How often have you seen the following situation: It's time for Minha/Maariv shel hol. There's more than a minyan present. All that's needed is a chazan. After a few minutes of complete silence, a few "nu"s penetrate the fog, daring someone (else) to get up and be the Shatz. Soon a particularly brave soul gets up and starts asking people if they want to be chazan. Most will decline the honor, until someone eventually gives in. Or how's about the following: Three guys have just finished dining together. A mezuman is needed. Now a game of "pass the buck" begins. Each member of the trio will say "bechavod" to his neighbor, running round and round till someone caves and is mezamen. (The cohanim have already happily gievn up their first dibs to play the "bechavod" game). Maybe I missed something - isn't being a mezamen or a shatz an honor? When did it become a burden to borne only when absolutely necessary? Perhaps someone can explain this to me?
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To be honest, it's been a few years since I've participated in either of these practices but, from memory, I would say that in my high-school days (and for a couple of years beyond, perhaps) the reason for passing the buck was solely on account of some sort of stage-fright. Now, I've generally been of the sort that enjoys that sort of stage-fright challenge but there was some element of stage-fright nonetheless; some fear of looking like an idiot (or a goy) by forgetting or fumbling through a word. (Two notes on that: 1. I'd guess that Israelis have far fewer concerns in this regard than us American Yeshiva-boys to whom Hebrew was always some sort of mysterious incantation rather than a manner of speech and 2. This fright may have been induced in our earliest years when we would memorize birchas hatorah for our "aliya" on simchas torah.)
As it turns out, I've grown up with some public speaking and performing and after a couple'a years post-high-school I ended up doing a hell of a lot more of it, including being the shliach tzibur (and baal korei!) for a particular shul EVERY SINGLE SHABBOS. And I can tell you with confidence that I'm blessed to view leading the davening (and mezuman as well, though obviously to a lesser degree, even though I actually read through all of the bentching aloud - something to do with having learnt Sefer Ahava of the Rambam's, I believe) as a terrific zchus and I take great pleasure in it and view it for the accuracy of what it is.
It would seem to me that the phenomenon that you note is likely largely on account of the twin (yet unrelated ;-) issues of stage-fright and the general view of this act as "just one more Jewish ritual that somehow some personality-less halacha demands". Which is sorta sad, because much that could be tremendously appreciated from the heritage that we've inherited is subjected to the view that some Soviet beaurocratic useless legal-clause would well recognize.
And of course, in my current incarnation bereft of Jewish communal life I miss it too.
mnuez
www.mnuez.blogspot.com
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