The centerpiece of the Shema urges us to be our children's first teachers. Wherever and whenever we might find ourselves together at home or away, in the evening or the morning, opportunities abound to initiate them in God's words and ways. Persistent and responsible instruction can help prevent our children from abusing the freedom of choice which is their human patrimony. And yet, the heart remains full of ferment. Each child and every generation must start the task of self-control afresh.
Culture is a flawed substitute for heredity.
Our genes do not transmit moral achievement. This sober assessment of human capacity is the seedbed of Jewish messianism. For Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the end of days is to be marked by no more than a transformation of the human heart. In a second covenant, the Torah will be written directly on the heart of every Israelite. To heed God's laws will become natural.