“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Re’eh
28 Menachem Av 5781/August 6, 2021
Mevorchim Chodesh Elul
Avos perek 5
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לרפואה שלימה נטע יצחק בן רחל
THE
HYPE
This
past spring, our son Avi’s Pirchei baseball team made it to the championship.
The final game was played in Boulder Stadium, a ten minute drive from our home.
Boulder Stadium is the equivalent of a minor league stadium, with a beautiful,
manicured field, a couple of concession stands, a massive sound system, and the
capacity to hold a few thousand fans.
The
Pirchei championship game was played on a Sunday afternoon, shortly after the
home-team Boulders had finished a game. When I arrived at the stadium with Avi,
there was still a few thousand fans in the stadium from the Boulders game. The
music was still blaring, and select fans were lining up to run the bases or
have a catch in the infield.
When the
stadium finally cleared out, it was time to play Pirchei baseball. The game was
nice, and it was definitely exciting to play on such a professional field. But
it lacked the energy and excitement that the Boulders had generated during
their game an hour earlier. There were only a few hundred spectators, no open
concession stands, the scoreboard was off, there was no announcement of
players, music played or fun competitions between innings. It was like playing
a regular game just on a more beautiful field.
It was
clear that part of what makes it to so exciting to attend a Boulders game is
the hype and energy generated by all those side things. Although the priority,
and the only thing that really matters, is the game itself, those additives
make it more fun and exciting. It helps the home team play harder and the fans
enjoy the game more.
Our
family has had the good fortune of spending our summers at Camp Dora Golding
for over two decades. Among the many other wonderful assets camp offers, is
that Camp Dora Golding boasts an unparalleled learning program. Aside from the
fact that we have almost perfect attendance at daily learning groups, more than
80% of the campers learn voluntarily for three hours in the camp shul on
Shabbos. In addition, a half hour before mincha on Friday (and we all know what
that time is like each week) a couple hundred campers come to the shul, dressed
and ready for Shabbos, to learn. You wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it. In
addition, this summer there was a celebration for 291 campers (!) who completed
a masechta of mishnayos during the summer.
What’s
the secret of our success? Our incredible learning director, Rabbi Noach
Sauber, raises thousands of dollars for top notch prizes. Prizes that in some
places would be grand prizes barely make it to the medium level in our prize
auction. Prizes include tickets to sports events – Yankees, Mets, Giants,
Islanders, etc. a Jacob DeGrom autographed baseball, Luka Doncic autographed
basketball, and a Devin Booker autographed jersey. In addition, there is a
music package, football package, baseball package, hockey package, relax
package, music package, and a talmid chochom package. Each package includes
numerous items connected to that theme. This year top prizes included an
Oculus, 3D printer, basketball hoop, electro bike, x-box, Nintendo switch, and
a PS5.
But
there’s more to the program’s success than just the prizes. Rabbi Sauber is a
master of hype. At the beginning of the summer, he introduces the learning
program, mentions some of the prizes and how campers can be eligible to win. He
calls winners from previous summers on stage to talk about what they won.
Throughout the summer, camper progress is posted weekly, and Rabbi Sauber
reminds the campers of the great prizes awaiting them. At the end of the
summer, there is a massive barbecue for all those who achieved the maximum
points. Then, on the last day of camp, every camper has a chance to put raffle
tickets in for the various prizes, depending on what level they had achieved.
The entire camp gathers in the camp theater for two prize drawings. It’s a
major event with music, cheering and tremendous excitement.
The
prizes speak for themselves, but the hype generates the excitement that propels
the event to a different level. In fact, the only reason the prizes have become
as extraordinary as they are, is because of all that hype. Many, if not most, of
the prizes are donated by current staff members and camp alumni, including some
who were in camp over a decade or two ago. They were inspired by the program,
at a time when the prizes were impressive, but far more “modest”, and now want
to contribute to giving that inspiration to the next generation of campers.
Back then, the program’s success was more clearly the result of the hype and
excitement Rabbi Sauber, and his predecessor, Rabbi Pinchos Idstein, generated.
It’s
been said that anyone who says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, never
tried to sell a book. Although ideally one should only judge a book by its
contents, the reality is that most people wouldn’t even pick up the book unless
it has a cover that catches their eye.
When I
mentioned the idea for this brilliant essay to our wonderful camp neighbor, Rav
Hersh Kasirer, he recounted a thought from his rebbe, Rav Henoch Leibowitz
zt”l: In various places in Shas, the gemara relates that an amora “stood up on
his feet and said” (see Shabbos 26a, Bava Metzia 59b, Sanhedrin 68a, Bechoros
36a). If the gemara wants to relate what was said, why add that he stood up on
his feet?
Rav
Henoch explains that the gemara is teaching us an integral lesson about
education. Teaching is not merely about transmitting information, but about
trying to ingrain those lessons upon the hearts and souls of one’s charges. To
do so, rabbeim and moros need to be innovative and resourceful, wisely
employing ploys and incentives and, at times, theatrics to engage their
students. The gemara is subtly
demonstrating that it wasn’t enough to just state his viewpoint. Rather, “he
stood up on his feet and said” with dramatic emphasis.
In a
sense, Torah and mitzvos are like a beautiful stadium, a perfect and
magnificent structure. But it’s up to us to provide the sounds system, the
scoreboard, and the music. Our task is to invest emotion and instill the
passion and excitement that makes the stadium come alive.
Torah
speaks for itself, but we can make the Torah stand on its feet and proclaims
its piece directly into our hearts and souls.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum