The Moment

T he phone call is pretty much routine.

“Hi it’s Zev. I had a gentleman here earlier never learned Gemara before. He’d like to start learning with someone and I think you’ll do a good job. You have time?”

Since working together with Zev the rabbi of a fledgling outreach community is my full-time job I reply in the affirmative without a second thought.

Jack and I arrange to meet at the shul the next morning for our first session. I come prepared with an idea of which Gemara we’ll start with (on Zev’s recommendation Maseches Sotah) and a bottle of lemonade. As I wait for him I wonder what kind of progress we’ll make. A man who’s never learned Gemara; there’s no knowing what questions will come up.