Parents Who Are Not Yet Observant
Question
Hi Rabbi – We are baal teshuva and my parents are not observant. How do we deal with this with our young kids? They do not keep shabbat, kosher etc and we dont want our kids to learn from these ways. What is the best thing to do without making an averah of kibud av ve’em? Is it ok to keep distance from them and potentially hurt their feelings if it means keeping our kids pure and observant?
Answers
Your question is so incredibly delicate and sensitive and I feel that it would be irresponsible for anyone who is not familiar with your family dynamics to try and answer your question. That is why I think that you really need to ask your questions about your family to your local Rabbi – that way you have the ability to explain to him all the details and nuances of your relationships between your parents and he will, I hope, be able to guide you with being able to both fulfill the enormous Mitzvah of Kibbud Av v’Em and to guard your beautiful children’s purity.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team