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6:15 PM

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9:30 AM

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Saturday

10 AM

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9:15 AM

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Like my father, I am blessed with exceptional long-term memory. I am also cursed – like my father – with exasperatingly poor short-term memory. Ask me to recall an event from thirty years ago, and I can do so. Ask me to remember where I put my coffee down thirty seconds ago, and you’ll see me wandering all over the first floor of my house looking for it.

When I was living in Maryland, my father and I created a routine to assist with memory. Like many people, we ate the same food on certain days of the week when we had dinner together. The anchor was our Wednesday night meal, when I would call my father and inform him that “the meat of the day is fish.” This neat trick helped us keep track of the days of the week.

It turns out our Sages were also concerned about confusion. In this week’s portion, Ki Tavo, a number of passages end with the locution “all the people shall say, Amen.” (see Deuteronomy 27:15-26). Now saying “amen” is a very significant mitzvah. But when the prayer leader responds “amen” to the kohanim reciting the priestly blessing, especially if – as was the case in ancient times – you’re praying without a book, there is a concern you’ll lose your train of thought and be unable to recall the remaining order of prayers. 

Consider this passage from Deuteronomy Rabbah (7:1):

• If a Jewish person who passes before the ark [to lead the prayer], should it be permitted for him to answer "Amen" after the [blessings of] the kohanim? Such taught the sages: One who passes before the ark, he should not answer "Amen" after the kohanim because of distraction. Our rabbis taught us: If he can answer without being distracted, he may answer. Why? Because nothing is greater before the Holy One, blessed be He, more than the "Amen" that the Jews answer. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: This "Amen" has three intentions. Oath, acceptance, faithfulness.

In the time of the sages – and in certain places in Israel today – the kohanim recite the priestly blessing each morning. Ideally, the prayer leader – who is generally not reciting the priestly blessing – should answer “amen” to their blessing.  But before he/she does so, he/she must make sure to not lose the place. Because it’s better, according to at least one view, to skip “amen” if it will help you stay on track with leading the prayers. Printed books make this problem less common, but do not eliminate it entirely. It all depends on your short term memory.

If you need a bit of a memory boost, may I suggest dining on fish every Wednesday.



- Rabbi Scott Hoffman

Parashat Ki Tavo

Torah: Deuteronomy 26:1 - 27:10

Maftir: Deuteronomy 27:7-10

Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22

The Torah reading for this week is in the panel above. If you do not have a Chumash at home, you can find it on the link below. We are reading Triennial Year 1, but you might like to read the full portion (“Full Kriyah”).

Our Shabbat brochure with yahrzeits and simchas for this week is attached. You might wish to take special notice of those who are sick, and take a moment to direct your thoughts towards them.

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