O G-d of all men, bless this assembly here gathered to do honor to every citizen’s inalienable right to an adventure in the halls of learning. Bless, with Your charity, the officials of the government of the State and of the City of New York and the members of the Board of Education, through whose devotion and dedication to their high duty this ceremony has been made possible. O Fountain of Wisdom and Source of all Learning, endow the administration and the faculty of the school here to be built with the Divine gift of teaching their students the noble aspects of the cultures of humanity and the science of nature, so that these generations of citizens-to-come will understand that Nature is almost human, and Man is natural.Grant these educators skill, and understanding, insight and humaneness, teach them to teach others that Man must never become complacent and self-satisfied, but must constantly search for a better and higher life, so that their students will be pleased with their teachers and displeased with themselves.We beseech You, O Lord of the Universe and Origin of all Knowledge, to lend Divine aid to all those affiliated with this noble project, so that the school whose foundations we are laying today will be built around the framework of Democracy, grounded in the spirit of the Bill of Rights, reinforced with the indomitable pioneer-courage of our Founding Fathers, and will contain within it an atmosphere of learning saturated with faith in the Justice and Charity of G-d and loyalty to the constitution of thisour country. Amen.

I can remember when I was in the position you boys are in now. It wasn’t so very long ago that I graduated from elementary school, and the only thing I really remember clearly is that I couldn’t wait until the long-winded speakers finished their talks and the fun started. So, you see, I can really sympathize with you – and therefore I will make every attempt to keep my talk as short as possible. What I want to give you is what I think is the best prescription for clean, healthy, successful, God-fearing American living. You boys are starting out on your high school careers now – you are at the beginning of your adolescence. Adolescence is a time when you can have a lot of fun and when you can build your bodies, your minds, and your characters. But it is also a dangerous age – and if you realize that beforehand, then you will be ready to accept my personal prescription for a character-tonic which will brace you for the long, exciting, and dangerous adventures ahead of you. The first ingredient in that prescription is hope. Hope is a very rare commodity these days. You are growing up into a very unstable world. People may laugh and joke and spend much time, money, and energy on entertainment – but deep down, underneath, people are very frightened. This is an age when people jump at their own shadows – they see atom bombs falling from every corner of the sky and they see spies under every bed. It may be true that things aren’t quite what they should be – but you can accomplish absolutely nothing by despairing. Once you give up hope, you can never hope to win. I know there’s a Cold War that may become a hot war, there’s a danger of inflation, and there are many other troubles. But you boys are young – you must be determined that you are going to set things aright when you get the chance. I am reminded of the story of the old gentleman who came upon a baseball game between two sandlot teams. He watched for a while and noticed the team at bat hitting some long drives, man…

Almighty God, send Thy blessings upon this assembly – upon administrators and faculty, students and guests. In Thy goodness, make this occasion for the graduates a commencement of a career filled with service, and a life charged with meaningfulness. May the young men and women now being graduated become Thy ambassadors of healing. May pharmacy become for them more than a profession – may it be a form of Divine service; more than a career – a calling; more than a livelihood – a life-giving devotion. May Thy outstretched arm, O Lord, guide and steady their hands. May they learn to compound wisdom with science, generosity with efficiency, and kindness with accuracy. May Thy goodness permeate their hearts, and may Thy wisdom penetrate their minds. And do Thou give long and happy years of health to these, the guardians of health. Amen.

Avinu she’ba’shamayim – our Father in Heaven: do Thou bestow Thy divine blessings upon all those here gathered – them, their families, and our great country whose democratic mission is enhanced by the services they perform. Teach us that Thy word must be heard not only in sanctuaries but in the marketplace as well; that it is to be evoked in church and synagogue, but implemented in home and in office, in factory and in bank. Teach us to be aware of Thy will in every phase of our lives; to be devout not only when we pray but also when we engage in commerce; to achieve noble integrity even whilst we pursue our livelihood, to the end that the blessing of peace and tranquility, of serenity and harmony, be ours at all times. Remind us that we deal with more than monies and materials – but also with men and women, possessed of immortal souls. Help us thereby to spread kindness and gentleness, honor and decency, so that our labors and talents be used for the good of our country, the betterment of our fellow man, and the service of Thee our G‑d. Help us to remember at all times that life is a trust, that our years are given to us on credit, that we must invest heavily in faith in G‑d and decency towards man, and that only through righteous deeds can we forge a bond to Thee, O Lord. For we were created in Thy image, and our mission in life is to imitate, but never impersonate, Thee. May the practical prose of our professional lives be graced with the poetry of pure intentions and the principles of peace and piety. May this be Thy blessing upon us. Amen.

