Words From Rabbi White

GREETINGS FROM TEANECK. Teaneck is one of the first New Jersey communities you would come to, after crossing the GW Bridge in Manhattan.

In my daughter's section of the city, there is hardly any vehicular traffic on Shabbat and Yom tov, so it is common for people to walk in middle of the streets. Her house is situated between 2 large shuls. I sometimes wonder if Montreal could have been like that, had it not been for Bill 101.

On Rosh HaShanah, I had the pleasure of hearing my son-in-law Azriel blowing the shofar in the minyan I attended. (My son also was the shofar blower in his shul in Passaic.)

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Despite all of the complaints that we had concerning the Quebec health system, I never realized how fortunate we were: health insurance in the States is very complicated and expensive. People here are amazed when I tell them how in Qc, when you have a doctor's appointment, or have to go to hospital, all you have to do is to show your Qc Medicare card, and there is no charge.

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We are now in the "10 days of repentance." This is a time for all of us to consider how to improve ourselves in the new year, as we prepare for Yom Kippur.  An outstanding young rabbi here in Teaneck, Rabbi Avraham Wein, related the following story: when he was in high school, he participated in the NCSY summer program in Israel. One of the activities was a "gedolim tour:" i.e., they were taken around Jerusalem to meet some of the great rabbis.

One of the Gedolim was Rav Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l. He was an American trained rabbi, who devoted his life to studying and teaching Torah, was the head of a yeshiva, went on Aliya, and became known as one of the great talmud scholars in Jerusalem. 

Rav Scheinberg told the NCSY'ers something that the young future rabbi never forgot: "don't kill time, because if you do, time will kill you!" That advice has become more and more relevant nowadays, as we are all distracted by insignificant messages on our computers and especially our cellphones. Wouldn't that be a great "resolution" for Yom Kippur: let's not be distracted by irrelevant material on social media!

Shabbat shalom, have a healthy year, gemar hatimah tovah.

Rabbi Menahem White