Public Speaking

I gave a dvar torah in seminar today (we each are supposed to give something like 3 over the course of the year). I was pretty nervous about it before hand- I am not a comfortable public speaker, and when I wrote the thing, I started it a good three times before it started coming out in a presentable way. But when I finished writing, it did turn into something that I liked on paper, which was a significant step- I'm rarely fond of how I write when I'm trying to write in order to present something out loud.

The actual delivery went reasonably, if not wonderfully (which I was not at all expecting it to do). I thought I was speaking slowly and with reasonable intonation, and that I wasn't letting too much nerves sneak out into my voice. The feedback I got suggested that I was a bit wooden about things, basically- that I wasn't using any body language, and that my voice was fairly flat- I think they meant as far as changes in volume and such. What was pleasing was that two of my classmates who were in mechina with me last year told me how much better I was doing with this than last year, and how much more confident I seemed. I'm not sure that I feel more confident, precisely- but it was a lovely thing to hear.

Public Speaking

I gave a dvar torah in seminar today (we each are supposed to give something like 3 over the course of the year). I was pretty nervous about it before hand- I am not a comfortable public speaker, and when I wrote the thing, I started it a good three times before it started coming out in a presentable way. But when I finished writing, it did turn into something that I liked on paper, which was a significant step- I'm rarely fond of how I write when I'm trying to write in order to present something out loud.

The actual delivery went reasonably, if not wonderfully (which I was not at all expecting it to do). I thought I was speaking slowly and with reasonable intonation, and that I wasn't letting too much nerves sneak out into my voice. The feedback I got suggested that I was a bit wooden about things, basically- that I wasn't using any body language, and that my voice was fairly flat- I think they meant as far as changes in volume and such. What was pleasing was that two of my classmates who were in mechina with me last year told me how much better I was doing with this than last year, and how much more confident I seemed. I'm not sure that I feel more confident, precisely- but it was a lovely thing to hear.

The Formalist 10 Days Apology

I used to/still do think that the formalism of apologizing to pretty much everyone you can see is rather silly, in and of itself. It rarely actually deals with stuff that you're actually upset about. But it does clean the air, or make it clear that the air is clean, sometimes, and for that it is useful. Still, it's this moment of awkwardness that sometimes seems only very vaguely useful- it almost seems like it isn't worth it, often enough.

But then I just thought about that moment of awkwardness and the reassurance that generally follows it from friends that they have forgiven any minor trespasses and that there have not been major ones. It really does give you this moment of fairly intense connection with the other person, rather like the end of a fight but without the fight preceding it, and that can be a little boost to strengthen a relationship. I think that going into Yom Kippur with solid interpersonal relationships is probably a very good thing. So perhaps the goal of what is usually more ritual than functional discussion of offenses has a more subtle purpose.

The Formalist 10 Days Apology

I used to/still do think that the formalism of apologizing to pretty much everyone you can see is rather silly, in and of itself. It rarely actually deals with stuff that you're actually upset about. But it does clean the air, or make it clear that the air is clean, sometimes, and for that it is useful. Still, it's this moment of awkwardness that sometimes seems only very vaguely useful- it almost seems like it isn't worth it, often enough.

But then I just thought about that moment of awkwardness and the reassurance that generally follows it from friends that they have forgiven any minor trespasses and that there have not been major ones. It really does give you this moment of fairly intense connection with the other person, rather like the end of a fight but without the fight preceding it, and that can be a little boost to strengthen a relationship. I think that going into Yom Kippur with solid interpersonal relationships is probably a very good thing. So perhaps the goal of what is usually more ritual than functional discussion of offenses has a more subtle purpose.