Shoftim (5781): Nurture the young

As a young child grows up he explores the world, finding new insights and opportunities every day. But who is the child's mentor and guide? Often parents feel that children should investigate t life for themselves, and in the process figure out right from wrong. However, we can learn from the tree that this is not the ideal way. A mark made in a small sapling can have a life-time effect, and so it is with a child. What happens to a child in his young age, can have a long-lasting effect for many years to come.