Friday 25 June 2010

Schadenfreude III - Correcting Torah Readers

A recent MAHPACH thread dealt with Torah Readings that need correction, and the best strategies to make the Torah Readings as accurate as possible - and to protect the feelings of the reader - especially a YOUNG Reader.

Probably the most counter-productive form of correcting a reader is the "attack" mode. Like a sniper lying in wait, some people can't wait to say "Gotcha". Underneath it all, what motivates the aggressive correcter? Is it hyper-vigilance for excellence? Perhaps. And this may be true for many "correctors". But it would seem that some who lie in ambush do so because they enjoy detecting an error. Now this might be in good fun, or it might be having fun at the expense of another [viz. The Lainer].

Too much joy attaching to correcting - seems to point to the underlying motivator as "schadenfreude", the joy of seeing others in shame.
So what alternatives have we?
Let's snip a few points off of the Mahpach thread:

__________________

Poster Chaim: «but where the Halacha requires that you correct - I am all for respecting the feeling of individuals, but please, let's have some Rachamanus on the Torah»

My response: AISI - Corrections are [sometimes] a must and dignity is a must A Wise rabbi-gabba-congregation will respect BOTH feelings and proper diction w/o sacrificing either. It takes compassion, wisdom, and accurate editions to work from. When I am a gabbai, I can pause most readers and whisper the correction in his ear. If they are not rushing they fix it w/o any hard feelings or loss of composure.

The problem AISI is correcting by "attacking". [And as noted here - sometimes motivated by "gotcha"-itis.]

Kol Tuv
RRW

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