Many grandparents wonder what truly stays with their grandchildren.
Is it the gifts we give?
The stories we share?
The time we spend together?
This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel–Pekudei, offers a quiet but powerful insight.
As the Israelites build the Mishkan, the Torah repeatedly adds one word when describing the people who participated: heart.
The artisans are described as wise of heart.
The donors are called generous of heart.
The Torah could simply have praised their skill or their generosity. Instead, it emphasizes something deeper: the heart behind the action.
Two people can give the same gift.
Two people can share the same story.
Two people can spend the same amount of time with a child.
But the experience can feel completely different depending on the heart that is present in the moment.
The Mishkan, the sacred space where the Divine presence would dwell, was not built only with talent or resources. It was built with wisdom of heart and generosity of heart.
In many ways, the families we build across generations are our own kind of Mishkan. The memories, traditions, and relationships we shape become the sacred spaces our grandchildren carry with them throughout their lives.
So the question for us as grandparents is not only what we give, but how much heart we bring to it.
Three small ways to bring more heart this week:
- Add a note to something you give. When you send a book, a recipe, or a small gift, include a few handwritten, heartfelt words about why it reminds you of them.
- Share one memory from your own childhood. Children love hearing what life was like when you were their age. These stories often become treasured family memories.
- Give the gift of full attention. The next time you speak with your grandchild, pause other distractions and truly listen. Even a few minutes of undivided attention can become a powerful moment of connection. 'Pay attention' is another heart-filled phrase in Hebrew; 'שִׂים לֵב', which literally means 'put your heart'.
The Torah reminds us that sacred things are not built only with skill or generosity.
They are built with heart.
And those heart-filled moments may be the most meaningful legacy we leave our grandchildren.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbanit Sharona Hassan
Founder of Grand Plan
PS. I hope you noticed last week's big announcement about Becoming the Grandparent You Want to Be. In this six-week small-group experience we will explore Torah wisdom, reflect on our own journeys, and build a practical plan for living our legacy with intention.
We’ll learn from the models of our forefathers and foremothers, talk honestly about the joys and challenges of modern grandparenting, and leave with a clear vision for the role we want to play in our families.
Some people enjoy taking this journey with a friend. If you register for the workshop series together with a friend, another grandparent
(or grandparent to be), you will each receive a small “learning together” discount. Sometimes the conversations that happen between sessions are just as meaningful as the sessions themselves.
You can learn more and register here.
https://grandplan.kit.com/profile/workshop
I would love to have you in this group.
PS If you would like to explore the ideas of Vayakhel Pekudei more deeply, I invite you to listen to this week’s episode of Connecting Jewish Grandparents: The Grand Plan Podcast, where we look at what “wisdom of the heart” and “generosity of the heart” can teach us about building lasting connections across generations.
Spotify: bit.ly/JewishPodcast
Apple: bit.ly/JewishGrandApple
