When we returned home, Danny asked: Dad, when will we go to Meron again to get a trophy?.
For the first time in 17 years, a small, damp hand held me on the steep, crowded climb to the grave of the Tanna Rashbi Zia. My other hand also held the older boy's hand, while I tried to protect the younger members of the flock from the exciting commotion around them.
The journey to the grave with 3 small children was not easy.
'"Dad, let's go to the archery stand," the graduate asks.
'"No, no, come look, there's a toy car sales stand across the street," the other one asks. "They're so beautiful," he promises.
And the groom of the joy of the crowd? He even pulls in a third direction and turns to... to the podium for distributing trophies. That's his whole world now.
'Tropical!' He stomps stubbornly with his short legs.
For a moment I felt a sense of loss. Was this why I made the effort to move to Meron? Was it to purchase a toy car or a light tropical fish that we stood in traffic and woke up?
Maybe it was too early to take them, maybe the time hasn't come yet. These are the conclusions my sweaty children will draw at the end of this day.
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At the end of the climb up the mountain, under the sign bearing the famous saying "You shall not forget from the mouth of his seed" fixed on the front of the Zion, I understood that Rabbi Shimon Zia left us both a promise and a testament to guidance.
It is not enough for the promise from the Tanna that the Torah will not be forgotten, but it is up to me as a father, it is up to us as parents, to do everything to ensure its existence.
I understood that I must internalize and accommodate the uniqueness of my children's experiences and the inclination of their hearts, and from that starting point, I must ensure that I pass on the sweetness of the Torah that will cause "not to be forgotten from the mouth of his seed.".
As we approached the dance floors, there was no longer any need for explanations. The joy explained everything; the passion conveyed the message. The emotional songs seemed to melt the children's hearts, and the heat and the hardship of the journey were forgotten. The imprint of the sacred words was evident on their faces.
And yes, the little tropical also played a significant role in conveying the message of sweetness, the message of joy that "will not be forgotten from the mouth of its seed.".
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