WHAT DO YOU DO when your parents ask you for a favor? You’re probably thinking: what kind of question is that, it’s obvious that I do it, after all they are my beloved parents, who raised me and gave me all their love since I was born until today! But don’t be so sure, according to a survey by ‘The Family Watch’, 62.5% of families believe that in the last ten years communication between parents and children has worsened due to new technologies that have negatively transformed communication in the family environment. Let’s suppose that you are not part of the 62.5% of the survey, you should still analyze with what spirit you do what you are asked, because it is not the same to do a favor grumbling and questioning yourself: Why do they always ask me! to do it with the best intention and enthusiasm. In this Parashah the Torah relates how the children of Israel enthusiastically contributed to the construction of the tabernacle: “And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel: This is what the Eternal has commanded: every generous-hearted person shall bring an offering for the Eternal: gold, silver and copper…. And both men and women came and brought bracelets and earrings and rings…” But how do we know that they did this with enthusiasm? Because Moshe had to beg them to stop bringing gold and silver, so much of which they had brought. This attitude of BeneiYisrael reflected their love for God. And this reveals one of the secrets to achieve true love in relationships: to give the best of ourselves, both in quality and quantity, both materially and spiritually. There are many people who need us, not necessarily our money, but a simple word of encouragement or comfort. May it be God’s to take advantage of our virtues to love others.
George Deek is an Arab-Israeli diplomat. In 2018, Deek was appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. He is the first Israeli Arab Christian to become an ambassador. Deek grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, in a building where the other tenants included Muslims, Catholics, Jews and a Catholic priest of Jewish ancestry.[2][3] His father, who worked as a tax advisor,[3] was one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jaffa who served as chairman of the Orthodox Association, and was considered a well-known and popular figure in the city until in 2015 a square was inaugurated in his memory in Jaffa in the presence of Mayor Ron Huldai.[4] According to Deek, his grandparents fled to Lebanon for safety when the 1947–1949 Palestine war, having been told that the Jews would slaughter them if they remained in their homes, but expecting to return home once Arab armies defeated the Jews.[3] According to Deek, when the war ended, his grandparents felt that they had been “deceived”, and decided to return illegally to their home in Jaffa rather than remaining in Lebanon as refugees. Since reentering the country was illegal, Deek’s grandfather, an electrician, was arrested and jailed.
