Dear Shaare Family,
This week, in Daf Yomi ( Yevamot 64b ), the Talmud lists several Rabbis who developed male-factor infertility when they stayed for Rav Huna’s speeches, instead of urinating when the need presented itself. The message of this passage is that one should take care of one’s physical needs without concern for missing out on Torah study, or more generally, out of concern that doing so will be demonstrating insufficient piety or seriousness. One of our participants, however, interpreted this passage as a cautionary tale against lengthy sermons. Rav Huna’s speeches were just too long!
The subject of the length of sermons is the subject of a great deal of debate and discussion, stereotypically among impatient congregants. But the threshold that would induce those congregants to complain may vary greatly by faith, denomination and ethnic background. A study published by the Pew Research Center in 2019 analyzed approximately 50,000 sermons (!) delivered in over 6000 churches shared online between April and June of that year, a period that included Easter. The sermons were analyzed for common phrases as well as distinct speech patterns, as well as length. The results were fascinating:
- The median length of a sermon in the United States was 37 minutes.
- The median length of a homily in a Roman Catholic church was 14 minutes
- In a mainline Protestant Church, the median length of a sermon was 25 minutes
- In an Evangelical church, the median length was 39 minutes.
- The median length of a sermon in historically Black Protestant Churches was 54 minutes.
For perspective, that means that a sermon in a historically Black Protestant Church is as long, weekly, as the Shabbat Shuvah or Shabbat HaGadol derashot I am privileged to deliver twice yearly at Shaare. Put it differently, the sermon each week in an Evangelical church is usually considerably longer than one of our High Holiday sermons.
No matter the length, these messages require a great deal of time and preparation, and I have enormous Hakarat HaTov to all who stay in and listen- and especially to those who share positive feedback and constructive criticism.
Rabbi’s Recommendation
The length of a sermon is the subject of one of my favorite short stories by one of my favorite authors, P.G. Wodehouse, titled “ The Great Sermon Handicap.” Featuring one of his most beloved characters, Bertie Wooster, and his preternaturally wise “Gentleman’s personal gentleman” Jeeves, it describes a gambling syndicate formed by a group of young men serving as tutors for the children of British aristocracy, taking bets on the lengths of sermons- and the underhanded antics that ensue. Even if you are not familiar with technical gambling terms (and I hope you are not!) I think you will enjoy.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
