Words From Rabbi White

As the saying might go, you can take the boy out of Quebec, but you can't take Quebec out of the boy. So I have been following Qc news here in Teaneck. And I was thinking: Sukkot is the holiday of joy: The Torah specifically states in Sefer Devarim, parashat re'eh, ve-samahta behagekha. Premier Legault and his cohorts have much to be happy about.  But Sukkot is also the holiday of hospitality: we invite 'ushpizin, guests, into our sukkot.

We must pray that the political leadership should recognize the value, both the ethical and practical, of welcoming the stranger, into their midst.

As I am writing this on the day before Yom Kippur, but you will be reading it before Sukkot, here is a pleasant story, in case you never heard it before:

We all know that Sandy Koufax sat out the world Series game that was played on Yom Kippur. Well, as the story goes, without him pitching, but rather sitting in a Minneapolis hotel room, the Dodgers lost game 1. Don Drysdale surrendered 2 home runs and a total of 7 runs in 2 and 2/3 innings. When manager Walter Alston pulled Drysdale from the game, Drysdale, is reputed to have said: "I bet you wish I was Jewish today too."

I hope you all had a meaningful fast, and I wish you all Shabbat shalom and Hag Sameah,

Rabbi Menahem White