Reuven needed someone to ask a real question. Was anyone gutsy enough?

The younger Lauer brother congratulated himself as Reuven Stagler left his home. See, troubleshooting paid off. Small payout to the yeshivah that would hire Brucker’s kid, one problem solved. Small investment in making sure the new rabbi would want the job, second problem solved.

Once the people voted the rav in, he would go show his brother the math and how he’d done it. He smiled at the thought. Maybe he would do a PowerPoint.

Heshy had billed it as a question-and-answer session to draw more people, but it started out as a regular speech. It wasn’t in the main shul, and there were light refreshments — some rugelach and pretzels on paper plates, no caterers or party planners needed, and no homemade beverages, thank you very much.

There was a nice crowd there, with more people filtering in as the speech continued, which made Reuven happy. The beginning hadn’t been so spectacular, he thought. Maybe Rabbi Klarberg was also nervous.

He had begun with the usual stuff, achsanyah, what a kavod it was, serious balabatim and all that. He had made a joke about just being out of sheva brachos and too many speeches, and then said a short vort from the Chofetz Chaim — safe, Reuven thought.

Then he smiled and said, “Okay, I understand that maybe we would have some back and forth, does anyone have anything to bring up?”

Reuven liked the way he said this. He wasn’t being tested or challenged. “Anything to bring up?”

No one spoke, of course.

This wasn’t Heshy’s little huddle, where the questions flowed. Chaim Brucker was there, and he was nice enough to ask if Reuven would prod him, but his question would probably be on a Ketzos. Reuven needed someone to ask a real question. Was anyone gutsy enough?