Some things that drive me meshugina

SOME THINGS THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY

I heard that many people post this kind of thing on their blog, so…

It makes me a little crazy when I hear Shabbat nusach on weekday. Weekday melodies are simple and beautiful, they allow a fairly quick pace so that you can go to work or go home in the evening. To hear the fancier, slower Shabbat melodies during the week is like fingernails on a blackboard for me. And vice-versa I go crazy when someone treats Shabbat like weekday and zooms through a davening that to be shabbasdik - takes its time.
One of the way I personally distinguish between Shabbat and a weekday is music … and central to that is how the Shema is recited. I love singing V’Ahvta on Shabbat. It extends the meaning through the music of affirming God’s uniqueness and our love for God. Singing V’Ahvta on weekday makes me feel that it’s Shabbat and I want Shabbat to be Shabbat because I work so hard during the week.
One of the special nuschaot (melodies) of the weekly flow of Jewish music is Saturday Afternoon. It’s a light but kind of sad chant; that says it’s still Shabbat, but the end of the Shabbat is getting closer. Hearing Saturday afternoon melody any other time makes me think: hey, it’s not Saturday afternoon!
In our long Saturday morning service, I want the energy to be in the davening and hopefully in the question and answer. The idea of empty time except for reflection or meditation drives me crazy. There is such beauty in pageantry in the Torah procession and such joy in everyone kissing the Torah as we march around. And yet, I can’t understand that especially on returning the Torah to the Ark, why so many leaders can’t arrive at the Ark at the end of Mizmor L’David. That empty silence waiting for the Torah carrier to arrive to place the Torah in the ark – is a waste. It’s been a long time since I’ve taught it, but we stop on the solos during the procession only to enable the Bar/Bat Mitzvah to be not be distracted during their recitation. Otherwise, the only reason to stop to empower everyone who wants to kiss the Torah. On Saturday morning when we return the Torah to the Ark there’s no reason not have the Torah in the Ark so we can go right into Uvnucho Yomar and Atyz Hayim.
Last, Emails: I find that on a day like last Friday I probably spent 2 hours reading and cleaning up emails. There’s not enough time in the day to respond properly anymore to mail that truly requires thoughtful expression. Worse, and I struggle not to be guilt of this myself, some people are trying to conduct business by email. It’s great for sharing info. It’s wonderful to prep issues for discussion or decision making. But you can’t have a conversation my email, I'm trying to limit myself to answering email now only three times a day. Otherwise, I have no time to study and prepare and have energy for my classes and meetings where good people work to build sacred community.