The Rabbi and The Rebbetzin (14 page)

When
the festivities were concluded, Aaron and Shulamit went for a walk in the city
park. Shulamit was ecstatic about Sammy’s performance and was also grateful for
Aaron’s address to the bar mitzvah boy. “I know that my dad promised him a trip
to Disneyland and he surely earned one.”

“I
had some good news this week,” Aaron told Shulamit. “The faculty committee
appointed to evaluate my request for credits based on my religious studies met
and voted in my favor. The committee was made up of teachers in whose classes I
studied and they knew me pretty well. If I get my records in time, I can look
forward to earning a B.A. degree in June and inviting you to attend my
graduation.”

Shulamit
was happy to hear the news. “I have no real work in June and I will be free to
attend your graduation and ordination ceremonies. Save some tickets for me. It
should make you happy that I got my LSAT test score back. Once I discovered my
score, I completed my applications and sent them away.”

“To
which schools did you apply?” Aaron asked.

“I
sent in applications to Yale, Harvard, and Columbia pro forma. Then I followed them
with another school in New York City, New York University. My next two
applications went for University of Pennsylvania and Cornell. Last but not
least, I sent one to the University of Pittsburgh.”

“Pittsburgh?
You must be kidding.” He told her a story that he heard in college. “‘There was
this professor and his wife who had to choose a university for doctoral
studies. He was accepted at Georgetown, Boston University and to an obscure college
in the Deep South. Believers in democracy for the family, the couple decided to
ask their young son where he would like to move. The boy suggested the southern
university and they acceded to his request.” Then the punch line came: “That
professor has never been heard from since.” “How could you consider Pittsburgh
together with the first seven law schools in the country?”

Shulamit
said, “Pittsburgh may not be in the first ten, but it surely is in the first
100. I chose Pittsburgh as an insurance school in case for any reason I am unable
or unwilling to live far away from home. I would have the option of studying in
a school to which I could easily drive.

“I
expect that before Passover I should have invitations from those schools that
require personal interviews.”

Aaron
wished her luck and said that after Passover he would be studying very
intensively for his final
Semicha
examination. He hoped however, that he
would see her again before Passover.

Aaron
did see Shulamit by chance before Passover. Abe Levine wanted to speak with him
about the holiday services and about his future career. He sent Shulamit to
pick him up at the yeshiva and bring him home for the meeting. Shulamit was
happy to do so.

Abe
started the meeting with a discussion of the forthcoming holiday. “I heard that
Ilan Solomon’s mother passed away in Israel. She was in her eighties and
suffered from a long illness. As a result, Ilan, who is the executor of her
estate, has to take care of many matters concerning the members of his family.
He also has to dispose of her apartment in Jerusalem. Those matters would take
him more than six months and he would not be able to return to Pittsburgh for
the following year. I was told that he is taking a one-year position at a high
school in Israel and has asked the day school for an official leave of absence.

 “As
president of Beth Israel, I realize that the shul needs a rabbi for the two
holidays coming up and for the rest of the coming year. I would not consider a
student rabbi for the coming year. I did so this year on an emergency basis
only. We were without a permanent rabbi for many years, but Ilan was ordained
and experienced and we were able to manage. As I understand, you are scheduled
to be ordained in June, and if so, the shul could employ you as a regular rabbi.

“All
told, with the remaining holidays, you will have made about $8,000 from the
shul. Without attending the yeshiva, you could probably pickup another $2,000
from some teaching and tutoring of children of the members. I am working on the
assumption that you have not accepted any rabbinic position elsewhere at the
moment.”

It
was then that Aaron admitted to Levine that he had not sought any other job
because of his interest in Shulamit. “I may be setting my hopes too high by trying
to win your daughter’s hand but I am certainly going to try. I will not leave the
Pittsburgh area as long as there is any chance of success. Since she will be in
Dunberg until September, I will stay here over the summer and more if there is
any purpose to it.”

