Martin H. van den Bergh

Rabbi Sacks describes the Torah as “God’s book of humanity,” with the family at its centre. Although family appears in the stories of Adam and Noah, it becomes central to humanity’s story only with Abraham and the relationship between God and the Jewish people. Like individuals, families have flaws. Family life has two essential dimensions: nurturing relationships and passing our heritage to our children and future generations. Even within a family, relationships cannot be taken for granted; they require continual effort.

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Rabbi Sacks also emphasises that learning is central to the Torah. Our morning prayers include blessings over Torah study, one of which expresses our responsibility to pass the Torah on to future generations:

Please, Lord our God, make the words of Your Torah sweet in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people, the house of Israel, so that we, our descendants, and the descendants of Your people, the house of Israel, may all know Your name and study Your Torah.

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In Israel, we feel like one large family, especially in times of hardship. That sense of unity was strong last week when an attempt was made to hijack a Flydubai plane and fly it into a building in Tel Aviv. Thanks to the pilot and several Israeli passengers, who overpowered the terrorist, the attack was prevented and lives were saved. As we listened to events unfold while driving to Jerusalem, we felt immense relief. The experience strengthened our belief in miracles and underscored the importance of our Jewish family.