Looking for a Rosh Hashana gift? Here are our recommendations (order today to arrive in time). Looking for a gift for your child's new teacher? Try these.
Well, it's that time of year again....
Back to school....
Cooler weather...
Apple season, wine season...the county fair...
Mmmm.....
Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur...
Doh! Why did you have to bring that up!
Let me keep dozing through Labor Day, then I'll start to wake up!
The first question for your table is: Why are these called the "Days of Awe"???
Now, we've been talking about this for 7+ years.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are the eight most popular Rosh Hashana Table Talks, please take your pick:
The last week of the year can fix the entire past year. Like tonight
- make it a "perfect" Friday night and it will correct all of the
imperfect Friday nights of the year. Be happy tomorrow and all the
sad/grumpy/angry Saturdays of the year will vanish.
So.... if you could undo or redo one decision or one action or one day of this past year, what would it be?
While
you're pondering that, I'd like to wish you and yours a sweet, healthy,
happy, holy, uplifting, beautiful, interesting, stimulating, amazing
5774. L'shana tova. May you be written and sealed in the Book of Life.
Shabbat Shalom
PS - Want to make your Table Talk rabbi happy? Like it, tweet it, or just forward it to someone who might enjoy it.
Back to school? Have you seen our top picks for school supplies and gifts for teachers? Visit BestJewishKidsBooks.com. When you use our links, Amazon donates 5% to JSL.
At some point during the Shabbat meal, pour everyone their favorite beverage for a l'chaim.
But
ask them not to drink until after you finish the story. Make this a
ritual every Friday night, and your family will look forward to it.
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L’Chaim Story Parshat Ki Tavo
“The Hasty Meal”
Rabbi Yisrael of Salant believed very much that "love your neighbor" is the most essential idea in the Torah.
He was famous for teaching the details of this mitzvah through example.
One of his students once invited him for Shabbat.
Knowing
how careful Rabbi Yisroel was in every detail of observance, and how
reluctant he was to stay anywhere as a guest, the disciple described the
way he ran his household.
"We buy our meat from Shlomo the
butcher. Our cook is the widow of so-and-so who observes every
stringency. And the meals are conducted properly, with divrei Torah and songs. It's no wonder that the Friday night meal in my home ends at a very late hour of the night!"
He obviously felt proud of his observance.
“I
accept your invitation,” Rabbi Yisrael said, “but only on the condition
that you shorten the length of the Friday night meal by two hours.”
Eager to host his rabbi, the disciple quickly agreed.
That Friday night, the Shabbat meal was rushed faster than that family had ever experienced it.
The courses followed each other rapidly, without the usual lengthy break in between.
There were divrei Torah, but they were short and sweet, not long drashas.
They sang Shabbat songs, but only a few, not the entire liturgy.
It felt as though hardly any time passed between washing their hands for the meal and passing the finger-bowl after dessert.
After they said the final blessing of "Birchat HaMazone"
the disciple turned to Rabbi Yisrael and said quietly, “Forgive me,
Rebbe, but I must ask a question. What fault dd Rebbe find in the way I
conduct my Shabbos table, that led him to shorten the meal time by two
hours?”
He seemed to ignore the question. Instead he said, "Please ask your cook to come in."
When
she entered, Rabbi Yisroel said to her, “Would you please forgive me
for making you tired this evening, and causing the courses to be served
so quickly tonight.”
To the student’s surprise the cook said,
“May the Rabbi be blessed with every blessing! If only he was a guest
here every Shabbos! The meal always lasts far into the night, after a
day I’ve spent working very hard to prepare everything. By the time the
meal is over, I can hardly lift my feet from exhaustion. But tonight,
because you finished the meal early, I can go home and rest!”
Rabbi Yisrael didn't look surprised at all.
He
turned to his disciple and said, “Here is the answer to your question.
Indeed, the way you conduct your Shabbos table is wonderful. But when it
harms another person, it becomes something not so wonderful at all!”
Listen
to the sensitivity! That's what it means to be a great human being,
that's what the Torah is all about. Rosh Hashana is in two weeks - may
we all seek this kind of greatness.
L’chaim!
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Question
for your table... What does it take to become that sensitive to other
people's feelings? Is it even possible, or do you have to be born with
it?
Shabbat Shalom
PS -
PPS - For this year's updated edition of our "25 Questions to Think About Before Rosh Hashana", send an email.
PPPS - Want to make your Table Talk rabbi happy? Like it, tweet it, or just forward it to someone who might enjoy it.
At some point during the Shabbat meal, pour everyone their favorite beverage for a l'chaim.
But
ask them not to drink until after you finish the story. Make this a
ritual every Friday night, and your family will look forward to it.
+ + + +
L’Chaim Story Parshat Re'eh
“For Whose Benefit?”
Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg was very active in the mitzvah of tzedakah.
Not only did he give of his own meager salary, he also took the trouble
to collect money from others, urging them to give according to their
ability. In every way he could, he gathered a great deal of money for
charity.
As Pesach is an expensive holiday, he made an extra effort at that time of year to collect.
He
once came to a wealthy man’s house for this purpose. The man welcomed
him with honor and offered drinks and cakes. Rabbi Shmelke asked for a
large donation for tzedaka, but the man said that his financial
situation was not as good as it had once been and he was losing money.
Therefore, he said, he was unable to give a large amount and wished to
donate a small one instead.
But the Rabbi refused to take this small amount from him. He got up to go!
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For copyright reasons, the rest of the story may not be displayed here, but we'll be happy to send it along, just send an email.
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Question for your table... What do you say - Does tzedakah benefit the giver more than the receiver?
Shabbat Shalom
PS - For guidelines on giving tzedakah, including prioritizing, click here.
PPS - Want to make your Table Talk rabbi happy? Like it, tweet it, or just forward it to someone who might enjoy it.
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