Sample Story from Wisdom from Reb Zalman: It's the Torah by Karen Golden

DAVENOLOGY
Example Story
It's The Torah by Karen Golden

One Yom Kippur morning we were sitting in the children’s service. I was hoping to go to the Torah service when the teacher announced, “Reb Zalman loves kids. He has no problem with the families of young children attending the Torah service and sitting toward the back in case a quick exit is necessary.”

Reb Zalman was our guest Rabbi for many years during the high holidays. He led the service all dressed in white. As the Torah was taken from the ark, there was singing and dancing and a feeling of merriment. My daughter, Hyla, was bouncing in my husband Steve’s arms with a huge smile on her face. When those gathered became quieter, I pointed ahead whispering, “Hyla, look through there and you will see the rabbi holding the Torah.” I pointed again, adding, “There is the Torah.”

The room was completely quiet now and you could hear a pin drop. It was the moment just before the chanting of the first blessing. Hyla got very excited and in her biggest outside voice she yelled, “Mommy… LOOK IT’S THE TORAH!!! THERE IS THE TORAH!”

Although we were sitting in the back, she had a loud voice and it carried to the front. Many heads turned around and stared at us sharply. I could feel the shock and my heart began to sink. The room was filled with people and many eyes were on us now. I put my hand over Hyla’s mouth but she moved it away and continued to yell with exuberance, “IT’S THE TORAH!”

As we went to the back of the room through an opening in the curtains surrounding the prayer space, unbeknownst to us, Hyla grabbed onto the fabric and we kept walking. Suddenly we heard a huge crashing sound and to our horror, Hyla had pulled down the drapes, metal pipes and all.

Now the entire congregation was looking at us. We heard someone shout, “Wait!”

That someone was Reb Zalman. He ran to where we were standing and motioned for us to come back into the room. We walked up the aisle with our spunky toddler. He reached out for her chubby little hands and held them in his.

Then, he turned to the congregation, rubbed his beard and said, with a twinkle in his eye, “We should all be so excited to see the Torah.”

—Karen Golden [5.6] WISDOM FROM REB ZALMAN BUY NOW [This book is a candidate for the National Jewish Book Award}