Essay about The Mitzvah to Honor the Elderly

I think we can all agree that this year has been a year of many adjustments. We had to adjust to virtual school or work, adjust to being home all the time, and for many of us, the hardest adjustment was not seeing our family. We really had to work with what we had and be open to trying new things. One of the many adjustments that I had to get used to this year was not participating in our school’s mitzvah program the same way we had in the past. Honestly, when I first heard that we probably wouldn’t leave the building this year, I was not excited. Once I heard what we were doing instead, I started to get more optimistic. Since I’m not able to see my extended family any time in the near future, being paired with a senior that I could get to know seemed like the closest thing I could get! Since participating in the Better Together in a Box program, the biggest lesson I learned is honoring the elderly. 

I think that while I’ve participated in the mitzvah of honoring the elderly, my senior and I have built a good relationship. We have exchanged letters and spoken on zoom, and I have gotten to know her very well. Simply learning about my senior’s early life was interesting, but so was learning about different traditions she takes part in. Since it varies so much from family to family, Jewish traditions are so special.  In Judaism, we value tradition deeply. We get our tradition from elderly people within our family. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to observe our duties as Jewish people. My parents teach me Jewish traditions, and they learned from their parents, and it goes on for generations. If we didn’t respect the elderly, many of our traditions would get lost. 

In the past couple of months, my buddy has been extremely generous. One of her hobbies is crafting. Soon after we met I received a surprise gift box, at school! It was full of many goodies, and it was so exciting to open. If anyone has ever received a surprise at school, you know that it is one of the best feelings ever! At that moment, it didn’t feel like I was honoring her; it felt like it was the other way around. I later realized that we were simply honoring each other. She was able to create her craft and exhibit her kindness, while I was the beneficiary of her generosity. I was so thankful for receiving a gift that she had put time, effort, and love into. I will always remember that small but impactful moment in my buddy’s and my relationship. 

In conclusion, I have learned many valuable lessons while partaking in the mitzvah of honoring the elderly. It is important, especially in Judaism, to honor the elderly because they have the most knowledge about tradition and because it is kind to bring happiness to older people. I think that there is a lot we can learn from seniors because they have experience younger people don’t, and it is important to take advantage of their wisdom. It would be foolish for their lifetime of mistakes and lessons learned to go to waste. I am excited for my buddy to teach me many valuable lessons, and I look forward to continuing to honor her.