JoelNothman.com

For some time, over this blog’s long period of silence, I’ve intended to publish the few divrei torah (Synagogue sermons) I have given at Or Chadash. Having resolved to finally do so, I’ve realised that the fear of having to edit them is what stops me copy-pasting them.

Being speeches, they were only really designed to be read by me, with plenty of gesticulation if not performance; they’re short on citation and footnoting that I might put in a written work; they’re likely to have inconsistencies like presenting Hebrew terms alternately in Hebrew and in transliteration; and when I’m unsure whether the message was clear, I often expand my words as I read them. This is exacerbated by the fact that I often write these divrei torah in a rush, and I generally present them on days when I can’t put any last-minute changes in writing.

Despite all these faults, I don’t have time to properly edit the talks, or they’ll never get posted.

So I hope you enjoy my words, but take them with some salt.