From the Music Philes

The goal of this blog is to stimulate some harmony at your Friday night dinner table.... please print and share.

In case you didn't hear it from me last week, Shana tova - happy new year.

Here's an opening question for your table, which some readers heard me ask in my high holidays classes over the past couple weeks:


What is a shofar?

Think about it.

I'm not asking you what it's made of. I'm asking you what it is.

My answer:

It's a musical instrument.

Think about it.

Isn't it interesting that despite all the rituals that we have for the holidays, the only thing the Torah mentions doing on Rosh Hashana is blowing shofar?

I.e., playing music?

So that leads me to my second question for your table:

What makes great music great?

If you agree with me that great music includes harmony, then you can tackle this week's third question for your table:

What's the secret to great harmony?

(I'll give you a hint: it's a one-word answer....)

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Sukkot

PS:


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To Bee or Not to Bee

The goal of this email is to create... yes, some buzz at your Shabbat table.... please print and share.
In honor of Todd and Calla's recent anniversary and Kyle and Shelli's upcoming anniversary. Mazal tov - you guys are amazing models of how to do a marriage right!

Shana tova - happy new year.

Before I tell you about the lady on your left, it has come to my attention that some people out there in Email Land have lost their copy of my world-famous "25 Questions to Think About Between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur".

Here's the download link.

This year, you can also get the Yom Kippur Prep worksheet: here's the link.

(And if you'd like to hear the audio from San Francisco last week on how to use these two tools, shoot me an email.)

So now to the main story and question for your table....

Kids returning to school always hear that profound question, What's your best memory of the summer?

How come nobody asks, What's the worst memory of your summer? ??

Just askin'.

All that honey this week and an email in my inbox asking about the Jewish take on environmentalism reminded me of my own worst memory of this summer.

It was just a little bee sting.

But it wasn't an ordinary bee sting.

It was in fact a horrible, vicious, nightmare-inducing wasp sting.

Here's how it happened.

You'll undoubtedly be pleased to learn that your e-rabbi (iRabbi?) has a pretty good environmental record.

He conserves water.

He brings a reusable shopping bag.

He composts.

He plants trees.

He walks to work....sometimes.

He even sends out his annual Rosh-Hashana-Yom-Kippur mailer electronically (you're reading it right now) - think of how many trees did not have to die in order to send you this email.

(He does not hug trees.)

So now try to imagine him this summer, mid-July, innocently emptying the kitchen waste into the compost bin one early evening.

He goes to the shed to get the shovel. You may know the routine: good compost needs greens, browns, air and water.

He innocently shovels from the pile of last fall's leaves.

Evidently, a dead brach at the back of that pile is touching a wasp's nest behind the bin.

When the pile is shoveled in a certain way, the branch is distrubed, bumping the next.

This displeases the wasps.

Suddenly an insanely fast yellowjacket appears out of nowhere and aims straight for his head.

It chases your unfortunate rabbi across the backyard like poor Papa Berenstain Bear, trying to defend himself with a heavy spade against an absolutely relentless vespula.

Fresh out of hap, your iRabbi ends up with a sting to the left ear that swells for three days and starts oozing puss on day 4.

And that's only the first time. Don't ask about the second time.

So this summer memory leads to three questions.

1. When I somehow disturbed their nest, I would have expected the entire colony to come out and attack me like Papa Bear in the picture above. Instead, it was one solo wasp. How did they decide which one would go out and sting?

2. The obvious next step is to call the Brody Brothers exterminators (their motto  is "nice Jewish boys with a license to kill"), but then I read that wasps like to eat those critter that have been eating my tomatoes. What do you think? Exterminate or accept our new insect overlords?

3. The first time I was stung in my left ear, the second time in my right ear. Is there a message in that?

Please let me know what the latter-day sages at your Shabbat table have to say about these three pressing issues.

l'Shabbat Shalom and l'Shana Tova!

May you and yours be sealed in the Book of Life for a sweet, healthy and restful-but-never-boring year.


It is customary to increase giving tzedakah at this time of year. JSL's educational mission is supported by tax-deductible donations from people like you. Please also consider supporting (or increasing your support for) your local Jewish schools — don't wait to be asked!

Like this blog? How about voting with your finger: Like it, tweet it, or just forward it.

Bent Into Shape

The goal of this email is to give some give-and-take for your Shabbat table.... please print and share.

Greetings.

It has been a few months since Table Talk went on an extended holiday so that I could complete my dissertation.

As of this week, I feel done.

But am I?

Who decides?

One man: my dissertation advisor.

Some good news in my inbox this morning:

"I agree with you that we are coming near a wrap and passing your work to a committee...."

That's my advisor writing.

It ain't over folks, but I have less of an excuse now not to write this Friday email.

Here's a question for your table: Which of the following doesn't belong:

a. The Jewish New Year
b. Blow the shofar
c. Dip apples in honey
d. Go to shul

The answer is: b - blow the shofar.

Why doesn't it belong?

It's the only one on the list that is actually mentioned in the Torah. The other three are customs.

(In fact, choice a is just wrong. If you want to know why, shoot me a reply.)

So if you want to get to the essence of Rosh Hashana, you gotta get into the shofar.

There are plenty of online articles about this beautiful mitzvah.

I would like to direct your attention to one aspect of the shofar that is often overlooked, especially by people who hear it every year.

Why a curved horn? There are animals with straight horns, but the shofar traditions that we inherited are all curved?

The rabbis say that the curve is to remind us that one of the most important ingredients in having a great year to come is to begin with a bit of humility.

You are great. You are an amazing, incredible, unique, wonderful, invaluable human being.

Just don't let it go to your head.


The year feels almost over. But when is it? Who decides? An advisor? A committee?
Shabbat Shalom and l'Shana Tova!

May you and yours be inscribed and sealed for a good life. May your dreams and hopes be fulfilled. May you enjoy health and wealth, family and friends, and meaningful things to do.

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