Well, there are many “best things” when it comes to walking on the rabbinic path, but here’s one of them:
Giving voice.
There’s an old joke (grounded in some truth) that rabbis like to talk.
But when I reflect on what I love most about being a rabbi, it isn’t the brilliant words that I’ve written or spoken (on rare occasion), but the times that I’ve helped hold a space wherein other people could explore, find, and share their voices. That’s why you’ll hear everyone BUT me singing on all three of my albums.
Most recently I’ve been doing this at The Davis Academy during my weekly “t’filah” meetings with elementary age students. Instead of telling them what I think, I’ve had the joy of asking them what they think, feel, believe, know, wonder, and hope.
My suspicion, that if asked they would have a lot to say, has been confirmed hundreds of times over.