Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Coercion

Parents who think that they can convince their children to keep mitzvos through force, are treating them like soldiers. In the army, a soldier will not dare disobey orders, but when he gets out, he will often act in just the opposite way, since he is so sick of being forced to do everything he is told. The same is true for our children. If they feel that we are forcing them, chances are they will rebel and do just the opposite of what we are forcing them to do.

(Rabbi Yisrael Pesach Feinhandler)