Torah, the "Torah of Truth," declares that as soon as a baby is born it is affected by all that transpires around it. Surely, the conduct of the infant's parents has a profound impact on the child, even when it is extremely young.

Moreover, even the conduct of the parents during the nine months that precede the infant's birth, have a profound influence on the child.

Thus the Gemara[14] relates that "Kimchis had seven sons, all of whom merited to serve as Kohanim Gedolim, High Priests. The Sages asked her, 'What have you done to merit this?' She answered them: 'The rafters of my house have never seen the plaits of my hair.' "

In other words, her profound conduct of tznius - to the extent that even when she was alone in the house "the rafters of her house never saw the plaits of her hair" - affected her sons to such an extent that they all merited to become Kohanim Gedolim.

Her behavior thus had an effect many, many years after she conducted herself in this manner - after her children had already become Bar Mitzvah and after they had reached the age of twenty, when they became fit to become Kohanim Gedolim.

Moreover, her conduct also had an influence on her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for the son of a Kohain Gadol inherits his father's position.

Since this tale is related to us by the Oral Torah, it follows that this is not just a story of something that transpired in the past, for "that which has passed is past." Rather, it comes to teach every Jewish daughter how much she is to scrupulously observe tznius, even when there is no one else in the house, etc.

[The reason for this is: Since repeatedly acting in a certain manner causes it to become second nature, it is possible to forget oneself and act in this manner even when someone else is in the house, etc.]

By behaving in this ultimate manner of tznius, one affects for the good one's children and grandchildren, as we glean from the above tale of the Gemara.

Excerpt from a Sicha of the Rebbe, Chai Elul 5742

   

Notes:

14. (Back to text) Yoma 47a.