Science is based on observing what might be a cause and effect relationship; then testing the reliability and validity of the supposed cause and effect relationship; and finally drawing conclusions from what was tested to determine 'the truth.'
Behavioral science has led us to believe that when a child misbehaves if we respond to that behavior with love that it will cause the misbehavior to be reinforced and thereby repeated.
According to this way of thinking, if a child comes home with a 'bad' report card, or a mother recieves a threatening phone call from her daughter's teacher, or a child loses control of himself and hits his brother - hugging the child at such a time will reinforce the undesirable behavior.
A parent who believes this has been brainwashed by science.
Since behavioral scientists derive their conclusions based only on what they can observe, their advice to parents is useless. The scientists don't bother themselves with thinking about the child's soul. Since they cannot observe a child's soul, they dismiss it completely - for research purposes a child's soul and Hashem's Wisdom are irrelevant. Since the scientists don't believe in anything except that which their fallible human eyes can percieve, their 'conclusions' are the lowest and most primitive way of knowing anything about children.
A person with emuna sets his gaze much higher than the scientists can see with their limited powers of observation. A person of Faith asks himself, "how could it be that Hashem is limited to 'A' causes 'B' 62% of the time." The person of Faith knows that there is nothing sacred about correlational research. He knows that anything is possible in Hashem's world; and in fact there is no correlation between A and B at all unless Hashem wants there to be. There is no set connection between one moment and the next or even between one day and another. Hashem is creating the world new every moment.
The foundation of emuna is to believe that we can always start again anew. That the One and only Cause of all things is Hashem. A foundation principle of our belief is that 'Only He did, does and will do all things."
The next time that your child has a 'failure' help him start again by showering him with hugs and kisses. When your child 'falls' is the very best time to step in and protect his honor and feelings of self-worth. Hashem will take care of the rest.
Here is this weeks Newsletter / Parsha Sheet: Download CSC NL Week 28 Korach. I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful family Shabbos!
With Blessings,
Dr. Zev Ballen
