The Rabbi and The Rebbetzin Read Online Free PDF Page A

residence hall was a newer building erected by Ohr
Moshe on land adjacent to the school. It took Pinkes a few extra minutes to get
dressed and come over to the main building.
     For
Shalom, the call was not unexpected. All of the students were aware that a full
faculty meeting had taken place. With only ten days left before Rosh Hashanah,
Shalom assumed that the meeting was called to deal with school arrangements for
the holidays. He was the unofficial student representative for such functions
and was in charge of organizing student committees to make all of the necessary
arrangements. He was surprised to see Aaron Adler in the office because Aaron
never involved himself in any extra-curricular activities.
     Adler
was very apprehensive. He frequently spoke to the dean in the study hall on
Talmudic matters, but this was the first time he had ever been directly
summoned to Rabbi Rosenberg’s office. He was closer to Rabbi Weiss, who took
care of all of his financial and residential affairs. Earlier in the morning,
he was sitting near the dean when Rabbi Weiss came into the study hall. From
the look of concern on the director’s face, it was obvious that some major
problem had arisen and he sensed that the faculty meeting was specially called
to deal with it. Adler was still in the study hall when called because the
lecture that day was very complex. It dealt with laws appearing in the first chapter
of the Talmudic tractate Chulin . The students had started the new volume
at the beginning of the semester and were still mired in the opening
discussions. Because everything was not fully clarified, Aaron had foregone the
afternoon recess and remained at his desk.
    Rabbi
Rosenberg asked the boys to take seats at the conference table and he called on
Rabbi Weiss to describe the problem and summarize the results of the faculty
meeting. Both boys could hardly believe that the yeshiva was being compelled to
send one of its students to worship on the High Holidays in a type of synagogue
that was an anathema to them. “Before we ask you to make any decisions,” Rabbi
Rosenberg said to the students, “I would be willing to answer all questions
that you may have. Feel free to ask anything you wish, because this is a very
unusual matter and a new experience for you.”
    Shalom
was the first to speak. “Before I get to the many practical aspects of this
matter, I wonder if I may raise a number of theoretical questions?”
    “Ask
whatever comes to mind,” the dean said.
    “Would
the student who davens in Dunberg satisfy his personal prayer requirements?”
    “If
he follows the laws of prayer carefully, he will certainly fulfill his
requirements. God forbid that I should nullify prayers that were offered in
large Orthodox synagogues for more than five centuries under the aegis of
saintly rabbis. What we try to do in the yeshiva is encourage our students to
worship among learned and observant people, where an atmosphere of holiness
pervades. Such an environment is more conducive to inspired prayer. I know that
there are limits. If the synagogue in question has deviated too far from established
practice, the validity of the prayers may be jeopardized. Otherwise the prayers
remain valid. “
    “What
is the situation in the Dunberg congregation?”
    “To
the best of our knowledge, Beth Israel conforms to most of the requirements.
The cantors are Sabbath observant, the prayer book is Orthodox, and the prayers
are not abridged. If there is any problem, it is in the area of separation of
men from the women.”
    “You
mean they have mixed-seating?” Shalom asked in alarm.
    “Of
course not, the women sit in the back behind a partition that is 39 inches
high. Attached to the top of the partition is a cloth curtain that adds another
twelve inches. But 51 inches is no longer considered sufficient by current rabbinic
law. Rabbi Feinstein, of blessed memory, insisted on a minimum height of 65
inches to meet the requirements of physical and