraged wildflowers, a
lopsided cake or a cute little
note unmistakably written in
a child’s scribble are all ways
a youngster might mark this
special day.
As one gets older, the
gifts for mom grow in
sophistication. Beautiful
roses, breakfast in bed or
that new kitchen gadget
that she always wanted. And
when parents turn the corner
and enter the arena of old
age, perhaps picking them
up and taking them out for
dinner is the way to express
love and appreciation.
For many, Mother’s Day
is a time of mixed feelings,
thinking of a mother who
has passed on, nostalgically
recalling the many good
times that were shared
together. But there is also the
pain of the loss, missing her
and feeling the void.
A DEEP LOVE
From a Jewish perspective,
Mother’s Day is intrinsically
connected to the gratitude
we must feel and express
to someone who has given
us more than anyone in the
whole world. The Torah
teaches that the love that
a parent feels for a child
is even stronger than the
reverse, that is, the love that
the child feels for a parent.
A mother is capable of
extending herself and giving
to her child in a way that the
child will never be capable
of replicating. The nights
robbed of sleep, moments
filled with worry and days
rich in that nurturing mater-
nal love are just the very
beginning of what our moth-
ers have done for us.
To truly understand the
depth of something, we study
the ancient Hebrew word for
it. We believe that the world
was created with the mystical
letters of the Hebrew alpha-
bet, and the Hebrew word
for something will portray its
essence.
The Hebrew word for
mother is “em” or “Ima,”
closely related to the Hebrew
word “emunah,” which means
faith. Through her constant
care and love, our mother
is the one who instills in us
a deep sense of trust. That
foundation of trust is the
basis for our faith in our
Father in Heaven, and a faith
and hope in people. Through
a mother’s love, we learn
to trust in humanity and in
the goodness of the world
around us.
Honoring one’s mother
(and father) plays such a
prominent role in Torah
thought that it made it into
the Ten Commandments.
It stands as number five
on the list and serves to
bridge the gap between the
commandments that relate
to our relationship with the
Almighty, which occupy the
right side of the Tablets, and
the interactions that we have
with our peers, found on the
left side.
A parent is a partner
with God in creating us and
giving us life. To us, a par-
ent isn’t a peer. A mother
and father are not simply a
friend, but they are someone
we look up to, revere and
respect.
Properly honoring a parent
is a step toward honoring the
Almighty, and as such, this
mitzvah serves perfectly to
transition from the right side
of the tablets — the Divine
side, to the left side — the
one dealing with laws of
human engagement.
To those of us who are
fortunate enough to have a
mother still in this world,
let us take this Mother’s
Day, and really, every day, to
appreciate the great gift that
we have.
She won’t be with us
forever, so let us seize the
moment and make it special.
To those of us whose
mother lives on in memory,
let us cherish those
memories.
Wishing you all a happy
Mother’s Day.
Rabbi Chaim Fink is an educator at
Partners Detroit.
Rabbi Chaim
Fink
here for it all.