If we practice what we preach, then rabbis will study, too. We know that our Sages taught, “Do not wait until you have leisure time in which to study; perhaps you won’t have leisure time.” The point is that if we’re going to study, then we have to set aside time for it.

            At Beth Israel, one of the privileges the clergy enjoy is time for study. Just a few years ago, a Temple member who understood the Sage’s lesson made it financially possible for your rabbis and cantor to study with Rabbi Judith Abrams, an expert in Talmud and a cherished colleague. Once-a-week, in an hour of private study, Rabbi Abrams meets with each of us to engage us in text study. We study according to our individual needs and interests in a tractate of Talmud or a Book of the Bible. We study in Hebrew and English, and we examine commentaries and modern insights. The study itself is as important as the conversation that follows from questions and challenges posed by the texts.

            The result of our study is enthusiasm for our own participation in Jewish life, and our eagerness to share more with you in classes we teach, in sermons we preach, and in paths we reach together on our Jewish journeys. The lessons your rabbis and cantor offer at the graveside, at a wedding, or in a personal conversation are not just lessons we studied years ago; they might also be new insights we gained in our on-going studies. We couldn’t possibly continue to be effective as Jewish teachers if we didn’t keep studying.

            This week, even as I’m writing you, I’m at the Kellogg School of Management, at Northwestern University, for intensive study with professors in the inaugural Kellogg Rabbinic Management Program. I was invited to participate as a student with 55 other colleagues, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Together, we’ve been studying marketing and leadership, synagogue governance, fundraising, implementing change, leading people and organizations, conflict resolution and crisis management. These are the subjects Jewish seminaries just don’t teach. The days are full and I’ve been away from the congregation this week; but, the time set aside for such study should bear fruit in the ways I’m prepared to return and serve you. It’s been valuable and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

            Jewish studies are broad and deep. They require a curious mind and a personal eagerness to gain knowledge. Sometimes it’s knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It’s called “Torah l’shma,” study for study’s sake. It keeps the mind sharp and the spirit engaged. Sometime it’s learning for the sake of teaching. It’s called, “Lilmod u-lilameid,” to learn and to teach. It’s the role of every Jew to learn so that he or she may teach the next generation and those closest to us.

            So, as long as your rabbis are learning, may I ask you, have you set aside time for Jewish learning? Are you reading a Jewish book or teaching a Jewish lesson? If the answer is “yes,” I’m so pleased. If the answer is “not today,” then make time tomorrow. Rabbi Scott, Rabbi Miller, Cantor Gerber and I are committed to being role models of Jewish study. Ask us what we’re learning this week, and ask us what we’re reading. If you do, don’t be surprised if we ask you the same question. Be prepared: visit the Schachtel Library at Beth Israel, the largest Jewish library in the southwest with nearly 20,000 volumes. Check it out!

            From my desk to yours, Shabbat Shalom.

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