Shabbat Table Talk from the desk of Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld
May 16-17, 2025 • 20 Iyar 5785 • Emor (Lev 21-24).
Does this every happen to you — the same subject comes up repeatedly in one week from unrelated sources?
Like a recurring dream, but in real life?
Is it a sign that I should be focusing there?
This week my recurring-dream subject was hearing.
As in the physiological process of converting sound waves into information via the two marvelous instruments on the sides of our heads.
It came up in several unrelated conversations.
One was an email from a friend who wrote,
I believe blasting music at a wedding is anti-Torah, and unacceptable. King David showed us that dancing at a simchah should indeed be with all our hearts. But David did not give into the music (which could not have been very loud at all compared to today’s amplification) – he celebrated before Hashem and for His glory.
That's an interesting angle. I'm personally more concerned about the hearing damage caused by loud music which is real and permanent.
Another hearing-related conversation this week - Someone told me that a certain teacher used our "Ear" unit from our Ma Rabu!/Amazing Nature Curriculum, and that (predictably) her students were enthralled. (Here's the general-studies version.)
Like a recurring dream, but in real life?
Is it a sign that I should be focusing there?
This week my recurring-dream subject was hearing.
As in the physiological process of converting sound waves into information via the two marvelous instruments on the sides of our heads.
It came up in several unrelated conversations.
One was an email from a friend who wrote,
I believe blasting music at a wedding is anti-Torah, and unacceptable. King David showed us that dancing at a simchah should indeed be with all our hearts. But David did not give into the music (which could not have been very loud at all compared to today’s amplification) – he celebrated before Hashem and for His glory.
That's an interesting angle. I'm personally more concerned about the hearing damage caused by loud music which is real and permanent.
Another hearing-related conversation this week - Someone told me that a certain teacher used our "Ear" unit from our Ma Rabu!/Amazing Nature Curriculum, and that (predictably) her students were enthralled. (Here's the general-studies version.)
Today is Lag B'Omer, a holiday closely associated with music. It's also strongly associated with Torah and the most foundational foundation of Torah, Love Your Neighbor.
Question for your table: What's the connection between music and Love Your Neighbor?
Maybe you'll get some interesting answers from the table. Here's mine:
Great music in ensemble can only happen when the musicians are listening to each other. It doesn't matter how great the music is on paper - it could be the most exhilarating Beethoven symphony, but if the musicians are not listening to each other, it's going to sound terrible.
That's exactly how Love Your Neighbor works. I can't treat you properly if I am not paying attention to you. I need to listen to you and really hear you. To listen with my heart and not only my head.
Happy Lag B'Omer and
Shabbat Shalom
Appreciated this Table Talk? Like it, tweet it, forward it.... This message can also be found on my Times of Israel blog.
Question for your table: What's the connection between music and Love Your Neighbor?
Maybe you'll get some interesting answers from the table. Here's mine:
Great music in ensemble can only happen when the musicians are listening to each other. It doesn't matter how great the music is on paper - it could be the most exhilarating Beethoven symphony, but if the musicians are not listening to each other, it's going to sound terrible.
That's exactly how Love Your Neighbor works. I can't treat you properly if I am not paying attention to you. I need to listen to you and really hear you. To listen with my heart and not only my head.
Happy Lag B'Omer and
Shabbat Shalom
Appreciated this Table Talk? Like it, tweet it, forward it.... This message can also be found on my Times of Israel blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment