So last week I was invited to speak in front of a room of agents at William Morris. Rarely do I get nervous, but as I enter the room of suits, I feel that twinge in my stomach. In front of me are people that judge talent for a living. Are they going to sit in judgment of me for the next hour? I try not to think about it. After they each introduce themselves and their departments, I remind them that I am not an actress, I am a rabbi, just for good measure.
I begin to teach about the greatest agent of all time. Moses - for he was God’s agent. The room starts to get quieter. When I tell them that God was a difficult client, a few start to laugh. They can relate. Then I get to the heart of the discussion: what was Moses’s true job as an agent. They are listening. Was this is divine mandate from God? Did he work with others? Did he make his people proud? Did he behave ethically, morally? Did he ever lose his temper and yell?
The room grows completely still. Are you the person God envisions you to be? Are you the best agent you could be? When I end there is complete silence and a few wet eyes. They are not thinking about whether I am a good rabbi or speaker. I have made them think about what’s really important - who they are and where they want to be as an agent of God.
Here’s the thing about throwing parties. You can control all the details but you can never control the feeling. Sometimes a party is just a party. Other times, it is magical. Last Tuesday night was magical. Three couples had offered to host a cocktail party as a pre-launch of We Plan, God Laughs. I knew, based on these hosts, that the party would be elegant, festive and yummy. But I had no idea that it would be a blast. My best friend from kindergarten was mingling with one of my agents. There were not six degrees in the room; it was one degree. People did not want to leave and I did not want them to. I wish everyone could have a moment in their life that is just awesome. A moment when you look out in front of you and see people who just support and love you, not for what you have done, but for who you are. I had that moment Tuesday night and I will never forget it.
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