The Rabbi and The Rebbetzin (7 page)

“By
the way, where do you go to school?”

“I
went to the State University.”

“Penn
State?”

“No,
the State University of New York in Buffalo. I share an apartment with another
girl near the school. I’ll tell you about it tonight.”

Aaron
thanked the housekeeper for the refreshments as he left the sunroom and went
upstairs. He was tired but too tense to sleep. He had stayed up late on
Thursday night finishing preparations for the holiday services. He decided to
review the material that he had written out for his work. There were two
sermons on Rosh Hashanah and a message of welcome to the congregants on the
first evening of the holiday. There were also explanations for the holiday
Torah and prophetic readings, as well as for the key holiday prayers and
rituals. He would do most of the latter on the first day, where the sounding of
the shofar was canceled in deference to the Sabbath. In such a case, the rule
prohibiting verbal interruptions between the first group of shofar sounds
before the
Musaf
services and the second groups of shofar sounds during
the
Musaf
was not as severe a factor.

Since
Aaron had memorized virtually all of the written materials, he was not unduly
concerned about them. He decided to concentrate on the notes that he had taken
during the instructions given to him by Rabbi Weiss. He would do the best he
could with the liturgical renditions and anything he would do now at the last
minute would not change the outcome.

Rabbi
Weiss had spent a good deal of time on the rapport that had to be established between
the rabbi and congregation. Some of his words were mystical, others esoteric. According
to Rabbi Weiss, the conducting rabbi was like the maestro of an orchestra. He
had to watch the congregation constantly like a hawk. What he had to prevent
were breaches in the decorum or interruptions in the flow of the services. Both
situations could distract the worshippers from the holiness of the prayers and
endanger the inspiration of the services. Rabbi Weiss explained that in certain
very pious smaller congregations, these problems were of no concern. The
worshippers had a very thorough religious education and fully understood the
meaning of the words and the significance of each prayer. They did not need a
policeman to maintain control.

“Congregation
Beth Israel is made up of American men and women,” he explained, “and some of
them come to pray only three times a year. A number of them can’t read Hebrew,
and even among those who can follow, many do not understand the words of the
prayers. To them the services are like a pageant. The drama must run smoothly
to hold their interest.”

 Aaron
immediately sensed that he was at a disadvantage. Ilan Solomon, the previous
rabbi, had been with the worshippers for years and he had won their respect and
affection. They followed his instructions carefully and behaved in an orderly
manner. In all the years that Aaron studied at the yeshiva, he had never
ventured outside of the Pittsburgh area. He knew no one from Dunberg. The
congregation in which he worshipped at home matched Rabbi Weiss’s description
of highly educated worshippers, and the decorum, while not perfect, was more
than satisfactory.

To
keep the services flowing, Aaron decided that he would ask Abe Levine to spend
an hour with him to review the rituals at Beth Israel. He then turned to other
notes that he made on Rabbi Weiss’s instruction. The next note read: “No jokes
from the pulpit - congregation expects a rabbi, not a comedian.” “Don’t yell -
speak loudly enough to be heard.” “Don’t embarrass or antagonize any
worshippers.”

Aaron
didn’t record the examples that Rabbi Weiss gave, but he remembered some of the
better ones. Rabbi Weiss spoke of a rabbi, disturbed by a screaming child, who told
the mother, “Children, like New Year resolutions, should be carried out.” Or
the rabbi who said, “You fellows in the third row, if what you’re talking about
is so important, why don’t you move the discussion to the vestry?”

A
rabbi who wants the congregation to stand or sit never says ‘stand up’ or ‘sit
down.’ Try something like, ‘We will now rise to recite the beautiful prayer
of….’  After the prayer is concluded, we say, ‘The congregation
may
be
seated.’ Otherwise, people who stand all through the
Shmoneh Esrei
or
all through the
Ne’ilah
service may be confused by your instruction.

