Perhaps you’re familiar with the scene in the Bible where Moses—aided by God—parts the Red Sea. It was a miracle of epic proportions that allowed the Israelites to race through and escape the Egyptians who were chasing them. Less known about the miracle is what happened next. When Moses released the sea, the Egyptians were trapped. The water crashed around them and thousands perished.
Naturally, the Israelites broke out in song and celebration. As the angels went to join them, God rebuked them, according to the Talmud. “How dare you sing for joy,” it was written, “when My creatures are dying.”
Whether any of these events actually occurred is beside the point—it doesn’t change the lesson. It is easy in the midst of victory and success to think of how wonderful this is for you. It’s also easy to forget whom you defeated and what your victory has cost them. It’s not unlikely that they’ve lost more than you’ve gained.
We must be careful to be good sports in this life, to be empathetic and caring enough to realize that things are not always as great for other people as they are for us. “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth,” the Bible says in Proverbs 24:17.
It’s these kinds of ancient and timeless lessons that we must pass along to our children. You can still enjoy what you have, and you should still want to win in life. But don’t be so clueless as to think that other people are not suffering; don’t be so self-absorbed as to not care. And don’t raise children who are indifferent to either.