At a shul/kiddush/dinner/meal/etc. Would you prefer the speaker to focus on halacha or hashkafah?

[Acknowledgement goes to FYI]

sports

diqdooq

A little bit of both, some stories and some jokes.
Today is a funny day for H.com.

Why? I'm so bored and am not laughing. What's so funny that I'm missing or are there underlying jokes that aren't clean that I'm missing (as usual) and should be happy about?

Definately hashkafah.Mussar. Charachter development.

As a speaker, I like hashkafa better, because you can just make it up.
As a listener, I'd rather hear silence.

Halacha, if he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Hashkafa, if he does.

Neither. I prefer a clever interpretation of some problem in the parsha, something that ties something together, or just otherwise sounds intriguing.. that could be a halachic problem, but I want the fun to be in how the speaker resolves it. Barring all that, some kind of "go get 'em" message.

FACT: 99% of the dvar torahs are forgotten by 99% of listeners within minutes.

That's why rashi says at the beginning of Berachot that we get schar halichah for going to shiurim, not schar talmud torah. So that's not a new phenomenon. But I would add that's not unique to divrei torah either - people retain incredibly little from any lecture after a given amount of time. Which is something lecturers and divrei torah people should both keep in mind (although the dvar torah is somewhat different) in structuring their talks and the goals they set for the talks.

I think people retain a bit more than 1% after proper lectures/shiurim, and after the rabbi's shabbos speech (if it's a good rabbi). But the 3-minute dvar torahs at various kiddushes etc. are not retained at all. They are useful only insofar as the preparation of the dvar torah-giver. I think they're pretty much a glorified "thanks for coming" announcement.

ETA: It's interesting that Rashi says that. Because there's also an opinion that just showing up to a shiur is talmud torah, there's some story like that about some old unlearned man who wanted to come to all these shiurim, and his wife complained to the rabbi that what's the point of him coming and i miss him at home, and the rabbi said something about the fact that he still gets something out of it, just by observing etc. (IIRC)

True, some divrei torah are for the benefit of the deliverer - so demonstrate his eruditions to the crowd, as a vehicle to learn by preparing, or whatever. But a killer 3-minute dvar torah can be retained. In fact, I would argue a killer 3-minute dvar torah can be better than a one hour dvar torah.


And in olam ha-ba you will remember and understand all the divrei torah through which you sat dumbfounded. So they say in the name of the Zohar, although personally I think that's an interpretation of the Zohar rather than a quote of the Zohar.

I remembed only one such killer dvar torah, and it was an exceptional one... and i've heard my share. and that particular dvar torah was probably the 100s time this rabbi has delivered it, so it's really not so impressive.

People remember the Gettysburg Address. Short and sweet. Hit the audience with bullets. All they're going to remember is one key point anyway. Make sure that key point is front and center and not lost in the middle of a hay stack.

What about you?

When i speak people do not soon forget it....

I'd rather hear halacha or a straightforward question on the parsha (answer not required).

Hashkafah, unless, as others have said, there's an intriguing question about halachah/parsha.

anything that comprises:

1- something novel

2- insightful

3- not mussardik! This is not appropiate for anyone less then the Gadol HaDor(if there is one) to do in public!

4- leaves me thinking

5- makes use of more than, "The little Midrash says!"

6- Doesn't pretend to give the answer, but an answer...

bump