On Motzi Shabbos, in a confused state of mind — my heart was breaking over being stood up by a spunky sheila and my spirit was soaring over the Dallas Cowboys first playoff victory since January 1997 — I wrongly accused Amy Klein and the Jewish Journal of shoddy reporting on Steven Weil’s Spinka speech in January of 2008.
I now see that I was wrong. Amy’s report was fine. It is I who was in error.
I’ve been too hasty and too harsh too often and too much towards Amy and the Jewish Journal.
Worst of all, I was entirely unChristian. Oy, what would my daddy say?
Most people react to my going off unhinged by going off unhinged themselves. Most people won’t react to me because they are too afraid, but they’ll start ranting to others about how unfairly they were treated on my blog.
Jewish Journal Editor Rob Eshman has never lost his temper with me. He just politely points out where I went off the rails — when he has time in his busy schedule — and as meek as a lamb, I accept his reproof and return to my daily struggle to heal the world (and myself).
Rob Eshman is a differentiated man. He has a strong sense of self and when other go off and in some deranged manner accuse him and his publication of shoddy work, he doesn’t let it get to him. Rob Eshman knows who he is. If he feels anxiety in a conflict, he self-soothes. He doesn’t pick up a battle-axe and start swinging it wildly.
Not many are like him.
Rob Eshman makes me want to be a better man.
Love you, Rob.
