Juggling one’s public role with familial needs can be challenging; after all the rabbi does have a home and family. Having children in Eretz Yisrael while being a rav in America can be an especially difficult juggling act.
Therefore the time I set aside on Friday mornings to speak with my family in Eretz Yisrael is precious to me. It is a time to reconnect and find out what is going in the lives of those I love who aren’t presently close by. And especially as a rabbi I relish those too few minutes on Friday mornings when I’m no longer “the rabbi”; rather I’m just “Tatty” and “Zeidy.”
That particular Friday morning began with the usual congregational “emergencies.” Also the shul dinner was just a few days away and added to that were some of my own issues which of course I also have. I was at that time struggling with a painful and especially challenging personal issue.
How often do I tell those who come to see me with their issues “This will pass and you shall see it was for the best?”
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