 Aaron
then gave some attention to his personal religious needs. He realized that he
was going to sacrifice some of his own religious obligations for the benefit of
the congregants. He prayed that the Almighty would be forgiving and
understanding. He remembered that Moses was ready to sacrifice his own
well-being to save the children of Israel. He knew as well that many great rabbis
who led congregations had willingly done the same thing.

Aaron
left for the synagogue with Abe Levine and Shulamit. Before leaving, Abe’s
wife, Chana, who had been introduced to Aaron earlier, had a question for him. “Rabbi,”
she said, “I will be leaving for the synagogue later than Abe because he has
things to arrange at shul. I don’t like to drive after lighting the Sabbath
candles. I’ve done so in the past but I have misgivings about it. Do you have
any suggestions for me?”

Aaron
didn’t have any prepared answers, but since he was currently studying the laws
of the Sabbath he quickly framed an appropriate response.

 “The
simplest solution,” Aaron replied, “is to take candlesticks and light the
candles in shul. I remember the women doing that in my synagogue at home. “

 “That’s
not a bad idea,” Chana replied, “but I would like to have candles burning at
the table during the holiday meal.”

 “You
can light candles now at the table for symbolism without reciting a blessing
and without thinking about the holiday. Then take the real candles and light
them in shul.”

 “I
hope you don’t think I’m fussy,” she said, “but I don’t like the thought. My
mother taught me to say special prayers for my family and for the land of
Israel when I light the candles. I can only do that at the table where I can
easily visualize the members of my family and feel that the candles symbolize
the prayers that I recited on their behalf.”

“Those
are beautiful sentiments and I respect them,” Aaron said, “so I’ll offer you
some alternative suggestions. Light the candles at home, but make a condition
that you are not accepting the Sabbath at candle-lighting time but at the time
the congregation accepts the Sabbath by reciting the hymn for the Sabbath. You
can then take two further steps to ease your doubts. You can have Larry drive
you to shul. Sitting in the car, you will not be transgressing a Torah law and
you will not be having a Jew performing forbidden labor for you after candle-lighting.

“There
is one final suggestion, which you may find offensive, so I offer it only
theoretically. Light candles at home and walk to shul. Within the city limits
you are permitted to walk as far and for as long as you wish”

 “I’m
really not offended,” Chana said. “I actually walk back and forth to shul on
Saturday mornings and so far I have survived. Thank you for your advice.”

 Aaron
had one further question. “Does Shulamit light Sabbath candles?”

 “Why
would she do that?”  Chana said in surprise. “I thought only married women have
to.”

 “There
are some rabbis and certain religious movements that require single girls to
light candles as a form of religious training.”

Shulamit
had come into the room a minute earlier and heard Aaron’s question. “I don’t
light Sabbath candles at home, but I do light them at my apartment in Buffalo
when I am not at home.”

“Good
for you,” Aaron complimented her. “You are now free to join us when we drive to
shul.

“I
will,” she said, “if Mom doesn’t need me to keep her company.”

“You
may go by car,” Chana said. “But please take my prayer book with you.”

And
so it was that Abe, Aaron and Shulamit drove to shul, while Chana came by foot
somewhat later.

To
initiate the services, Abe Levine slowly entered the shul and walked down the
central aisle. The Gabbai, Mr. Feinberg was on his right and Aaron Adler on his
left. When the men reached the stage, Levine directed Aaron to one of the
special chairs immediately to the left of the Holy Ark. The Gabbai took his
regular chair, which was to the right of the ark. In front of each chair was a
combined prayer lectern and bookshelf. The chair next to Aaron was reserved for
Reverend Martin, the Chazzan
,
who would chant the evening prayers but
had not yet taken his place.

The
president did not bother to take his seat but strode directly to the pulpit.
The shul was full and the worshippers eagerly awaited Levine’s words. Many of
those present already knew what to expect, while others merely took note of the
young man sitting in the rabbi’s chair.

