The Rabbi and The Rebbetzin by Shlomo Wexler Read Free Book Online Page B

without extensive preparation. Our past rabbi,
Ilan Solomon, was excellent in this regard. For many in the congregation, the
holidays are the only time that they take the opportunity to learn about their
religion. They questioned the rabbi on a wide variety of subjects and he was
able to answer their inquiries forthrightly and adequately. What we would like
you to do now is deliver a short sermonette on any religious topic of your
choice. If you need a few minutes to organize your thoughts, we will be happy
to wait.
     Shalom
was somewhat taken aback by the request but he retained his poise. No one had
warned him that he might be asked to speak. Nevertheless, he did not panic.
While realizing that his efforts would not be the highlight of the evening, he
was determined to do his best. He decided to relate the story of the rabbi of
Nemirov who chose to help a poor widow on Selichos night rather than
attend the services at the synagogue. In preparation for the winter, he chopped
a supply of firewood for the woman. Shalom had told this story on other
occasions and did so dramatically. The moral of the story was the prophetic
message that worship alone, no matter how sincere, is not enough to assure a
Divine response. Prayer must be accompanied by spiritual integrity and
charitable deeds.
    When
Shalom concluded his sermon, Levine advised him that his interview was
completed and asked him to call in Aaron Adler. Despite attempts by Rabbi Weiss
to keep him calm prior to his interview, the student was quite anxious. In
fairness to the students, Levine had urged the committee to keep the questions
similar for both candidates so that there would be a true basis for comparison.
    Aaron
presented his personal background well, but had virtually no practical
experience to relate. He described the valiant efforts of his parents who,
despite grinding poverty, were able to provide him with Torah education until
the end of high school. Thereafter he was the beneficiary of a full scholarship
at the yeshiva in Pittsburgh, where he had since completed five years of
advanced study.
     In
response to the higher education question, he stated that, while he did not
have a BA degree as of yet, he had accumulated about 85 credits at Duquesne
University. The yeshiva allowed him to take six credits a semester in the fall
and spring and nine credits during the summer. The summer credits were taken
either in New York or Pittsburgh. Aside from the required courses, he studied
philosophy, literature and political science. His high school SAT scores were
more than sufficient for admission to any of the Pittsburgh Universities. He
chose Duquesne because he felt that the students were more serious about their
studies and less distracted by sports and social activities.
    Mrs.
Farber was happy to hear that he had enough secular education to serve as a
rabbi, but she was concerned about Duquense. “Did it bother you that you were
attending a strictly Catholic College?”
    “Not
at all,” Aaron replied. “There was no attempt at missionizing, and the display
of Catholic symbols was minimal.” Many of his professors, in fact, were Jewish,
as were a large number of the students. Although he did not participate in student
activities, he was aware of one Jewish student organization on campus.
    When
the sisterhood president asked him what he did after being notified by the yeshiva
that he was a candidate, he told of two sessions in the playground. The first
was to decide whether he should accept the assignment, and the second was to
map out a program of preparation for the interview. He added that he had
offered some special prayers and read appropriate psalms seeking Divine
blessing and guidance.
     “Maybe
I should do that before my buying trips,” Levine commented. “I doubt that God
was much of a help to me on my last trip to Taiwan.”
    “God
was with you,” Adler said, “but when you didn’t schedule any meetings with Him,
He may have lost interest in