Hi,
You might be wondering.
Did Alan Dershowitz respond to my invitation for dinner?
And my (chutzpa) suggestion that he pay for it?
Yes. A one liner from his Blackberry.
“I look forward to a good kosher meal”!
What about paying for it?
I would have to say that he was non committal!
… If you remember, Dershowitz asks the reader to send a “good one” about chutzpa.
Here’s the (chutzpa) Torah Minute that I sent him.
It was a pre Yom Kippur thought.
(On the High Holidays, we were in the “praying mode”.
It’s good to think about those prayers after the holidays. And try to follow up on them.)
Millions of Jews all over the world said it on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
… We pray for a ‘shana tova’. A good and happy year.
For ourselves. And for our loved ones.
“Remember us for life”.
But the second part of the prayer is surprising.
Very surprising.
“For Your sake”.
… What? For G-d’s sake?
Who are we kidding?
First of all, He’s G-d. Does G-d need anything?
Second of all, there are billions of people in the world.
Does G-d really need me?
Talk about chutzpa!
The answer is a very Jewish idea. And a very inspiring idea.
Yes. G-d needs each and every one of us.
Because G-d created the world. And has a way He wants His world to look.
… But He didn’t finish the job.
He left that up to us. Gave each of us a mission.
To make it the kind of world He wants it to be.
And each of us has something unique to contribute.
We can make the world a happier place. By reaching out to others.
A holier place. By studying Torah. And doing acts of kindness.
… It’s an uplifting idea.
And it’s also a good ‘strategy’.
That may help us ‘close the deal’!
(People who were thinking, “I need another year because the Cubs may go all the way”?
… That was not a very good idea!)
This Yom Kippur (and after!) let’s think of things we can do. Ways we can improve.
Ways we can make our lives more meaningful.
And then we can say to G-d, “Please give us a good year”.
For Your sake.
Because there’s something in it for You.’
… And here’s something you can do this Monday.
Put some extra meaning in your day by attending the CTN Downtown Lunch & Learn.
And have fun at the same time. Enjoy great food and a hilarious comedy routine!
Comedian Richard Morris is coming special from New York.
Please help us make this a great event by registering now! thttp://www.torahnetwork.org/LunchAndLaugh.htm
Hope to see you.
All the best,