Sermon: Parshat Behalatcha “Is Brevity Always Desired?” Metuchen 2009/5769 Rabbi Gerald L. ZelizerFirst, some Torah trivia. Today’s Sidrah is the shortest in the Torah. It also contains the shortest book within the Torah – which is chapter 10: vs.35-36 which we sing, of course, when we remove the Torah from the Aron Kodesh. “ ” – One opinion in the Talmud – claims that the passage “Advance O Lord! May your enemies be scattered is its own book, with signs above and below which encapsulate the Book. This Sidrah also contains the shortest prayer “El Na Refa Ma La” – “Please heal me O Lord.” So, this Sidrah – “Behalatcha” is itself the briefest, contains the briefest book and the briefest prayers. In that context will this be my shortest sermon? (No promises).
In secular society too brevity is in vogue. Twitter allows one hundred and forty characters max. Earnest Hemingway said his favorite book was of six words “For sale, baby shoes, never worn.” And six words stories became a popular genre. Let me tell you some. “Cure found! Insurance companies go bankrupt.” “Grandmother recounts life; grandson plays DS.” My favorite “Anti-Semite convert now self hating Jew. Oy!” or (four words) “Head lice: Baldies survive!”
The serious question in all of this is what is gained by brevity? Is brevity always a laudable goal? We know that it is laudable for a public speaker, because, as a professor of mine once told me “If you can’t find oil after ten minutes, stop boreing!” But is the insistence on brevity applicable at all times? Isn’t it true that brevity sometimes seriously undermines certain situations? For example, how could one twitter the Ten Commandments? How would you like a difficult diagnosis from your doctor conveyed to you briefly, with no explanation, no sympathy, or no suggestions? Should a eulogy really be so brief that it does not do justice to the years lived by the person being eulogized? Doesn’t the person deserve more? Can we twitter a really moving personal conversation you are having – between lovers, between children and older parents in their last years? How can one make brief transcendent and comprehensive documents like the American Constitution in which each clause has critical legal implications. My point is that although brevity is a worthwhile goal, sometimes a situation is not meant to be brief. We should approach life’s situations more nuanced and not with a automatic twitter philosophy, because of contemporary biases. Some life situations should be longer.
The rabbi was told to “make it short.” The problem was that he was a rabbi and a mohel and did not understand what was referred to. The story is told of Rabbi Hillel Silver who officiated at a wedding and was told to “make it short.” So the story goes that he signed the ketuba and documents in his office and went home, leaving the wedding party and guests sitting in the sanctuary unencumbered by a lengthy service. I hope that I have caused you to think about the value and the detriment of always insisting on brevity in all situations. Some yes, some no. For me this morning, yes, Shabbat Shalom.