rectangularcat | Reading

At the shabbaton I led a text-study session that I called "Avram before Lech L'cha" (which was the week's portion). It was designed to be interactive, so this is a summary of how it went. Don't expect answers here, just interesting observations.

I started by saying that in the first three torah portions, God singles someone out for assigned tasks. The first is Adam, and there were no other options yet. The second is Noach, who was "righteous in his generation", a qualified statement. (Best of a bad lot?) Then comes Avram, and it just says God commanded him but the text doesn't tell us why.

We had a discussion about possible reasons, and then we looked at the first source. Almost all of what I brought is from Bereishit Rabbah (roughly contemporary with the g'mara, c 300-500 CE). All translations are from Sefaria: ( Read more... )

cellio

My now-former synagogue has an occasional shabbaton (Shabbat retreat), nominally once a year but sometimes the gaps are longer. They had one this past Shabbat; I've attended every one since I joined the congregation and if this isn't the last one, it will be the last one as "us" before a merger/acquisition, so I wanted to be there even though I've otherwise moved on to my new synagogue.

This one didn't have the usual longer lead time; a date became available and they jumped on it. We were missing several of the regulars and some newer minyan members weren't able to come, so it was small -- which could have made it more intimate, but it didn't have quite the right mix for that. There was a single member from the other synagogue, plus their interim rabbi, and I wonder how it felt for that congregant.

I couldn't help noticing that the average age has skewed way up (most are rather older than me), especially if you exclude the clergy (who have to be there).

Because it was Halloween, their interim rabbi led a text study on spooky stories from the talmud, which was pretty engaging. From what I've seen, text study is his strong suit, so I'm glad he did that. The senior rabbi prefers discussions to more formal study and did that. The cantor taught about a rare and distinctive trope (cantillation mark) that appears in next week's parsha, one of only four times in the torah. I hadn't previously noticed that, every time shalshelet appears, it's on the first word of the verse. His source sheet is public.

I got email on Monday asking if I would lead a text study on Shabbat afternoon. I called it "Avram before Lech L'cha" and drew a lot from Bereishit Rabbah, which I hope to write about separately. The afternoon sessions are always more lightly attended (some people take walks or nap or shmooze), but we had enough people to have good conversations and I overheard some comments that suggest I have fans. I think it went pretty well. My biggest fear in leading a study session (as opposed to giving a d'var torah) is always what to do if people don't engage. Fortunately, people did. Someday maybe I will get better at facilitating rather than wholly directing conversations like this.

Overall: I'm glad I went, but I felt less inspired and connected than in the past. Maybe that's the mix, maybe it's that our long-time now-retired rabbi set a really high bar, maybe it's the merger, maybe it's me. I don't feel the need to go to whatever follows this in future years, even if many of my friends are still going.

I came home from the shabbaton last night, and this morning went to a very nice welcome session and brunch for new members at my new synagogue. One era ends, another begins. (And Beth Shalom does a great job with welcoming newcomers!)

hrj

Finally, after a variety of delays, we had the official building inspection for the solar system today. Inspection passed (including the retrospective inspections for the water heater replacement and the electrical panel). Mind you, I've already been receiving the benefits of the solar for a couple months, with my monthly savings over $100.

Since having to be home for the inspection disrupted my usual routine, I decided to tackle processing the quinces, which is now complete. Or rather, they've been processed to puree and now I have to decide whether to do something further or just freeze that.

In the anticipation of possible trick-or-treaters, I did some pruning and tying up of the roses that flank the front gate. I usually get one or two visitors, unless I decide it isn't worth it and go dark. The neighborhood logistics don't really make my street worthwhile for trick-or-treating, but I try to have something available just in case.

hrj

On my coffeeshop/writing bike ride (trust me, it makes sense) this morning I passed a whole flock of meadowlarks right by the Concord airport. They must be migratory because I don't think I've seen one in town before. Also an acorn woodpecker darted out to grab an acorn from the path right in front of me then dodge out of the way of the wheels. (I would have stopped, really I would.) I sometimes fantasize about the birds and critters layout acorns out on the path so that passing humans will step-on/run-over them and crack them, but the truth is that there are just a lot of oak trees along the rec paths.

I'd been avoiding the trail that goes past the airport for a while because they were doing various bits of road work. I spend a lot more time on surface streets for that route than the others, but drivers are incredibly courteous about waiting to pass until they can swing wide. I think it always amazes me because drivers were never that courteous in the east bay.

Another reason for sticking to the canal trail recently is that too many things have gotten in the way of a daily ride, so when I do ride I want to do the Walnut Creek loop (Canal Trail + Iron Horse). If I'm going that far, I'd rather avoid excess surface streets.

I seem to have solved the "tire slowly going soft" issue by means of getting another puncture that clearly required repair. The new tube is holding pressure solidly, so my worry that there was a hidden thorn or wire that I hadn't discovered yet seems to have not panned out. Or if there was one, then maybe it worked itself out. The other option is that that particular tube had a manufacturer's defect and I should have just replaced it immediately. Thus do we second-guess ourselves.

This morning the airtag hidden in the bike seat cheeped sadly at me that it needed a new battery, so I've taken care of that. As far as I can tell, placing airtags is simply a magic charm against things getting stolen because over the decades I've had bikes, cars, and bags stolen but never since I've started using airtags. Or maybe I've just gotten generally more paranoid. (Although I'll note that the one time I used Find My to locate a stolen iPad, the police literally said, "So what do you expect us to do about it?" I think I'll stick to the magic charm theory.)

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I know what I know, and perhaps more importantly, I know what I don't know...

tous naissent fous. peu le demeurent.

Reading

Avram before Lech L'cha

final (?) Sinai shabbaton

Gone Solar

Notes from the bicycle seat

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November 2025

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