The Oldest Aspiration - Parshat Naso 5786

About this episode

Adam Teitelbaum reflects on the challenges of parenting and the aspirations he holds for his sons, questioning how to foster their self-worth.

Most days I'm so mired in the logistics of parenting, navigating the emotional and physical needs of our family alongside my wife, that my highest aspiration is brushing my teeth before bed. In the brief moments I lift my gaze and think about the men I hope my sons will become, I find that my default is to project onto them all the accomplishments I’ve never accomplished. If this is a way to remediate my own shortcomings, then it says something uncomfortable about how I’ve measured my own self-worth for as long as I can remember. So then how do I create a new aspiration paradigm for my boys – one rooted in elevating their sense of self-worth?

People in this episode

Host: Adam Teitelbaum

Topics covered

• parenting
• self-worth
• aspiration
• family dynamics
• personal growth

Keywords

• parenting
• aspiration
• self-worth
• family
• emotional needs
• personal growth
• fatherhood

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• The Theology of Consequence - Parshat Behar-Bechukotai 5787 · May 8, 2026 · 5 min
• The Architecture of Presence - Parshat Emor 5786 · May 1, 2026 · 6 min