Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » Shavuos

Great Shavuos Turnout Renders Previous Post Moot

rabbifink — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:38:52 +0000

Last week I blogged about my bond of kinship with a pastor in Ocean City Maryland.

We both are clergy working on beaches with fickle crowds. Sometimes we are packed and sometimes we are not…

The post generated a bit of a response from some of our Community Members as well as some other blog readers. We had one commenter wonder if anyone reads this blog. (Yes, a lot of people do read this blog.)

We had another commenter offer to walk from Youngstown PA. (It takes 33 days by foot according to Google, click if you need directions.)

So, how did our Shavuos go?

It was amazing.

Shavuos began with a very nicely attended Erev Shavuos Mincha. The rule is that we count 49 complete days from the second day of Pesach until Shavuos. Therefore we need to wait until nightfall is certain to commence Shavuos Services.

To pass the time we studied the Book of Ruth. I gave an in depth overview of the story as well as some of the deeper insights into why we study the Book of Ruth on Shavuos.

The overall theme that I wished to convey was that the Jewish line of Kings comes from David, who comes from Ruth, who was a convert. Further, the Jewish Messiah will be from the Davidic line as well. This is a powerful take-home lesson.

We followed evening services with a tasty community meal. Then the action began.

Together, we studied a section of Talmud in depth. The topic was “Expression of Ownership” and the marathon 2 hour session “flew by”. I was peppered by great questions and all 40 attendees participated and enjoyed the learning.

The next morning we reconvened for morning services and were blessed with a robust Minyan. I spoke about the “Chosen People” and mentioned the famous Charles Murray essay in Commentary Magazine about that topic. We were treated to a special dairy kiddush on the back patio. Mmmm cheesecake.

Friday night services were very well attended. We had a few guests in our shul, as is very common at PJC. One couple had been guests at one of our community member’s homes on Pesach for a Seder and they came to PJC for the first time for Friday night services. Of course, they were invited to a family for Friday night dinner and I heard that it went really well.

Another guest was a student of mine from a previous position I held at a different job. It was really cool that he came to our shul for services and we had a chance to catch up. He is now at Tufts in Boston and was part of their Maimonodies Scholars (MEOR) program with Rabbi Loketch, who grew up across the street from my wife in Monsey NY. (Small world.)

We had a guest speaker as well. Community member Erez Talmor spoke about what the Shema means to him. I introduced him by reminding the congregation that Torah study is not just for Rabbis and being a Torah scholar is something we all strive for. Erez is a great example of this and he did a great job.

Shabbos morning services were elongated due to several key additions. The congregation stuck it out and we concluded with a satisfying kiddush on the back patio.

Even Shabbos afternoon services were well attended. This is a trouble spot from time to time, but we had a wonderful minyan. Following services we had a small dinner. We were supposed to talk about the number 50 and why Shavuos has no set date in the Torah. Instead we had yet another discussion about clothes and dress codes. Riveting, as always.

Shavuos was a resounding success in Venice. The classes and services were well attended. We had our usual influx of strolling Jews who wandered into the shul off the boardwalk and the spiritual and physical warmth of our shul provided a wonderful Shavuos for everyone.

I guess I do not have so much in common with the Pastor in Ocean City MD after all.

Too Many Questions

rabbifink — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:27:07 +0000

I read a really interesting column this week.

Whenever I find a convergence of ideas between the Legal field and Torah I get excited.

This time I found a divergence. Not quite as exciting, but very interesting.

The NY Times followed up on a study conducted a few years ago by a 2nd year Georgetown Law School Student.

The study was groundbreaking. It focused on the amount of questions from the Judges to lawyers and its effect on the outcome of cases.

It turns out that there is almost a direct correlation between the number of questions the lawyers are asked and the decision of the Supreme Court. Over a five year period , the party that was asked more questions lost 86% of the time.

That is a lot. Some of it can be attributed to the Justices attempting to find holes in the weaker arguments. Most cases at the Supreme Court level are very gray areas. The side that is weaker will be exposed by more questions, thus the Judges use the questions to poke holes in the less compelling argument.

On the other hand, getting the Judges to ask your opponent more questions will help you win as well.

One reason for this is that the Judges, by asking questions, are attempting to show their colleagues the flaws in the arguments.

In fact a new, more comprehensive study found:

“The more attention justices pay to a side,” said Timothy R. Johnson, who teaches law and political science at the University of Minnesota and is one of the new study’s authors, “the more likely that side is to lose.”

This week is the Jewish holiday of Shavuos. A day where Jews around the world celebrate the giving of the Torah to the world. To this very day , Torah is studied in depth. Its ideas are discussed and argued.

The greatest arena for this study is the Talmud. The Talmud is a collection of legal analysis of Jewish Law. It is also a lot more thant that, but the purpose of the book is to develop a high level understanding of Jewish Law.

I find it very interesting that the Talmud asks tons on questions. It is not a law book. It is a book of questions. Invariably the side of the law with more questions will help the Talmud get closer to the truth. Questions do not indicate weakness. Good questions provoke better answers and better understanding. The side that has better answers emerges as the true path.

This holds true for all of Judaism. We encourage questions. We provoke discussion. We want to get closer to truth. The path to the truth is paved with questions.

When in the Supreme Court, questions prove fatal. In Judaism they are a necessary component to finding the true path.

On this blog I have an “Ask the Rabbi” Section. I encourage questions. If you have any, just click. I will try to answer as quickly and effectively as possible.

Boy Can I Relate To This

rabbifink — Mon, 25 May 2009 04:04:06 +0000

I was browsing the Washington Post online edition when a column caught my eye.

It is about churches in Ocean City Maryland.

Why is a rabbi reading about Churches in Maryland?

What does the column have to do with a rabbi of the Shul on the Beach in Venice California?

It turns out… a lot.

The Church is on the beach and that invites casual wear. The attire is not what one would normally expect at a house of worship. Certainly not, “Sunday Finest”.

I can relate to that.

On Memorial Day weekend it is hard to fill up the Church. Forty seats are set up and when services are scheduled to begin they are all empty.

Boy, can I relate to that.

During vacation months, attendance picks ups.

I can relate to that as well.

It turns out that our Shul on the beach has some of the same issues as the Church in Ocean City Maryland.

At our Shul, some weeks we are packed. There are no extra seats. The Kiddush (refreshments and snacks) is well attended. Invitations for Shabbos meals are a dime a dozen.

Other weeks, especially when the weather is poor, or even if the weather is threatening to be poor, attendance is sparse. Thankfully we have had a Minyan for every Shabbos since I have been the Rabbi.

From what I hear, Shavuos will be a test. The first day of services will be at 9:00 AM on Friday morning. I have a feeling that we will not have as robust a crowd as usual.

If you are in Santa Monica or Venice this coming weekend, please join us at the Shul on the Beach. Services begin at 9:00 AM, I speak following the services and then you are invited and treated to a Kiddush, outside on the back patio.

It will be worth your while – I guarantee it.

I can relate to that pastor in Ocean City, but I don’t want to need to…