Rabbi’s Musings & Amusings

Years ago, I heard the following joke: Why was six afraid of seven?

As of this writing, the answer to the joke is largely irrelevant. When I attempted to tell this joke in front of my class this week, before I had a chance to say the answer, there was an uproar of kids waving their hands, alternatingly chanting, “Six, seven!”

I made an interesting observation during the first day of Sukkos. Pesach is very focused on the foods we eat and the stories we share. The mouth is the primary part of the body used to fulfill the mitzvos of redemption. Shavuos, the holiday when we celebrate and recommit ourselves to the study of Torah, is primarily cerebrally focused. It is a celebration of our ability to think and immerse ourselves in Torah study and Torah living.

What is the secret to leadership, accomplishment, and growth? Why do some people achieve great things while other driven, well-meaning people do not?

When my alma mater, Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, was being built during the 1970s, regular domestic wood was obtained for the building. One of the parents of the yeshivah approached the founding rosh yeshivah, Rabbi Berel Wein, and told him he could obtain better-quality wood from Finland at a cheaper rate. The latter wood was far more durable and was expected to last 150-200 years, as opposed to the domestic wood, which was expected to last only 90 years. Rabbi Wein, however, refused the Finnish wood and insisted that the regular wood was sufficient. He told the surprised parent that in America we build too well and for too long. Things move fast, and it’s hard to make calculations for 200 years from now. We don’t need wood that will outlast our grandchildren’s grandchildren. Historically, there are very few Jewish buildings that remain in Jewish hands after 90 years.

On the way to shul on Simchas Torah morning, someone noted that he often wondered why we have hakafos before K’rias HaTorah. Do we ever dance and celebrate at a siyum before the actual siyum?

“It was the best of jobs; it was the worst of jobs. It was the epoch of tranquility; it was the epoch of disunity. It was the season of warmth; it was the season of freezing. It was spring for one; it was winter for another.”