Special Shavuot Discussion: The Guarantors: Why G-d Chose the Children?

2025-05-30

What if the future of Judaism depended not on scholars or sages, but on the sippy cups and crayon-covered siddurim of our children?This powerful class dives into one of the most striking Midrashim about the giving of the Torah: when G-d demanded a guarantor, our ancestors suggested the elders, the prophets, the leaders and were rejected. Only when they offered the children did G-d say: Now we have a deal.But why children? Why not the tzaddikim, the scholars, the sages? And what does it mean that our children were...

What if the future of Judaism depended not on scholars or sages, but on the sippy cups and crayon-covered siddurim of our children?

This powerful class dives into one of the most striking Midrashim about the giving of the Torah: when G-d demanded a guarantor, our ancestors suggested the elders, the prophets, the leaders and were rejected. Only when they offered the children did G-d say: Now we have a deal.

But why children? Why not the tzaddikim, the scholars, the sages? And what does it mean that our children were the only "acceptable" security on the Torah?

Together, we’ll explore a deeply moving interpretation shared by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 5712 (1952), tracing how this Midrash contains the blueprint for Jewish continuity and our most urgent modern-day call to action.

Through Torah, history, poetry, and tears, this class reminds us: if we want Judaism tomorrow, we must invest in our children today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

G-d Doesn’t Want Retirement Religion:
Torah isn’t just for the nostalgic elderly or even for the rabbis, it’s for every Jew, of every age and stage.

Children Are the True Guarantors:
When young hearts taste the sweetness of Torah, it becomes a lifelong imprint—and they end up teaching us.

Jewish Education is National Security:
Teachers are the true defenders of our people. Want to protect the Jewish future? Start by elevating Jewish schools.

From Silence to Ruckus:
After the Holocaust, there were no children left to make noise in shul. Today, we must cherish every giggle, every running step, every whispered Shema because that is the sound of eternity.

Show Up at Sinai—Again:
The custom of bringing children to hear the Ten Commandments on Shavuos is not symbolic it’s covenantal. Without them, we can’t receive the Torah anew.

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