Rabbinic Reflections: Issue 261

June 6, 2025 - 10 Sivan 5785

Yesterday, Rabbi Strom had another procedure on his eye, which according to the rabbi went perfectly. He had a follow up appointment with the ophthalmologist this morning, who reported, “It looks perfect. Not good, perfect.” Most importantly, Rabbi Strom is already seeing and feeling a difference, so it is a pleasure to share some good news as we close out the week and head into Shabbat.

With that said, Rabbi Strom was unable to write this week’s Rabbinic Reflections, so I am going to try to fill in for him by sharing a story to help welcome in your Shabbat. Actually, I am turning, once again, to my AI friend, Microsoft Copilot, for some help.

Last night, I had the great pleasure of watching the movie Bad Shabbos, which is one of the terrific films making up the Jewish Film Festival at the Barrymore Film Center. The film was both Hamish and hysterical, so if you missed it, please look for it at another theater or on a streaming service.

I don’t want to spoil the plot of the movie, but it got me wondering what a movie about a good Shabbos could entail, so I asked Copilot for a short, humorous story called A Good Shabbos. In the blink of an eye, it produced a draft. I made some tweaks to it and below you will find the final version.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for our Shabbat morning services and Rabbi Strom looks forward to seeing everyone through eyes that are working together better than before. Until then, I wish you A Good Shabbos…

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Parashat Naso - A Good Shabbos

Dear Friends,

In the peaceful town of Shalomville, Shabbos (Shabbat) morning was a sacred time. The sun peeked over the rooftops as families walked to shul, dressed in their finest, greeting each other with warm smiles and hearty “Good Shabbos!” wishes.

Rabbi Mendel, beloved for his joyful spirit and slightly mischievous sense of humor, stood at the entrance of the synagogue, shaking hands and offering compliments like, “Mr. Stein, that tie is so bright, I think it just made Havdalah early!”

The service began with the usual decorum—beautiful davening, heartfelt aliyot, and the occasional child running down the aisle to do laps around the bimah. But this week, Rabbi Mendel had a surprise—not a gadget, of course, but something even better: a “Shabbos Spiel,” a lighthearted skit performed by the youth of the congregation.

The skit, titled “The Case of the Missing Kugel,” was a comedic mystery set in a fictional shtetl. Young Moishe played the detective, complete with a magnifying glass made from a cardboard tube and a yarmulke two sizes too big. The plot twisted and turned—was it the rabbi? The rebbetzin? The mysterious man who always came late and left with two plates?

The congregation roared with laughter when little Rivky, playing the kugel thief, dramatically confessed: “I couldn’t help it! It was still warm and it smelled so delicious!”

After the skit, the rabbi gave a short drasha tying the story to the weekly parsha. “You know,” he said, “in Parshat Naso, we read about the Sotah, a woman suspected of wrongdoing, and the elaborate process to determine the truth. But here in Shalomville, we don’t need bitter waters. We just need a warm kugel and a good sense of humor to get to the bottom of things!”

Following services, everyone gathered for the Kiddush. The table was a glorious spread of herring, kugel (yes, plenty of it), egg salad, and the famous cholent that Mr. Goldfarb insisted had “a secret ingredient,” though everyone suspected it was just extra garlic.

As people mingled, Rabbi Mendel made his rounds, telling his classic Shabbos jokes:

• “Why did the chicken cross the road on Shabbos? It didn’t—it waited until after Havdalah!”
• “Why did the challah go to therapy? Because it felt like it was always being pulled in two directions!”
• “Why did the baker bring two loaves of challah to dinner? Because one just wasn’t kneaded enough.”
• The rabbi finished off by telling the Gabbai, “I tried to make a joke about cholent… but it’s still stewing.”
• By the time the sun began its slow descent, the people of Shalomville had full bellies, warm hearts, and were filled with the kind of laughter that lingers long after the candles have burned down.

It had been, by all accounts, a very good Shabbos.

Shabbat Shalom,

Craig Bassett (& Microsoft Copilot)
Executive Director
Tel: 201-947-1555
ed@cbiotp.org

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