Table Talk from the desk of Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld
June 9, 2023 • 21 Sivan 5783 • Parshas Behalosecha (Num 7-12)The purpose of this email is to make you a star at the Shabbat table. Please share.
The Yiddish word kvell means to feel proud, often said about a loved-one's accomplishments.
People naturally kvell about their own children.
You know
What about other people's children? What about other people?
The real question for your table is this: Why is there this tendency to kvell about our own people but not others?
You know, I'd like to try to practice what I preach.
At this time of year, there are a lot of graduations - from elementary school, from middle school, from high school and beyond. I want to wish a hearty kvelling mazal-tov to all of the graduates.
But let's also wish a hearty kvelling mazal tov to their families. Just like our book was made possible by many dozens of individuals who contributed intellectually, editorially, creatively and (last but far from least) financially to the project - so too, every graduate made it there thanks to parents, teachers, siblings, sometimes grandparents, bus drivers and (last but not least) friends.
Your mazal tov is my mazal tov and my mazal tov is your mazal tov. So mazal tov to you all, and mazal tov to us all.
And unlike a book in a bookstore, you don't need to do anything to stand out - by pushing yourself this far, you are already a star.
Shabbat Shalom
PS - 2 updates on Torah Health
1. Yours-truly was invited to write this week's Project Genesis Dvar Torah. I found a major connection to Body & Soul which you may enjoy.
2. As you can see in this pic, the book has indeed finally made it to (some) bookstores.
"What about my favorite bookstore," you ask? Simple rule: any bookstore that orders it from their distributor carries it; any bookstore that does not order it from their distributor does not carry it.
So if your favorite bookstore isn't carrying the book yet, do you know what to do?
(They're apparently selling at a decent clip everywhere including on Amazon, so our hope of accelerating the 2nd printing (to correct the errors and omissions) may come sooner rather than later.)
Would you say that Body & Soul gets lost in the sea of books, or that it stands out?
I myself think that it "pops out at you." That would be a vindication of the advice of my friend, Mr. Frank Storch, to whose parents the book is dedicated. He had strong feelings about the cover design, and the "pops out at you" litmus test was his foresight.
The other update since last week is that torahhealth.org website has been significantly improved and we're now about ready to start adding content. Please give it a test-drive and send your feedback.
People naturally kvell about their own children.
You know
What about other people's children? What about other people?
The real question for your table is this: Why is there this tendency to kvell about our own people but not others?
You know, I'd like to try to practice what I preach.
At this time of year, there are a lot of graduations - from elementary school, from middle school, from high school and beyond. I want to wish a hearty kvelling mazal-tov to all of the graduates.
But let's also wish a hearty kvelling mazal tov to their families. Just like our book was made possible by many dozens of individuals who contributed intellectually, editorially, creatively and (last but far from least) financially to the project - so too, every graduate made it there thanks to parents, teachers, siblings, sometimes grandparents, bus drivers and (last but not least) friends.
Your mazal tov is my mazal tov and my mazal tov is your mazal tov. So mazal tov to you all, and mazal tov to us all.
And unlike a book in a bookstore, you don't need to do anything to stand out - by pushing yourself this far, you are already a star.
Shabbat Shalom
PS - 2 updates on Torah Health
1. Yours-truly was invited to write this week's Project Genesis Dvar Torah. I found a major connection to Body & Soul which you may enjoy.
2. As you can see in this pic, the book has indeed finally made it to (some) bookstores.
"What about my favorite bookstore," you ask? Simple rule: any bookstore that orders it from their distributor carries it; any bookstore that does not order it from their distributor does not carry it.
So if your favorite bookstore isn't carrying the book yet, do you know what to do?
(They're apparently selling at a decent clip everywhere including on Amazon, so our hope of accelerating the 2nd printing (to correct the errors and omissions) may come sooner rather than later.)
Would you say that Body & Soul gets lost in the sea of books, or that it stands out?
I myself think that it "pops out at you." That would be a vindication of the advice of my friend, Mr. Frank Storch, to whose parents the book is dedicated. He had strong feelings about the cover design, and the "pops out at you" litmus test was his foresight.
The other update since last week is that torahhealth.org website has been significantly improved and we're now about ready to start adding content. Please give it a test-drive and send your feedback.
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