Levine
was not surprised to hear Aaron’s words. Since the shul Chanukah dinner, he had
sensed that Aaron was courting Shulamit and was in love with her. He doubted
that Aaron would be successful, but he had no objection to the match. His wife
was delighted with the thought that maybe a match could be made between the two
young people. Aaron was a smart and handsome man and was certainly religious
enough for her outlook. She was somewhat more religious then her husband, and
having a daughter as a rebbetzin would be a welcome event.

Aaron admits to deeper
feelings for Shulamit.

Shulamit is accepted to
law school.

“I
wish you luck, Aaron,” Levine said, “but I cannot speak for Shulamit. The days
when a man could arrange a Shidduch for his daughter are long since gone. I
cannot even submit her name to a Shadchan. Shulamit has a mind of her own, and
an extraordinarily good one. She is constantly being courted by eligible men and
has a wide choice of suitors.

“I
would rather speak to you about some practical aspects of the situation. You
certainly cannot make a living as a private person just by serving as a rabbi
of Beth Israel. If you are interested in getting married, as I gather from your
words, how will you support yourself as well as a wife? I remember that I have
offered you an opportunity to work at Telacomp on a half-time basis and for the
shul the rest of the time, but you have never indicated any interest in the
offer.”

Aaron
hastened to reply to Levine. “It was a very generous offer on your part, Abe,
but for certain reasons I could not give you an answer until now. Aside from
uncertainties in my pursuit of Shulamit there are other factors involved. I
have devoted myself to studies for the rabbinate for five full years and, from
the brief taste that I had of rabbinic work, I know that that is my destiny. I
could broaden the definition of rabbinic work to include teaching Torah or
working for an educational institute. Both are closely related fields to my
studies.

“As
far as working in a computer company, you are aware that I have no background in
that area and no ambition to enjoy a cynosure at your company. It would be
nothing more than an act of charity, and I have too much pride to accept such a
dowry. Of course, if I were to marry Shulamit that would be a different story. Many
Jewish parents support their sons-in-law while they are studying or working in
Torah education.”

“Marrying
Shulamit would change the nature of the game in another way,” Levine warned. “Supporting
Shulamit’s life style cost me about a $100,000 last year. There is no way that
I could endow you with enough money to take care of her. Shulamit may not be
too willing to reduce her standard of living even if she had the inclination to
marry you.”

“May
I respectfully suggest,” Aaron said, “you may be underrating Shulamit. Despite
her enjoyment of some of the finer things in life, she is an idealist. You
remember the story of Rachel and Rabbi Akiva. When her father disowned Rachel
because she wanted to marry Rabbi Akiva, a poor and uneducated shepherd, she
chose to marry him and live in poverty. She saw the potential of a great man
and acted accordingly. She even sold her hair to make ends meet.”

Levine
was somewhat shocked by Aaron’s comparison. “You are no Rabbi Akiva, and
Shulamit is Rachel only in your admiring eyes. I know Shulamit for more than twenty
years, and she has never been known to forego any luxury whatsoever. Despite
your pride at the moment, if you have a change of heart, please call me. Otherwise,
I will offer you the position at Beth Israel for the rest of this year and let
you worry about your finances next year.

“As
far as Passover is concerned, you will be responsible for selling the
chametz
and conducting the services on the first two and last two days of the holiday and
the intermediate Sabbath. Your fee will be about $2,000.”

Aaron
thanked Abe Levine and promised to perform to the best of his ability. He spent
the time before Passover working with Shalom Pinkes on the Passover melodies
and with Rabbi Bernstein on the sermonic material. He conducted the Passover
services with far more confidence and far less anxiety. Both the congregation
and the Levine family complimented him on his efforts.

After
Pesach, while Aaron was learning late at night in the study hall, Rabbi
Bernstein came in and asked to speak to him. Aaron was happy to speak with his
tutor and expected to hear sermonic material about Shavuot. Instead Rabbi
Bernstein spoke to him on a different matter.

