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Why does the passuk say "tell your children... and then you will know I am Hashem (ה׳)" instead of the reverse? The Torah (תורה) reveals a fundamental yesod: parents don't primarily shape children—children shape parents. A person's true yichus is not ancestors but descendants, and spiritual growth often flows upward through generations.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes a seemingly awkward formulation in Parshas Bo regarding the purpose of the makkos. The passuk states that Hashem (ה׳) brought the plagues so that Bnei Yisrael would tell their children and grandchildren what He did in Egypt, "and then you will know I am Hashem." This sequence appears illogical—one would expect the verse to say first "you will know I am Hashem" from witnessing the miracles, and then "you will tell your children." Additionally, the idea that repeatedly telling a story makes it true for the teller seems psychologically unhealthy. The Torah (תורה) is teaching a profound yesod about life that most people don't fully grasp: It's not primarily who the parents are that determines what the children become, but rather where the children go that determines what the parents become. This reverses the common assumption that children are simply products of their parents' values and observance level.
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Parshas Bo - purpose of the makkos and transmission to children
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