The Art of Listening to a Sermon

Photo Credit: Karith

I have lost count of the number times where I have sat down at a Shabbat lunch and have heard some version of following: "I am not sure what the rabbi said today." Sometimes, a guest will start out: "The derashah was unbelievable..." Yet the subsequent attempt to repeat the salient points is found to be hopeless. If three people happened to hear the same derasha, they can, with great fortitude, reconstruct the sermon. Usually this works, but when it doesn't...imagine 8-year-olds putting a shattered Ming vase back together with Elmer's glue. Not pretty. As a rabbi myself, I find this nothing less than heartrending.  In light of the above, I have decided to share some general advice on how to follow and remember the Shabbat Morning Sermon. Here goes: 


The most important thing to realize is that all sermons can be broken down to three culinary elements: 1. The Big Question (appetizer) 2. The Answer (main course) 3. Its Application (dessert). (For more info, see my previous post.) Everything else is 'filler'. By this, I include jokes, anecdotes, seat announcements, quotes from Shakespeare or R. Abraham Joshua Heschel z'l, aesthetically pleasing but otherwise unwieldy transitional sentences, and the variety of ways a rabbi might repeat the Question, or Answer, or Big Message using varying adjectives and nouns, textual sources, stories and the like. 


Therefore, to succinctly remember and follow a sermon, one should first listen for the Big Question. Once identified, make a mental note of it. Try thinking to yourself: "such-and-such is the appetizer." Then, wait patiently for The Answer--once identified, think to yourself "ok that's the main course." Lastly, carefully note how the answer is turned into a poignant message or reflection--hopefully the thought will linger along the trip home and into lunch where one can share this piece of delicious Torah like a sweet apple tart or a cream chocolate mousse. 


Some things to keep in mind: 
1. The Question is typically employed in the first two to four minutes of the Sermon. Sometimes, it is preceded by an anecdote or joke, but as soon as you hear a religious text being quoted, then you can be sure that a question is sure to follow. 


2. As soon as you get the question, sit back and relax, as the rabbi may choose to rephrase it, build on it, or just illustrate it with a story. The next big thing to wait for is the Answer. Ideally, there is a succinct transitional phrase that leads to the answer such as, "In response to our question--why were Joseph's brothers jealous of him?--Rashi says as follows..." But even without the transitional phrase, once the Rabbi begins a phrase, "Rashi says...or the Talmud says...or the Midrash says" an answer is sure to come.


3. Sometimes, the rabbi will use different sources that basically give the same answer. (This is like a going back for seconds after a meal, so don't get too caught up by it, it's just extra calories.)  Sometimes, the rabbi will compare and contrast two or more commentators that give different answers to the Same Big Question. This is like a meal with selection of  main dishes. Not to worry, the last answer is where the brisket is...and from it, the Rabbi will craft the message de jour! 


I hope this helps. If not, we rabbis are used to being forgotten.