Toras Habayis / Ch. 14 – 34

Another reason why people should invest extra effort to learn Torah and to do mitzvas, is that each generation decreases in spiritual matters, and even if one’s children are still on the right path, they will invariably be less strong spiritually than their parents. If the father exerts his energies to learn whenever possible, especially at home, and prays in shul regularly, his children will learn to appreciate and respect their father’s heritage. However, if their father acts light-headedly and doesn’t invest effort to learn diligently, his sons will surely be more lax, and their children will drift away from Torah altogether.