Perashat Haye Sarah 5780

Perashat Haye Sarah 5780

Our Hazan, cantor, is Shmuel Levy. He is simply a master of his craft. His beautiful voice and soulful singing inspire our community to pray with joy and longing. He takes us on a journey through the beautiful words of the tefillah, as we visit the emotions and feelings drawn from each stirring melody. We are beyond lucky to have him.

But, like in every synagogue, there are those that would prefer if our Hazan was Sean Shannon.

You see, Sean is the fastest speaker in the world, a Guinness World Record holder for having once spoken a blistering 655 words per minute on August 30, 1995.

Just to put that into perspective, the Shabbat morning prayer, including this week's Torah reading, has 8,804 words. I've checked. Sean would have finished the entire prayer and Torah reading in 13 minutes and 32 seconds flat. 

I'm not planning a vote for a Hazan change, because speed is not the point of prayer. How sad would it be if the highlight of coming to pray was to leave?
While Sean can definitely say a lot, that might not be the best thing.

There are two diametrically opposed characters we meet in the last two weeks' perashiot, Abraham and Efron. Abraham welcomes his visitors by simply saying, "I will take a loaf of bread", and he follows up with a meal fit for a king, or three. Underpromise. Overdeliver.

Efron, on the other hand, says a lot and offers his land for free but winds up charging an exorbitant sum of money for Abraham to buy the land he would use to bury his wife. Overpromise. Underdeliver. Efron is the first fast talker in all of history. 

In Pirkei Abot Shammai taught, "Say little and do much" (1:15). Be an Abraham. Promise only what you can easily deliver, whether financially, emotionally or physically. I've never understood people who make big donations and then fail to pay them because they don't have the wherewithal. JUST DONATE LESS. Only commit to what you can actually bring to the table. This is not something you would have thought a Rabbi might tell you, is it? As it so happens, Shammai taught this lesson before me, and Abraham before him.

When we overstate what we can give we aren't doing anyone any favors. It just leads to letting down the people we are trying to raise up, who suffer the pain of unmet expectations. When you promise something manageable you always have the option of doing more and leaving people pleasantly surprised. Being honest in business doesn't only mean not taking things that aren't yours, it also means not giving a deadline you can't meet, or a price you can't actually charge because the numbers don't work. Adding an extra "delivery charge" or "handling fee" is also not the path of integrity. 

Our most precious possession is our integrity, our good name. It is how someone trusts us with their business, their money or their heart. Often all they really have to go on is whether or not the things we say are actually true and accurate.
Efron has just one sly conversation. There is only one person he misleads. For him at the time Abraham is just a vulnerable target, someone in pain, wanting to bury his loved one, a perfect mark. Unfortunately for Efron, Abraham happens to be the father of the "Big Three" religions, and to the end of time the world knows his name and his shame. You never know who the person standing in front of you is going to turn out to be so we must treat every single person with respect, care and consideration.

This reminds me of something I once read from Will Rogers; "It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute." 
So take the time to speak slowly, clearly and honestly. It may be the greatest investment you ever make.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo Farhi