Tikkun Olam

I can't sleep. As it is, I finally went to bed at 2:30 a.m. But for some reason, my adrenaline was pumping - and my legs and feet were aching from being abused all day (I stood on them) - so that combination effected a wide-awake- Lady-Light-in-the-dark. I mean, think about it: since this past Sunday, I have made guest lists, planned menus, prepared and cooked (together with my husband for some of it: he actually is the 'main chef' in the household, as cooking has always been his avocation) 36 holishkes , a whole brisket with vegetables, trays of honeyed chicken quarters, baked ten challot (in addition to the four I baked last week which I had already frozen), food-shopped and prepped vegetables for chicken soup and fruit soup (my husband made those, thank the Lord), helped fill a water bed, did loads of laundry, folded & put 'em away, set up Tzipi's room for guests staying over the three-day Yom-Tov ( she's the one in the IDF. Her room is temporarily...fo...

I wanted to do a quick post before Yom Kippur; it is such an awesome day that I could not let it go by without a comment. Besides, I have to atone for even sitting at the computer on erev Yom Kippur! I spoke to my younger (married) son yesterday and wished him and his lovely wife a gmar hatimah tovah; my middle daughter (normally in Israel) is here for Yom Kippur and Sukkot, thank G-d; my youngest daughter (the one in serving in Tzahal in Handassa Kravit -see my post from 19 July entitled "My Baby's Unit) called me after midnight my time (!) while she was on the bus going home to G---- for the Chag, so I was able to wish her a Gmar Tov, and my older son called this morning, just before the Chag came in, where he was staying in A---- , so I succeeded in talking to him as well. Now, all we need to do is pray to G-d for a true peace in Israel, and for the well-being of the Jews, and all the peoples of the world. With an insane government and a police-like State in Israel (read wh...

We had a very meaningful Rosh Hashana night; I always love our custom of the "yehi ratzon" seder with it's different foods, symbolizing the various blessings we want G-d to grant us: a retreating and ending of our enemies, our being fruitful and multiplying, our merits increasing, etc. In short, we do more than the average Ashkenazi Jew with his 'apples and honey,' does. Maybe you could call us " AshkeSefardim !" But this Rosh Hashana was a little different than in past years; this is the first year I wasn't able to, for physical reasons, walk the mile-and-a-quarter to shul the first day: I can't remember any other Rosh Hashana where I didn't go to shul. At first, I was devastated. How would I be infused with kavanah without the congregation to enhance the feeling of teshuvah (you've heard of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" ?)? How would I hear the blasts of the shofar and be awed into 'awakening' to...

(First, a hearty welcome to my new non-Jewish visitors; a glossary is provided below to help explain the "Hebrish" I constantly use in my writing. It is an honor to have you among my readers!) It is erev Shabbat again (you've heard of "t-g-i-S," right?) and while I'm waiting to light the candles I thought it would be a good time to BLOG (oy, have I got it bad!) I apologize to my readers for not blogging (whaddaya mean, ya didn't notice?!) for a whole week plus; we had a thunderstorm here in yenemsville and it fried our modem. So no internet for a week. Talk about withdrawal. . . I had been thinking about something I found out some years ago when I was learning with a learn-ed chevruta (learning partner). Part of the Oneg Shabbat* is partaking of the three traditional meals on Shabbat, the first being Friday night, and the other two during the day. There was a beautiful kiddush (sanctification) we did when we had our seudah shlishit* , which I have no...