✡︎ Shabbat Shalom ✡︎
For inspiration this week, we look to esteemed Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski's 2009 Mikeitz divrei torah on TorahWeb.org. Rabbi Twerski writes about the unfortunate trauma children experience when their parents divorce, stating, "Selfish demands that fail to take into consideration the effect on the child are a sin of the greatest magnitude."
You can read Rabbi Twerski's essay, "Do Not Sin Against The Child": Divorce Involving Children here:
While reading Rabbi Twerski's wise reflections, my thoughts turned to the unborn child in the womb whose life ends by the violent event of abortion. This ultimate form of child abuse happens thousands of times a day around the world. Though some parents, motivated by selfish interests, justify the demise of their children, many others who want to protect and love their unborn children, feel powerless to stop the selfish demands made on them by
others - partners, spouses, parents, or employers.
Dr. Twerski, a psychiatrist, also writes, "Children can suffer an entire lifetime because parents put their own needs before those of their children." Thankfully, as these children grow into adolescence and adulthood, they can avail themselves of many opportunities to heal from childhood stresses.
What about unborn children who never have a lifetime?
Who haven't any opportunity to grow, learn, heal, contribute, love? We entrust these children into the hands of HaShem, and offer hope and healing to parents who suffer guilt, heartbreak, and spiritual desolation afterwards.
For those who continue to think it's justifiable to commit child sacrifice in the pursuit of selfish desires, we offer thought provoking education about the sanctity of human life, scientific proof about the living status of gestation children, and the harm done by abortion to mothers, fathers, children, families, and communities.
You can help avoid the senseless loss of life and suffering associated with abortion. Make it known in your circle of influence that you support vulnerable mothers, fathers, and their unborn children. Put a blurb in your shul bulletin that you stand ready to offer moral support and referrals to pregnancy care and adoption services. This needn't be political, but merely personal outreach that will offer life saving options to Jews who know only of abortion as the solution to a crisis pregnancy.
