This is a continuation of Monday’s post.
While the Jewish world and environment that I grew up in Seattle was more diverse and had different people and different backgrounds, today’s larger a Jewish communities have a more insular approach and it seems that this is by design. I think it’s too bad and unfortunate.
When Rabbi Moskowitz used to teach us Mishlei (or any other subject for that matter), he would quote the Pasuk or verse and quote a principle and use an illustration of that principle. The contrast between his methodology or Limud Hatorah and the “insular” one was on display for me on Monday.
A certain institution decided to have a all morning “Mishnathon”, which is fine. They turned it into a fundraiser, which I’m not so sure is fine. By contrast, listening To all of the eulogies or hespedim for Rabbi Moskowitz on Monday reinforced what I knew about him and our way of learning and critical thinking. He presented questions and analyzed them from many different angles and asked or demanded that his students Understand them. He would ask us for questions or see if we needed to understand the problem or issue more clearly.
I more fully appreciate this approach Now unlike my youth when I didn’t totally understand what he and the other teachers were trying to accomplish.
May his memory be for a blessing and May we live up to his expectations and legacy.
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