Word Prompt – MITZVOT – Ana Mandelbaum

Mitzvot, which some would define as “a good deed,” is so much more than that.

A mitzvah, or command, is the definition of what Hashem wants from us. It is through these mitzvot that we get closer to Hashem. Growing up in Kentucky, we were always keenly aware of our minority status. Our community was small, without very much Jewish infrastructure. There were no yeshivas, no kosher supermarkets, no kosher restaurants. It was this setting, where it wasn’t always easy to keep mitzvot, that laid the groundwork for my love of Torah and frumkeit.

I overheard my daughter in the kitchen last week offering our contractors food and drinks from where she planned to order lunch. She was thrilled to report that they took her up on her offer and she could do a mitzvah. Moments like these make me feel like I have succeeded as a parent.