Thursday bits

[cellio]

Finally, I am done tinkering with my d'var torah for tomorrow night. I better be; I have to format and print it before Shabbat. I had some trouble with this one, partly because it's longer than the Shabbat-morning mini-drash and partly because my rabbi will be listening. But I'm really, really looking forward to leading servces in front of my rabbi tomorrow!

Our associate rabbi has returned from Jerusalem. The US campuses of HUC ordain rabbis in May, but for some reason Jerusalem does it in November. He's been our associate rabbi for a few months, but now he has the title officially. I saw him tonight and he looked very happy.

This morning the rabbi (at the other shul) asked if I've been to Israel, based on my Hebrew pronunciation. I'll take that as a compliment. :-) (Mind, no Israeli would ever think that.)

I spent a few minutes this morning playing computer consultant for that rabbi. You know what usually follows "you know something about computers, right?", right? Yes, "I have this problem with my email...". It happened with his predecessor too. I should make cards -- "rabbinic software consultant since 1998". :-) So I was able to configure Outlook Express to read his AOL mail for him -- not that I previously knew anything about AOL or much about Outlook Express, but informed instinct counts for a lot. He probably now knows mor than he ever cared to about IMAP and SMTP, but his email works. :-)

Comments

[alice-curiouser.livejournal.com]

"you know something about computers, right?"

The most horrifying words ever. O.o

[geekosaur]

I have a "No, I will not fix your computer." T-shirt from Sun, if anyone'd like. :)

[cellio]

In this case I don't mind. He was polite and didn't presume, and now I'm building up karma points for when I have questions in his domain that he doesn't owe me answers to. :-)

[alice-curiouser.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind, except when people ask ME, it's usually followed by "I had a pop-up saying I had a virus, so I clicked it and now my computer isn't working right!" or something equally clueless.

[cellio]

That's different; it's a self-inflicted wound. :-)

[murphstein.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll share it with us once it's typed up!

[cellio]

It's typed now (the days of hand-written drafts being long behind me :-) ). I'll post after Shabbat; first public version should be in the intended venue. (That's also why I don't post the parsha bits until after morning services on Thursdays. Sure, I have no evidence that anyone from either congregation reads or even knows about my journal; it's the principle more than the reality that guides me.)

OT: "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry."

[siderea]

I was doing research for school, and tripped over the paper "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry." If you want me to mail you a copy, let me know. It's 944K, so I'll do it from work, rather than here at home over the 56k modem.

Here's the abstract:

Probes the history of the practice of visiting graves for purposes of prayer among the Ashkenazic and Sephardic strains of Judaism. Controversy over intercessionary prayer to the dead; Legend of Caleb, the spy sent by Moses into the land of Canaan; Caleb's alleged prostration before the Tomb of Patriarchs to ask their intercession; Likening of Rabbanite prayers at graves to acts of idolatry.

Elliott Horowitz, Journal of Jewish Thought & Philosophy (Routledge); Jul99, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p303, 15p.

Re: OT: "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry."

[cellio]

Thanks -- sounds interesting. (I didn't know about the Caleb legend at all.)

Re: OT: "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry."

[chaos-wrangler.livejournal.com]

[Without looking it up, so details may be off]

I think that one's based on the text using the singular form of a verb in the context of the 12 spies going to Chevron, from which the midrash figures that only 1 of them went there, etc.

Re: OT: "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry."

[siderea]

I just emailed it. Let me know if it you don't receive it.

Re: OT: "Speaking to the Dead: Cemetery Prayer in Medieval and Early Modern Jewry."

[cellio]

Got it. Thanks!