Parshat Bamidbar: Music, Maestro, Please! - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

as a small boy I remember the first time I saw a concert pianist in action I was fascinated how his hands could coax the most sublime sounds from a few dozen ivory keys now be a persuasive sort I managed to talk my parents into buying a piano so that I could perform the same trick when the piano arrived I positioned myself carefully on the piano stool had I been wearing tails I would no doubt have flicked them nonchalantly as i seated myself I opened the lid rubbed my hands together to warm them and held them poised over the center of the keyboard just like I'd seen the maestro do my hands plunged into the unfortunate keys with a loud and highly unmusical sprang this was followed by several more splines and a few sprawls rounded off with a bang and a long blue Frank the ba-bong down to the nether depths of the keyboard this was not the magic that I'd hoped for fortunately my mother had already arranged for me to have some lessons now said Mr sport so the first thing we need to learn is born but I want to be a child prodigy I protested realizing the sort of pupil with whom he'd been blessed mr. Spode so rolled his eyes heavenly to achieve anything a person must have order music is all about order one note has to follow the other note in the correct order one movement must follow the next in the correct order in order to get anywhere you must order your day so that you have everyday to sit down and practice your scales the basic order of music you can't just pick up your hands and expect to reduce luck money enough this last fact I was already painfully aware for the Oh was an accident the whole Torah is based on order a split second divides Shabbat from the weekdays a hairsbreadth between Kasia and treif one drop of water divides a cosmic firm from one it's unfit a millimetre separates the camp of the Kohanim from that of the love 'i'm al AV must not do the service of a cohan and vice versa nor melee v to the surface of his fellow only with every man at his camp and every man at his banner the Jewish people are able to give a flawless performance of the Sonata of life our holy Torah [Music] you [Applause]