Every Shabbos, I daven in a vasikin minyan. After the minyan there is a small kiddush and a short drasha on the parsha [given by yours truly - usually about 10 minutes or so]. There are a number of approaches to the kiddush and drasha. Some quickly walk out before it starts. Like it's 7:15 am and every week they are rushing to go somewhere [where?]. Others will go to a part of the shul where everyone is not sitting, so they don't have to be part of the Tzibbur. Other come to the kiddush and actually talk [out loud] during the drasha. Some walk out right in the middle!! Right in front of the Darshan. He is talking, they stand up and walk out. LOVE IT!! Others sit there but are far more interested in the food and don't really listen [there are ways of testing this]. Others give him and the Torah the respect of staying and listening. But since it is a small minyan to begin with, not too many people are left.
Maybe I am weird [maybe? like, DEFINITELY] but I think it is much more polite, respectful and mentschlich to just stay and at least pretend to listen. It also creates a sense of community. We don't just daven together but also learn and eat together [and then hang out afterwards shmoozing a bit].
I almost never receive feedback from the readers of the blog [which is fine - I don't need feedback. I need good health and parnassa and as long as I have those I am pretty cool Baruch Hashem. ברוך השם!!!😊😊]. But if anyone has any insight on this, it would be appreciated.
The takeway is that if you are in shul or elsewhere and someone gets up to speak - give him and the Torah the respect of listening. You might even learn something...
I am reminded of back when I used to teach in a Yeshiva and I would walk into a classroom to give a shiur and the boys would see me and RUN OUT quickly before I started. So I once told them - you KNOW there is a shiur at this and this time - why don't you at least leave two minutes before so you don't have to give the person [whomever he may be] the feeling that you are running out in him? Nu, no more Yeshiva or teaching for me. Unwanted. Loved only by my mother and children [and, most importantly HASHEM, who totally ROCKS ברוך הוא וברוך שמו!!!]. But that part hasn't changed [just now I don't get paid for it. Better. Torah should ideally be free].
The thing I LOVE about giving shiurim on line is that I can't see people leaving before or during. And ditto with the blog. The small pleasures of life....
