Jan. 19, 2013 – Fabrangen Celebrated Norman Shore’s 50th Bar Mitzvah Anniversary
In a passage in his biography by Aaron Rakefet Rothkoff, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik reflected on his love of learning Torah. I’d like to dedicate this passage to Norman Shore who might well have a similar experience as the Rav, and who has given our community the gift of passionate Torah study. Thanks to Rabbi Rachel Adler and Rabbi Rachel Barenblat for lifting this passage up. — Gilah Langner
When I sit down to learn, the giants of the mesora [tradition] are with me. Our relationship is personal. The Rambam sits to my right, Rabbenu Tam to my left, Rashi sits at the head and explains, the Rambam decides the halakha and the Ravad objects. All of them are with me in my small room, sitting around the table. They look at me with fondness. Learning Torah is not just a didactic, formal, technical experience whose purpose is creation and exchange of ideas. Learning Torah is the intense experience of uniting many generations together, the joining of spirit to spirit, and the connecting of soul to soul.