I told him the truth that the book he liked of mine, FDHS, when it was being written and as it was being written my thinking was it better be good enough for AJW and I hoped that he would like it. I sent him two of the books just completed. The theology of “Chewish” and my Exodus Evidence compendium. He had said to me “whatever you want me to do I will do it Reeve” and I said “would you read?” (he knew I meant my new books) and he said “gladly.” He said I was a wonderful writer and that he knew Reeve Brenner before Reeve Brenner was Reeve Brenner. Whatever that meant it was loving. He encouraged other younger rabbis as he encouraged me. I blushed over the telephone. I quickly responded with “look who talking,” and he said “wellllllll” like Jack Benny considering his life or his cash. And we both laughed. I didn’t know him very well but thought about him very often, about as often as I sat down to write and knew that the thoughts and words I put down would be words and thoughts I’d want him and Borowitz and Cohen to appreciate. This from a rabbi of some 50 years, still in awe, in admiration of other senior rabbis. This means that everyday I’m at it Arnold J. Wolf was on my mind. Because besides writing for you my daughters and your families, I wrote for him really.
Sometime, years earlier, I can’t remember quite when, I told him of the impact his “I walk the road of Judaism” had on me and others. Incredibly modest as he was incredibly outrageous he said “I took it from Franz Rosenzweig” Truth is what he did with it, just about the best way of understanding the mitzvah system and how to get with it there is. I informed Arnie that I quoted that piece in my Chewish book and how often have I shared it.
Remember, I told you that just before the elections Rabbi Wolf spoke to me, between his calls for interviews, about his friendship with his neighbor Barack Obama who lived across the street and he assured me of his bona fides and helped me in turn reassure some members of my group by just saying AJW, about whom they heard me speak often enough, said thumbs up. It was dayenu for me.
Friday night, Hanukkah, after kaddish and my words of appreciation for him, I read (again) that “I walk the road” piece to my congregation of some adults and kids including one particular ger toshav, a terrific young man married to a lovely daughter of members of my congregation. And the young man bought into it at once. He told me afterwards, he said “now he understands.” Meaning yes, he was committed to raising Jewish kids from the moment he fell in love and he mentioned the chapter in my book on Conversion and Convergence but now he says he understands the gestalt of the system is what it is all about. And now he an architect and a very creative guy (couple really – she’s also an architect), knows what I mean when I say “get with the program.” Not get with our beliefs, faith, required thinking but do get with the rhythm of it. To experience the Jewish way, the mitzvah system Jewishly, submit to the routine of it, do them as an artist gives in to the work on his canvass that absorbs him fully without dwelling on the chemistry of the paint or like a violinist carried away with the music without asking the why of each note. Wolf’s genius, I saw was as the sharp breeze that lifted the young man’s intellectual sails; the young man just returned from his honeymoon and is now beginning to “get with the program” – coming to shul, struggling with translations and transliterations – understands it better because of Wolf or Rosenzweig by way of Wolf.
As to what I could have hoped from Wolf’s kindness to me was that he’d review/recommend my Chewish book to our colleagues and the Exodus book just finished; I told him they are without cost on the internet written to persuade and not for revenue. This Arnold J. Wolf promised me but did not live to keep the promise. I wish he had lived longer – the world is poorer without him by a lot. His absence hurts. I’m not the only one feeling his loss that knew him from a distance. Nisht zu glachen and l’havdil what was brought to mind was a feeling like Velikovsky must have felt when he learned from his neighbor in Princeton that his good friend and lansman Einstein died. Before Einstein could keep the promise he made to Velikovsky concerning an experiment which Einstein promised to help Velikovsky who needed Einstein’s influence to get the experiment done in space. Einstein had asked “what would you have me do?” like AJW asked of me. And Velikovsky asked Einstein to use his influence to get this experiment undertaken. Einstein thought it was a good idea and promised but he died before he could keep his promise to Velikovsky. I think I know how and what Velikovsky felt.
I know this: I’m not nearly ready to think of putting thoughts on paper for you kids and others without thinking of him reading it.
Love Saba Reeve