Rabbis must have google in their brains. We must not only know halakhah, t'fillot, Jewish history and philosophy, and ethics, but also Kant, Hume, and all of Western thought. In a moment we must be able to explain the religious impact of the weather and the news. We must have at our fingertips the perfect baby name, Yom Tov menu item, and the best store at which to buy a perfect Birkat Habayit. At the same time we must be esoteric and and down to earth; we must be able to relate to and quote the Sages, as well as popular tv and music lyrics (See my d'var this week where I quote Geddy Lee of Rush. Yes, it's not a new song, but it's a Jewish musician)
Today was the annual local Rabbinical Assembly Yom Iyun. A Yom Iyun is a day of study on a particular topic. This year we learned with Dr. Jim Diamond, Chair of Jewish Studies at the University of Waterloo. He is an expert in Rambam, and we spent a fascinating day learning about Rambam and Ramban and the balance between philosophy and halakhah.
It's always interesting to learn with my colleagues. They are, as a group, everything I mentioned above. Together the issues raised span the world and back again. As much as I love to teach, learning with my colleagues is simply different. We are raised up by the Torah that passes among us, and I a grateful for that time.
