An amazing day

We had an amazing Shabbat with the celebration of our grandson, Joshua, becoming a Bar Mitzvah. This term means “son of the commandment” and recognizes the fact that at the age of 13 a young man becomes obligated in the observance of Jewish laws.

Joshua read from the Torah (five books of Moses) and also a portion from the Haftarah, a corresponding selection from the books of Nevi'im ("Prophets") of the Hebrew Bible. He also gave a speech that is called a D’Var Torah (words of Torah).

After the formal services, light refreshments were served and the invited guests returned to the sanctuary to hear other family members speak about Joshua, followed by a lovely lunch. Here is the speech I wrote and shared. Hebrew terms are defined at the end.

Joshua, the words I am sharing with you today are actually the second speech I prepared for this morning. The first, written over a month ago, was focused on the shalshelet¹. I had learned Torah trope² many years ago and routinely leined³ at the Women’s Tefillah⁴ in Riverdale as well as on Simchat Torah⁵ here in Sharon.

When you told me a few weeks ago that you were working with Rabbi Cheses on your d’var torah, I naturally asked about the topic and learned that you were planning to speak about the shalshelet! From this we can only conclude that great minds do think alike! Fortunately, you are a many-faceted person, so it was not at all difficult to prepare a different set of thoughts.

The celebration of a young man becoming a Bar Mitzvah usually focuses on what he has learned from his parents and grandparents and teachers in his 13 years. But today, Joshua, rather than focus on what you have learned from all of us, I would like to focus on what I have learned from you.

From a very young age, Joshua, you were 100% “boy,” fascinated by anything that had wheels: trains, cars, and trucks. Having raised two daughters, this was an entirely new experience for your Sabba and me. We both remember quite vividly taking you to the Boston Children’s Museum when you were only about a year old during the visit you and your mother made to meet your newborn cousin Eliana. The highlight of the day was not anything in the museum but what happened on the parking lot as we were leaving: a very large truck had pulled up, and you were mesmerized watching as the driver maneuvered it to turn around. He noticed you sitting there in your stroller watching in wide-eyed fascination, and he leaned out his window and waved to you. We could never have imagined such a magical connection between people based on a truck.

Joshua, you have taught me to appreciate a sometimes off-beat sense of humor. Whether it is silly riddles or knock-knock jokes, you have honed your skills at being able to make people laugh. While the world is, for sure, filled with many serious things, or maybe because the world is filled with so many serious things, the ability to help people see humor in everyday life is a real treasure. Similarly, you have helped me appreciate that board games do not always have to be intensely competitive: they can just be fun!

Everyone who knows you, Joshua, knows you are a big sports fan. But I grew up with a distinct aversion to sports, particularly those boys of summer. My mother, may she rest in peace, a native of St. Louis, was an avid Cardinals fan, and spent many a summer evening glued to the radio animatedly listening to the games. I learned from a young age never to invite friends over when the Cardinals were playing. Although your Sabba is a life-long Mets fan, he and I never went to a baseball game together; I think he knew better than to even suggest such an outing.

And then you came along, and changed my world in so many wonderful ways. While I am still not, by anyone’s measure, an avid baseball fan, and still can barely keep track of the names of the players, there is hardly an afternoon more fun than one spent at a ballpark with you. Your enthusiasm is simply infectious.

Joshua, we have had a golden opportunity today to see that your talents and passions are not limited to trucks, or jokes, or sports. While you will surely continue to hold all of these dear, we look forward to watching you grow and bring your energy and enthusiasm to all the many wonderful opportunities your life will have to offer. We love you Joshua!

Included in Joshua’s speech were the following words:

Nana and Sabba - I’d like to thank you for long games of Rummikub and hours of sorting thousands of baseball cards on Shabbat afternoon.  I’m so fortunate to have someone who understands my passion for sports trivia and is always willing to text with me about the most recent game.  I love getting to go to Citi Field with you guys (even when the outcome isn’t always so good for the Mets) and I especially loved our private tour.  Nana, thank you so much for lending me your yad⁶ today to use while I read from the Torah.

Glossary:

¹ Shalshelet is one of the “notes” used in chanting from the Torah

² Torah trope is the term used to refer to the cantillations used

³ “Lein” is the word used to refer to reading from the Torah

⁴ “Tefillah” is the Hebrew word for prayer

⁵ “Simchat Torah” is the last of the fall holidays, commemorating the receipt of the Torah at Mount Sinai

⁶ “Yad” is the Hebrew word for hand. Here it refers to the pointer used to follow the text when reading from the Torah scroll

Because the entire celebration took place on the Jewish Sabbath, and we do not use electronic devices on the Sabbath, I do not have pictures to share. But I do have a picture on this blog with the family dressed in the clothing they wore, and a mind full of pictures that will last forever.

We hosted a party for the young guests on Saturday night at a trampoline park called “Launch.” I will post some pictures from that when I have a chance to go through them.

Stay warm and have a good week!

Love,

Rebecca