WE WILL NOT MEET ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10--ROSH HASHANAH

Last week, we had a great conversation about the Coen brothers' take on the Book of Job, their 2009 Oscar-nominated film, A Serious Man (which we had screened the previous week).  Several people liked it; some did not.  We discussed whether the film was anti-clerical.  Some were disturbed by how rabbis were portrayed.  Many people, including Rabbi Cabelli, felt that the satirical treatment of rabbis did score some significant points about how some rabbis were out of touch.  We also talked about the shtetl scene that opened the film and Rashi's prologue: "Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you."  Rabbi Cabelli had some interesting comments about the meanings of the word "simplicity," and we also had a good discussion about whether this phrase, or the film itself, had a fatalistic message--we must accept without complaint, and essentialy without action, whatever happens in our lives--or a more positive message--we must learn to deal whole-heartedly with whatever comes our way.

Class will not meet this coming Friday because of the High Holiday.  We will resume on Friday, September 17, when we conclude our discussion of our discussion of the slightly earlier, Tanach version of Job's story.  We left off at Chapter 24.  For a change, Job is complaining, this time about God's unpredictability and His seemingly indifferent attitude to human suffering.  Will Job's pals have a response?  And will Job have a response to that response?  You can count on it!