You are not obliged to finish this column

JL;DR SUMMARY Shaina Taub, creator of the musical "Suffs," recently quoted Rabbi Tarfon's famous Talmudic wisdom "You are not obliged to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it" at the Tony Awards, sparking reflection on its relevance in various contexts. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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