Dear Mr. Kemmelman: I hope that your most recent novel is doing well. As one who has helped in a very minor way, I have a "vested interest" in its success. There is a request, forwarded to me, for your appearance, and one which I approve of wholeheartedly. My brother, Rabbi Maurice Lamm, is Dean of Akiba Hebrew Academy in the Bronx. It is a most worthwile and significant school. As part of their program they have an annual Author-Book Luncheon. This year – in late March or April – they would like to have you as their guest.I would very much appreciate your affirmative response. Would you please let me know as soon as possible? If, as I hope, the answer is positive, it might be simpler to contact my brother directly in order to make all the necessary arrangements. He can be reached at 1764 Popham Avenue, Bronx, N. Y.- LU 3-5561 or 878-0166.Many thanks in advance,Sincerely yours,Rabbi Norman LammRNL/fxbe: R. Maurice Lamm

Dear Dr. Neusner: Please accept my thanks for your thoughtfulness in sending me the report on the seminar on "Religions In Antiquity." I found it most stimulating and enlightening. Thanks once again and please remember me when future reports of this kind are available. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm, RNL/fz

Dear Rabbi, One of the sins for which I'll ask God forgiveness this coming holiday is belated expressions of gratitude. But I’m genuinely grateful to you for your letter of July 5, in which you honored me by forwarding your recommendation for my fellowship application, stated your intention to go through the draft to visit with you, pay every visit, ring over Ruth’s article (and mine), and top it all off with some delectable anecdotes concerning the deletion by the UOC of the U form – that’s more than your portion in inter-university Eden. A letter which combines statements of favors done, promises of future hospitality, gracious compliments, and congenial frankness is not common correspondence these days –

Dear Jeff: It was a thorough pleasure for me to read your informative letter and, knowing of my wife's lively interest in your career, I am taking it home with me because I know she will read it as avidly as I did. Despite my beknighted position as a non-Reform Rabbi, I still am interested in your activities as to impinge on "the vast problems facing the American community as an integrated whole." However, considering the particular nature of your chosen career, my own Talmudic casuistry would incline me to be more concerned about "the vast problems facing the American community as an integrated hole..." I am happy at your progress in dental school, and even more so at your continuation of "learning." If you will manage to do so during these years, you will be able to develop the habit when you have finally come into your own as a full-fledged dentist and as a family man. Speaking of the latter, I do hope that there are some signs of progress. Mrs. Lamm joins me in sending warmest personal regards to you and to your parents.Please keep on writing to me whenever the occasion presents itself. You have no idea how welcome your letters are.Sincerely,RABBI NORMAN LAMM

Dear Mr. Levine: In keeping with our conversation of yesterday, December 13, 1967, I am sending you enclosed a check for $250 In complete payment of the outstanding tuition fee owed by [redacted] for his daughter [redacted], who was graduated last year from the Girls High School in Brooklyn. Thank you very much for your cooperation, and I am pleased that the matter is now closed. Warmest personal regards. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm.

One of the things mentioned by the Mishnah, in addition to the first ten items that were created erev Shabbat bein hashmashot, is the burial place of Moses – קבורתו של משה. What a strange thought! What the Tanna is trying to teach us, I believe, is how to stabilize our views and our assessments of our fellow men. He is trying to help us avoid succumbing to the danger of extremes in our evaluation of others, especially after they have died. Consider the extraordinary case of Moses. An unbiased reading of the Torah leads us to the startling conclusion that he was probably one of the most unpopular leaders in the history of mankind. His people were afraid of him and had little love for him. He literally had to force them out of slavery and into freedom. No matter what untoward event occurred, they blamed him. Jewish tradition even maintains that they accused him of some of the vilest crimes in the annals of mankind – not excluding adultery. He had to defend himself explicitly against implied charges of graft, bribery, and theft. This holiest of all men, this chief of all prophets, was treated with utter contempt and apparently without a shred of acknowledgement or appreciation of his unparalleled greatness. He was resented, disliked, hated. Yet as soon as he died, the Israelites experienced a sudden and radical change of heart. We are told that God Himself buried Moses and did not allow his burial place to be known – ויקבור אותו בגי... ולא ידע איש את קבורתו. Why so? Because, our Sages tell us, God was afraid that the sudden wave of admiration for Moses by the people would have evil consequences – the adulation might lead to idolatry and worship. God did not want Moses, the great teacher of monotheism and the great enemy of idolatry, to become himself an object of worship. So the feelings of the Israelites for Moses ran from one extreme to the other – from hatred to worship, from contempt to idolization. Before he died, they wished he would; after he died, they were di…