Va-Yechi: A Grandfather, A Gabbai, and a Music Man

If you've been reading this blog for a while, or indeed if you're familiar with our congregation, Ohev Shalom, you know that every other year we put on a musical performance. I've written about Fiddler on the Roof,

the Wizard of Oz, and have referred to our Ohev Players troupe on numerous occasions. In just three, short weeks (yikes!), we will be performing The Music Man, and so I wanted to write and share some thoughts I've had about the themes in the show. But I'll start that next week. For now, I would like to focus on something more over-arching about staging musicals, and something that relates both to our parashah this week, AND to a special service we're holding on Saturday morning.

Ritual is important. So is tradition. Not *so* essential, in my opinion, that rituals and traditions can NEVER be broken, or that deviations from the norm should be treated like cardinal sins! But they help us create the structure and guidelines for society, our own lives, and even, sometimes, for our mental health. I venture to say

this is, in part, because we are communal creatures; we are social by nature and organize into groups on instinct. When I watch the Ohev Players' productions take shape, I always marvel at how critically important it is to have volunteers at EVERY level of the endeavor. Performers, directors, producers, choreographers, and music directors, sure! But also people to handle costumes, to design, build, and draw sets, to cover ticket sales, program books, and concessions, manage advertising, to pull the curtain and handle all things stage-crew-related. I mean, when you stop and think about it, it's really unbelievable! And each role has its own rituals and traditions that govern how IT functions, and how it fits into the larger whole.

Our Torah portion this week, Va-Yechi, concludes the Book of Genesis. And we see Jacob preparing for his death, but first wanting to bless Joseph's sons (and his own grandsons), Menashe and Ephraim. The Torah puts forth the choreography for this moment, in chapter 48, verses 5-22, and we are led to believe there is a correct and incorrect way to handle this moment. But Jacob intentionally deviates from the tradition, and blesses the younger son before the
older! And on one level, I marvel at this moment too. Because the Torah has built and built to this scene, with everything that led Joseph to Egypt, and then the family to follow him down there. So many people and forces and drama and super-natural phenomena went into this rising crescendo... only to have Jacob break from the norm at the very last second. And the Torah WANTS it to be so, wants us to see the pattern and the ritual that was... and to highlight those moments in life when we need to veer sharply off to one side or the other, and make a stark, but necessary change.

This Shabbat, we are celebrating the "stage crew" of our synagogue services. Nothing functions on a Saturday morning without the care and commitment put in by our Gabbaim. Part usher, part greeter, part sexton, part prayer leader, and part Levitical priest; the people who volunteer to be Gabbaim enable everything to run smoothly. They give out honors throughout the service, they oversee the Torah reading, and they make sure congregational norms and practices are adhered to...

but with a smile and a gentle demeanor. This Saturday morning, I would like to thank all our Gabbaim for their phenomenal service, and then also discuss and unpack some of our rituals, so that new people may perhaps feel empowered to themselves serve as Gabbai in the future. If you're even a tiny smidge interested, please come! To me, each of these three examples highlights how everyone has a role. There is a part for every individual in a family, a system, or a musical production. But it is also essential to remember that one's small(er) part in the whole does not preclude a person from individual thinking, critical analysis, feedback, or even from occasionally upending the status quo to demonstrate something valuable. What are the rituals in *your* life? What helps create order, structure, and habit for you... and when (if ever) have you broken out of that routine for a (potentially) greater purpose? It's time to examine these things, and to challenge yourself to take an active role AND to sometimes push back against it when necessary. Oh, and it's also time to buy your Music Man tickets! See you on stage!!


CC images in this blog post, courtesy of:
1. Renee Grant on Facebook
2. needpix.com
3. Mosaic Panel in Ohev Shalom's Main Sanctuary - Ephraim
4. Mosaic Panel in Ohev Shalom's Main Sanctuary - Menashe
5. Mnavon on Wikipedia