Encore: Chapter 37

Avi Korman knew that he had no choice, but he also knew that the chances of the Rosh Yeshivah considering the suggestion were less than slim, so he spoke like a man who didn’t believe his own words.

“Basically, this friend of mine was giving me ideas to help the yeshivah.” He paused and started again. “Not really a current friend, more like an old friend who I stay in touch with, but he has some interesting ideas, he’s done good things for all kinds of tzedakos. I mean, he’s the one who had the idea of Shomrei Shemittah, I’m sure you remember that campaign, and he was the guy who came up with the kiruv-dollars….” Aware that he was blabbering now, Avi Korman paused again.

Rabbi Wasser kindly pretended that everything was normal and made small talk while Avi collected himself. “I stopped drinking so much coffee,” the Rosh Yeshivah said, lifting the blue mug he was cradling in his hands. “I switched to herbal tea. I miss the coffee, but I was giving the bochurim a shmuess about smoking and the vort was that well beyond the health risks and unpleasant smell and expense — which are all emes’eh problems — there’s the etzem issue, which is being meshubad to a taavah. Its like willingly becoming a hostage. It’s a stirah with being a tzelem Elokim, I think. HaKadosh Baruch Hu made adam to be higher than anything else, so how can a person let himself be owned by a desire?

“Then,” Rabbi Wasser said, taking a pause to sip from the mug, “I started thinking about the fact that it wasn’t so honest of me, because I also have zachen, you know? So I started with coffee. At least this way I can be honest when I’m tovei’a for the bochurim, I’m trying to cut back too. And you know what Reb Avi? It’s hard. Harder than I thought. Sometimes I feel like it’s a taanis.”