Rabbi’s Musings & Amusings

It’s been said that the only one who hears both sides of an argument is the next-door neighbor.

When I was a social work student at Fordham University, I mostly kept my opinions to myself. More than one professor wrote on one of my papers that he or she wanted to hear my voice.

Winter means different things to different people. For those living further south, it’s time to enjoy the sun without it being too hot. But for the majority of us living further north, winter weather ranges from cold to freezing with unpredictable snow and ice storms. Around here you can’t be outside too long without a coat.

Recently, I attended a sheva brachos at which the mother of the kallah spoke. She expressed her tremendous feelings of gratitude to her family and friends and extolled the virtues of her daughter the kallah and her new son-in-law. Then, before concluding, she noted that, during the weeks before the wedding, it had felt strange to be so focused on her simchah when there was and is so much ongoing heartbreak and anguish in klal Yisrael. As she said that, she choked up. Then she looked down and said, “I’m sorry,” and began to cry. After a moment, through tears, she continued by noting the pain of hostages, broken and displaced families, and wounded soldiers. She apologized for her tears twice more.

One of the great techniques of drama is to use a cliffhanger. When the power of suspense is harnessed, it ensures that the reader/viewer will stay tuned to find out what happens next. All good serials - books, magazines, or shows - use a cliffhanger to ensure interest in the next segment.

On a Shabbos morning in 1990, I was walking to shul with my father and a neighbor. My father and my neighbor were discussing how comprehensive the newly published ArtScroll Mishnayos were. At that time, ArtScroll had published quite a few volumes of Mishnayos, but they still had ways to go before finishing all of it. What they had already published was well received. My father commented to our neighbor that he had read that ArtScroll was working on a Gemara that was due to be published in the coming months. The neighbor was incredulous that ArtScroll would publish the translation of an entire masechta of Gemara with insights and footnotes. But a few months later, ArtScroll indeed released its first masechta, Makos.

On Thursday mornings, I have a weekly phone conversation with our older son Shalom, who is learning in Eretz Yisrael. Often, our conversation centers on the parshah. Recently, he asked me why the Matriarchs named their children after their own experiences? “She called him Reuven because Hashem saw my pain.” “She called him Shimon because Hashem heard that I was hated…” “She said this time my husband will accompany me because I gave birth to three sons. Therefore, she called him Levi” “This time I thank Hashem. Therefore, she called him Yehudah…”