Levine
scanned the audience for a moment and then began to speak. “Dear friends,
a
gutten Shabbos
and a happy New Year to you, our worthy worshippers. May
God bless you with good health and answer your prayers.

“This
year we are making a change at Beth Israel – not by choice, but as a result of circumstances.

“A
few days before the holidays, our regular holiday rabbi, Ilan Solomon, called me
at work to tell me that his mother in Israel was sick and that he had to fly there
to be with her. I know you all join me in wishing her a full and speedy
recovery. Rabbi Solomon will be away for Yom Kippur as well and probably for a
long period of time thereafter.

“Not
knowing what to do for the holidays, I called Rabbi Weiss, the executive
director of Yeshiva Ohr Moshe in Pittsburg, for help. At the school, there are
a number of rabbinical students and I asked the yeshiva to send me one for the
holidays. In fact, they sent me two worthy candidates. A committee met to judge
the candidates and chose Rabbi Aaron Adler, who will now welcome you to these
holiday services.”

Rabbi
Adler rose from his seat, and to his amazement, he saw many of the members rise
in respect. This added to Adler’s nervousness, but he retained control. He
kissed the ark curtain, a gesture he had seen at the yeshiva and walked to the
pulpit where he shook hands with Abe Levine.

“Shalom
and a
Shana Tovah
to all of you. I will be serving as your holiday rabbi
in place of Rabbi Ilan Solomon who has been with you for the past five years.
I, too, join with the president in wishing Rabbi Solomon’s mother a
refuah shleimah
.

“Let
me first introduce myself to the members of the congregation. I have already
met some of your leaders and I look forward to meeting the rest of you during
the course of the holidays.

“I
come from the Queens section of New York City, where I graduated from a yeshiva
high school. I then enrolled in Yeshiva Ohr Moshe in this city and have studied
here for five years. I am now in the pre-
Semicha
class, and with God’s
help I will be ordained as a rabbi by next June. While attending the yeshiva, I
received higher secular education at Duquesne University.

“Although
I study at the yeshiva, I wish to make it clear that the yeshiva bears no
responsibility for my work here. I come to this position of my own accord and I
pray that my words will find favor in the eyes of God and man.”

Rabbi
Adler than turned his attention to the holiday itself. “Rosh Hashanah is known
as a Day of Judgment. As expressed in the beautiful prayer of
U’Netaneh
Tokef
which we will recite tomorrow, we shall be judged individually on our
own moral record for the past year. If we pass the examination, we will be granted
a new year of life, blessed with health and p
arnassah
(livelihood).

“The
heavenly judgment takes place on Rosh Hashanah and is confirmed on Yom Kippur.
The period between the two holidays is known as the Ten Days of
Teshuva
,
Penitence. If we are in doubt about the verdict on the New Year, we can avert
the final judgment by acts of prayer, repentance and the giving of charity.”

Turning
his attention to the worship itself, Rabbi Adler continued: “The synagogue is a
very sacred place. The prayers we offer tonight and during the other holidays,
have been written during the past thousand years by the rabbis and poets of
Israel. They have been heard and accepted by our Father in Heaven in the past.

As
night falls, and we usher in the New Year, let us pray that we will open out
hearts and plead for God to bless us, our families, our brethren and all of
mankind with a new year of life and peace.”

Rabbi
Adler than turned to Reverend Martin who had arrived by now and was waiting to
start the service. “Reverend Martin is well-known in our congregation, where he
has served as holiday cantor for many years. He is equally well known in the
Jewish community of Pittsburgh as a
shochet
and
mohel
. All of you
who are familiar with the holiday melodies are invited to join in the
congregational singing. Please remember that this Rosh Hashanah falls on a Shabbos.
The regular evening service will therefore be preceded by a special hymn in
honor of the Sabbath,
Mizmor shir l’yom Hashabbas
. Members of the
congregation who are in mourning may rise to recite the Kaddish at the end of
this psalm.”