Shalom Chaverim,
For the last several weeks in this email, we’ve followed the custom of studying Pirke Avot – the Wisdom of our Fathers – each Shabbat during the weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Let’s do it again for this final Shabbat before Shavuot, both to uphold this custom and for another reason as well:
Today is the first yahrzeit for Michael Lawee, z”l. Michael was a particularly devoted, involved, and beloved member of the Temple Sinai community. Those words do little to capture the esteem and respect that, I know, the entire community felt for Michael. We had expected that Michael would, in just a few weeks from today, become our next Temple Sinai President.
This teaching from Avot about the importance of ‘a good name’ reflects the value of the very good name that Michael, z”l earned for himself…
…רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, שְׁלשָׁה כְתָרִים הֵם, כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה וְכֶתֶר כְּהֻנָּה וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת, וְכֶתֶר שֵׁם טוֹב עוֹלֶה עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן:
…Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name supersedes them all. [Avot 4:13]
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Rabbi Michael Schwartz