Parashas Nasso

When either a man or a woman clearly utters a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate oneself to God, one shall abstain from wine and strong drink (Numbers 6:2-3).

    When Samson's mother was told by the angel that the child she would bear would be a Nazirite, she was instructed that she, too, must abstain from wine and strong dring (Judges 13:4).

    Perhaps we may infer from here that if a parent expects a certain standard of behavior from a child, the parent must serve as an example, and set the standard by action rather than simply by instruction.

    Parents may think that by providing their children with quality education, they are fulfilling their obligation to direct their children toward proper living. As important as education is, it can only reinforce or supplement that which the child observes in the home.

    Excerpt from Living Each Week, by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.