Walking Beside Them – A Reflection on Beha’alotecha

The reward is watching them grow independent. The reward is seeing that they no longer need us the way they once did. Not to stop traffic. Not to hold their hand. Just to stand there and cheer them on. So every year, I do just that—with a lump in my throat and enormous gratitude. Because mentoring these students brings Torah to life for me. And that is the life I set out to live as a rabbi and a teacher.