Definition of Chutzpah

There are rules, ya know? There are rules to the whole party scene for the elementary set. I am guessing that some rules vary by locations, socioeconomic class, and whatnot. And then there is derekh eretz. Which is loosely rendered as “proper behaviour.”

Beernut’s party yesterday was just wonderful and the subject of a posting after Shabbos. This posting is about chutzpah. Guts. Brazenness. Audacity. (A very interesting article about the word chutzpah as used by Justice Scalia appears here.)

Beernut’s party was held at Pump-it-Up. For a fortune smaller than Poppyseed’s Princess party, we were able to have no more than 25 kids jump to their hearts’ content for 90 minutes and then eat their fill of pizza and cake. We invited the kids from Beernut’s Karate class, his social skills class, his sister, his cousin, two family-friends, his best shul friend, and a few other kids from school. Numbering 23 kids in all.

Remember those God-awful logic word problems? A requirement of the SAT, it is still available for the masochist in any Dell Crossword book.

Question:
Twenty-three children have been invited to Beernut’s 8th birthday party. Frume Sarah had 23 goodie bags. Using the following clues, did Frume Sarah have enough goodie bags?

Three kids were unable to attend. Four kids didn’t have the courtesy of responding. One kid was a “maybe” that turned to a “no” the day before the party. Two kids couldn’t get a ride, but Beernut’s meshuguna mom offered to drive them. Two moms, unable to find sitters for their other kid, asked ahead of time if the sibling could attend the party. At the party itself, one kid was a no-show. Two moms brought an additional sibling, but apologized and said it was OK if there wasn’t enough room. One mom brought an additional sibling and didn’t even say anything about it.

Answer:
Yes, Frume Sarah was darn lucky to have enough goodie bags given there were SEVERAL extra guests at this party – some of whom didn’t even know the birthday boy. The best was the extra sibling who just showed up and the mom never said anything. She actually ASKED for a goodie bag!!!

Here is the clincher –

That same family? The one who brought the sister – whom Beernut had never met and, in fact, still hasn’t met – gave a most disturbing birthday gift. A CD of Jesus music and a toy turtle with a quote from the Book of James (something about being slow to anger…).

[Let me just remind you that Frume Sarah’s limited imagination prevents her from making up any of this!]

Yes, they know that we are Jewish and yes, they know that I am a rabbi. I am thinking that they probably feel very good about bringing God’s Word to a family of non-believers.

I am also thinking about what to say in the thank you note.