In this week’s parsha, parashat Ki Tisa, the nation of Israel is stuck at a crossroads. Moses says that he will come back in 40 days and 40 nights, and that time has passed. The Israelites begin to question G-d. In Moses' absence, they become restless and demand that Aaron create a golden calf for them to worship. When Moses returns and sees what has happened, he confronts Aaron, who attempts to shift the blame onto the Israelites themselves.

G-d then holds the Israelites accountable for their mistakes and actions and refuses to forgive them. Luckily, Moses is there to persuade Him to give the people another chance. Moses then shows Israel his frustration and holds them accountable for their actions. He teaches them a lesson and tells them that now they are Nation, not slaves, and any action they do will affect their relationship with G-d. They now learn that they are their own people and need to make responsible decisions in order to stay with G-d.

We learn a very important lesson from this week's parasha. A lesson about responsibility. Being a responsible person is the most important trait a human can have. If you are responsible, you will be successful, proud and most importantly happy and you will get to enjoy all of the goodness that’s in this world. But, if you are irresponsible your life will be difficult, and success is unlikely to come your your way - unless by pure chance.

Responsibility is not just about us, but also about our environment. Being responsible builds trust and respect between people, and overall enhances our relationship with our peers. When a person knows they can count on us, they will always make sure that we can count on them. That’s why we need to be responsible. If we want to be successful, happy, proud and have strong bonds with others we need to be responsible. We also need to be responsible because as much as it is good to learn from our mistakes, there are some mistakes that we can’t correct which is why we always need to think before we act. 

At the same time, we can also learn from Moses' response to the situation in the parsha. Instead of simply 'punishing' the Israelites for their misdeeds, he turns to G-d and seeks forgiveness and guidance. As students, we can similarly turn to our teachers, mentors, and spiritual leaders for guidance and support when we face difficult choices or challenging situations. By doing so, we can navigate the complexities of student life with greater clarity and confidence, and better uphold our values and responsibilities.

In conclusion, responsibility is important because without it, the quality of all aspects of our life would drop, we would will never reach our full potential.

Shabbat Shalom!

Aviad, Grade 9