A Moment in Time: Taking Responsibility for our Actions

Dear all,

As I was changing Maya this week, Eli was crawling around on the floor. I heard a few harmless sounds and thought nothing of them … until I looked down to see that Eli had pulled all our baby wipes from the shelf onto the floor!

”Busted” I thought with a smile! I mean, c’mon ….. The look on his face was priceless.

It made me reflect on the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. If Judaism were to have a concept of original sin (which it classically does not), it would be that neither Adam nor Eve took responsibility for their action. Rather, Adam pointed to Eve, and Eve pointed to the serpent.

Eli, of course, is much too young to understand what taking responsibility means.

But we, as adults, have a deeper obligation. How do we refrain from pointing the finger and conversely, own our actions? In that moment in time when we are asked a direct question, do we respond with integrity, or do we deflect with accusation?

Our lives are filled with opportunities to do the right thing. How will you respond today?

(Now to fix the shelf so Eli can’t get to the wipes again… Or should I deflect the responsibility and just let Ron do it?)

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro