I would like to use this month’s bulletin article to clear up and remove any doubt or confusion from an issue that came up at a recent shiur (class) during our weekly Shabbat Seudat Shlisheet meal, learning, and discussion. It became clear to me some time AFTER the specific shiur to which I am referring, that an important point raised during our conversation was not made sufficiently clear to all those in attendance.
Before I address the point, I must underscore my burning need and ongoing objective to teach in a clear, unmuddled,
easy-to-understand fashion so that questions raised during our class time do not linger on in a cloud of uncertainly or ambiguity. Having been an elementary school principal for more than 11 years, I recall bristling at the reaction of a science teacher who, when recognizing that all but 3 members of a particular class failed one of her tests, declared: “well I taught it (the material), but they just didn’t learn it.” Because I firmly believe it is IMPOSSIBLE for ANY teacher to effectively teach information with students not successfully internalizing the subject matter, I recognize that which I thought was clear at the aforementioned Seudah Shlisheet shiur, was, in fact, not widely understood. One cannot successfully transmit data if the data is not properly and fully received. So, with that as a preamble, I again attempt to clarify a solitary but important point.
The question at the shiur had to do with repeating words in a prayer in which the phrases of the prayer are rendered outof-order. For example, following a melody line to which the words of a prayer have been set which requires moving from “line 1” to “line 2” but then returning to “line 1,” moving on to “line 3” and again returning to “line 1,” etc. According to halacha, the offering of acceptable prayer must be understandable, logical, and coherent, such that the prayer moves in a forward direction, even if words ARE repeated but so the intent and theme of the prayer is not lost, even for the sake of a beautiful or “catchy” melody.
At the time of the shiur, someone questioned — why then, have many prayers been offered over the years in a myriad of synagogues in which the halacha dictating a “forward flow” of prayers being offered has been overlooked? In wanting to make the point that there are countless examples of Jewish law being overlooked, misunderstood, stretched or avoided, I hoped to declare what I thought would be a widely recognized and understood principle that, “…that which is commonly done or popular, is not always correct.” To this end, I used the exaggerated example of stating that, “…there are Jews who eat treif but this does not make it right.” Apparently, there were people present at the shiur who believed I was EQUATING the recitation of non-sequential prayer with the act of eating non-kosher food. The underlying principle of “…that which is commonly done or popular, is not always correct” was likely not understood by everyone present. Since I stand by the educational principle that a teacher cannot declare that “I taught it; they just didn’t learn it,” I want to be crystal clear that I do not now, nor have I ever believed that the possible confounding of prayer is, in any way equal to the eating of non-kosher food. The use of my statement was to underscore what I would have hoped to be a simple and easy-to-understand analogy; an example only. “That which is commonly done or popular, is not always correct.”
Having learned recently of the confusion surrounding this point AS WELL AS synagogue members reportedly “quoting” me as saying that I believe, and I stated that “repeating words in a prayer is as bad as eating treif.” I was dumbfounded.
Upon hearing someone supposedly “quoting” me, I was shocked into disbelief. As the teacher who transmitted in a faulty manner, I plainly must take full responsibility for not making my point clear. For conveying a notion that could not be further from the truth, I take the time, effort, and printed space to correct this grossly-erroneous misconception. I do not hide behind the shield of cavalierly, comforting myself in the unacceptable belief that “I taught it; they just didn’t learn.” I am glad that I learned of this confusion and misconception and had an opportunity to raise the point at a recent shiur. But because the faces of the weekly shiur are not always the same and because I have been led to believe that others, outside of the shiur, have heard this discussion, repeated the misconceptions, and have commented on the entire proceedings, it is IMPERATIVE that I take the time, and make the effort to correct this error. Difficult as it may be to “put the genie back in the bottle.” that is what I hope to do here and now.
Since the hands of time cannot be pushed back and one cannot “unsay” that which has been said, I hope to use this entire matter as a learning experience, a launch pad from which good and positive resolutions can be formed and proliferated. I will endeavor to measure my words, phrases, and expressions, and will take the time to examine if a point, principle, or concept has been made clear to all present at the weekly shiur. At the same time, I hope and invite participants to continue to ask, delve, and seek clarification on matters that – on the face of them, appear to be illogical, questionable, or hard to digest.
Wishing you all bracha, hatzlacha, and Torah blessings,
Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Dvorin