“I
have heard,” the rabbi stated, “the yeshiva is looking to hire a new instructor
for the coming year. So far, they have accepted another 15 pupils for next year
and a good many of them are from day schools and not sufficiently prepared for
higher Torah studies. A few more students from Cleveland and Buffalo may choose
to come here. The school plans to open a
Mechina
(preparatory) class for
ten to twelve students, and they need a new teacher. They are in no position to
pay a full faculty salary for such an instructor. They are looking for a young
unmarried man without much experience. If you are interested I will suggest
your name to the faculty and vote for you if it comes down to that.”

“That
would be a perfect opportunity for me next year if they let me work at Beth
Israel on the holidays. I do intend to stay in the Pittsburgh area, and I have
to figure out a way to support myself. Are there any other candidates for this
position?”

“Only
one,” Rabbi Bernstein said, “and I suspect that you know who that will be.”

Aaron
had no problem guessing the name of his rival. Only two students in the
Semicha
class had the qualifications to teach at a yeshiva, even if only on a
Mechina
level. He correctly guessed that he and Shalom Pinkes would be the ones
considered for the position.

Rabbi
Bernstein confirmed that Aaron had guessed correctly. “Both of you would make
excellent preparatory teachers. I would, however, support your candidacy
because you are somewhat smarter than Shalom and would motivate the class to
better preparation for Talmudic study.”

“I
thank you for advising me of this opportunity,” Aaron said. “I am ready to
accept such a position and I would appreciate if you were to advise the faculty
members accordingly.”

Shalom
was not too happy that he would have to compete with Aaron because he knew that
Aaron could learn better than him. Nevertheless, he was determined to apply
with a complete effort, because the position would be perfect for him. It would
give him another year at the yeshiva and enough money to support himself
without borrowing. Since his career goal was to become an instructor at a
higher yeshiva, a successful year as a teacher of a preparatory class would
provide him with experience and references on his resume.

Within
a few days, Shalom and Aaron were advised that they were invited to meet with
the faculty and be interviewed for a position that would be available at the
yeshiva. Aaron was interviewed first and explained to the faculty why he had
the capabilities of instructing a beginner’s class. He pointed to the
experience he had helping younger students in the study hall whenever they had
any problems with a subject matter. He had an excellent knowledge of the
Aramaic language of the Talmud and was thoroughly versed in the works of
religious philosophers in various periods of Jewish history.

After
an hour of being interviewed, the faculty had no more questions for Aaron and
advised him that his interview was complete. They then told Aaron that he would
be informed about the next faculty meeting where he would learn of the results
of the faculty decision. They asked him to call in Shalom Pinkes for his
interview.

Shalom
made a strong case for himself to the faculty. He claimed that his knowledge
was sufficient to teach a preparatory class. He stressed that he had the
personality to influence the younger students not only with the importance of
their studies but with belief in Torah and mitzvoth. What day school students
were missing was inspiration and motivation. Before he started the yeshiva and
after he was already enrolled, he constantly made his fellow students proud of
their religious heritage and increased their fear of Heaven.

The
next faculty meeting was scheduled for early evening. Aaron had a premonition
of evil because the afternoon faculty meeting lasted for a very long time.
Nevertheless, he waited patiently until he was summoned to meet the instructors
at 8:00 PM. Present at the evening meeting were the dean and Rabbis Kurland and
Weiss. The absence of Rabbi Bernstein was very worrisome.

Rabbi
Weiss spoke on behalf of the faculty. “The dean and the instructors deliberated
for a very long time on this important matter. Central to their discussion was
an argument that appears in
Ethics of the Fathers
that considers the
attributes of rabbinic scholars. One rabbi feels that the attribute
Sinai
is
the most critical quality for a student to possess. The other rabbi claims that
the attribute of
Oker Harim
(‘uprooting mountains’) is more essential.
As we understand these terms,
Sinai
means the wisdom first revealed to
Moses on Mount Sinai and transmitted thereafter by rabbis and scholars to
future generations. Students are expected to master the existing wisdoms and
believe in them faithfully. The term
uprooter
of mountains
refers
to intellectual ability. It portrays a student who is confronted by a difficult
logical problem. He will turn to his personal wisdom to seek the answer. The
Sinai
student will refer the problem to his rabbi and teacher.

“In
short, Aaron, you are not of the
Sinai
persuasion. You make judgments
based on your own intelligence when you consider making a decision. There is no
doubt that you are smarter than Shalom Pinkes and superior to him in logical
thinking. With the exception of Rabbi Bernstein, all of the instructors felt
that the position being offered requires a teacher of the
Sinai
persuasion.
We’re dealing with young students whose intellectual development is far from
complete. They need to hear a voice of authority, a voice based on the
tradition of the ages. When you have to explain a difficult thought to the
students, you would tell them that your explanation makes the most sense or is
the most reasonable. When Shalom Pinkes has to explain the same passage, he
will say, ‘It was the opinion of Maimonides or the Chofetz Chaim who gave this
solution.’

“Shalom
Pinkes has a greater fear of Heaven then you do. He does not presume to solve
Talmudic quandaries by his own power of reasoning. He wants to know how the
various authorities ruled on the matter. Let me give you an example: when both
you and Shalom competed for a position at Beth Israel, you sat down on a park
bench and determined your own approach to the process, while Shalom met for a
long time with Rabbi Kurland to seek his guidance. When he did not win the
position, Shalom said, ‘God did not want me to have it.’ If you had not won the
position, you would have said, ‘Where did I go wrong?’”

Although
the writing on the wall was obvious, Aaron waited until the formal decision was
announced. Rabbi Kurland decided to twist the knife a little further when he
recalled how Aaron had spoken arrogantly to him and the dean when the matter of
conducting services for Succos at Beth Israel was considered at a faculty
meeting.

It
became immediately clear that Rabbi Kurland, six months after the fact, was
still smarting from Aaron’s earlier defiance of the faculty advice. At that
point, Aaron rose from his chair and thanked the instructors for their time. “I
respect your convictions and wish Shalom the best of luck.” He then left the
room.

Aaron
realized that he would face major financial problems after ordination and he
was determined to overcome such problems to the best of his ability. Since
there were a few hours left to the evening, he resumed his studies for the
Semicha
test. But there was a residue of pain in his heart. He now understood how
Shalom felt when Aaron was selected above him for the position at Beth Israel.

A
few weeks later, the procedures for the
Semicha
examinations were
announced. Ten members of the senior class indicated their willingness to stand
for the test. The dean knew that the tenth student was doubtful but he
permitted him to be examined as well. It would give the student an idea of how
much additional study was necessary to complete such a test successfully.

The
rabbinic committee chosen to administer the test would include the dean, Rabbi
Kurland and one additional Torah scholar who would be invited from a New York
or Baltimore yeshiva. The schedule allotted two days of testing for the
candidates.

Aaron
entered the room first. Before the examination began, he presented a brief
biography of his family and where he had studied before coming to the yeshiva. The
rabbis then posed their questions to him. Aaron had no difficulty with any of
the questions and even added the opinions of relatively obscure commentaries to
the discussion.

The
visiting rabbi was overwhelmed. “Rabbi Rosenberg,” he said to the dean, “if all
your students are like this one, there was no need to drag me from New York.”

The
dean could hardly hide his pride. “They are not all like this one, but they are
all fine men and we are proud of their scholarship.”

At
the end of two days, the committee approved nine of the ten candidates for
ordination, and held the tenth man for further study at the yeshiva. The
students were informed of their success and a date was set for the ceremonies.
Rabbi Weiss was called in, advised of the date and told that they had to
prepare a massive amount of material announcing to the community that the
Yeshiva Ohr Torah would hold its first
Chag HaSmicha
(public ordination
ceremony) and nine men would be ordained.