In a Rosh Hashana State of Mind
[*Copyright Alert below]
I want to do at least one last post before Rosh Hashana*. I am trying--between job searching on the web, real job fairs and virtual job fairs--to keep up my posts as much as possible, but it's very difficult (Jewish guilt plays a part here). I was awakened this morning by my chayelet bodedah* daughter, not really too early for me (except tor the fact that I had been awake until 2 a.m. the night before...); we had a great conversation and talked for over 40 minutes (it's her shekel!) It was wonderful. Even though I am so missing my kids not being with us for the chagim*, we do have guests, and have to finalize our menu and confirm everyone, and possibly also shop for ingredients for challot (which I will bake; round has GOT to easier than braided), traditional sweet side dishes such as carrot and sweet potato tzimmes and desserts-and, of course, food for Shabbat.
Baruch Hashem, we have our main dishes for the upcoming chagim, for we are blessed with the best type of friends who are tzadikim*; they have and are contuing to help us in our financial dilemmas (- you know who you are; שתזכי למצוות -and you'd better be fluent in Ivrit* next time I see you, את שומעת?!)
It is still the month of Elul*, but getting into the cheshbon ha-nefesh* mode a month before Rosh Hashana, for me, is difficult. Being glued to the computer all day doesn't help. So, in order to 'help me along' a little, while I am writing this I am listening to a wonderful audio shiur* on the High Holy Days by Rabbi Avraham Trugman, which you can access here. Take the time, while you are checking your email, or researching your holiday recipes--to listen to, at least, these two audio shiurim* on the Chagim.
These shiurim will go a long way, by encouraging you to review your attitudes and actions over the past year and prepare for Yom haDin*, to get you into the frame of mind to be a better human being and Jew, and do teshuvah,* which we all need to do, as nobody's perfect (except for me of course on alternate Thursdays...).
No matter what existential questions I may still have, Judaism's deep and meaningful ancient traditions and explanations of life always fill a void and create for me an unparallelled beauty. For example, Rosh Hashana is not merely an arbitrary date chosen as the beginning of counting yet another year; instead, it is traditionally thought of as an earthly 'anniversary' of G-d's creation of the world and mankind, a time of rebirth and renewal--and personal judgement.
Judaism is one of the most introspective religions I know: we are always questioning our attitudes, behaviors and motives, (at least traditionally we are; unfortunately from what I hear is going on in some communities, some of us have lost that ability to question our own motives; yir'at ha-ba'alabatim* has replaced yir'at Shamayim*...).
The truth is, at this time of the year especially, I wish I were here:
But since I can't be (this time), at least I can think of my children in the Promised Land, and here in galut*, I can revel in the awesomeness of this time of year, and in the depths of the language that I love, Ivrit*.
Here is a video of one of Rabbi Trugman's Torah shiurim - a mystical view of G-d's creation of the world through the Hebrew letters; very appropriate on the eve of Rosh Hashana. Listen carefully. It makes our mere physical life on this planet so much more meaningful. Ktivah ve-chatimah tovah.*
Glossary:
Rosh Hashana: Jewish New Year
Chayelet Bodedah: lone soldier (a soldier not having parents in the country)
chagim: holidays; here referrring to the High Holidays
Tzadikim: righteous people
Ivrit: Hebrew
Elul: the 6th Hebrew month coming before Tishrei, the month of Rosh Hashana
Cheshbon haNefesh: an accounting of the soul
Shiur: lesson
Shiurim: lessons
Yom haDin: Day of Judgement
Teshuvah: repentence
Yir'at ha-ba'alabatim: fear of the wealthy influential ones in the community
Yir'at Shamayim: fear of Heaven
Galut: the diaspora
Ktivah ve-chatimah tovah: expression said around the time of the High Holidays: "may you be written and sealed [in the book of life for a good year."
*Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended on this blog. If you own the copyright to any original image or document used for the creation of the graphics or information on this site, please contact the blog administrator with all pertinent info so that proper credit can be given. If you wish to have it removed from the site, just say the word; it shall be, ASAP.
I want to do at least one last post before Rosh Hashana*. I am trying--between job searching on the web, real job fairs and virtual job fairs--to keep up my posts as much as possible, but it's very difficult (Jewish guilt plays a part here). I was awakened this morning by my chayelet bodedah* daughter, not really too early for me (except tor the fact that I had been awake until 2 a.m. the night before...); we had a great conversation and talked for over 40 minutes (it's her shekel!) It was wonderful. Even though I am so missing my kids not being with us for the chagim*, we do have guests, and have to finalize our menu and confirm everyone, and possibly also shop for ingredients for challot (which I will bake; round has GOT to easier than braided), traditional sweet side dishes such as carrot and sweet potato tzimmes and desserts-and, of course, food for Shabbat.
Baruch Hashem, we have our main dishes for the upcoming chagim, for we are blessed with the best type of friends who are tzadikim*; they have and are contuing to help us in our financial dilemmas (- you know who you are; שתזכי למצוות -and you'd better be fluent in Ivrit* next time I see you, את שומעת?!)
It is still the month of Elul*, but getting into the cheshbon ha-nefesh* mode a month before Rosh Hashana, for me, is difficult. Being glued to the computer all day doesn't help. So, in order to 'help me along' a little, while I am writing this I am listening to a wonderful audio shiur* on the High Holy Days by Rabbi Avraham Trugman, which you can access here. Take the time, while you are checking your email, or researching your holiday recipes--to listen to, at least, these two audio shiurim* on the Chagim.
These shiurim will go a long way, by encouraging you to review your attitudes and actions over the past year and prepare for Yom haDin*, to get you into the frame of mind to be a better human being and Jew, and do teshuvah,* which we all need to do, as nobody's perfect (except for me of course on alternate Thursdays...).
No matter what existential questions I may still have, Judaism's deep and meaningful ancient traditions and explanations of life always fill a void and create for me an unparallelled beauty. For example, Rosh Hashana is not merely an arbitrary date chosen as the beginning of counting yet another year; instead, it is traditionally thought of as an earthly 'anniversary' of G-d's creation of the world and mankind, a time of rebirth and renewal--and personal judgement.
Judaism is one of the most introspective religions I know: we are always questioning our attitudes, behaviors and motives, (at least traditionally we are; unfortunately from what I hear is going on in some communities, some of us have lost that ability to question our own motives; yir'at ha-ba'alabatim* has replaced yir'at Shamayim*...).
The truth is, at this time of the year especially, I wish I were here:
But since I can't be (this time), at least I can think of my children in the Promised Land, and here in galut*, I can revel in the awesomeness of this time of year, and in the depths of the language that I love, Ivrit*.
Here is a video of one of Rabbi Trugman's Torah shiurim - a mystical view of G-d's creation of the world through the Hebrew letters; very appropriate on the eve of Rosh Hashana. Listen carefully. It makes our mere physical life on this planet so much more meaningful. Ktivah ve-chatimah tovah.*
Glossary:
Rosh Hashana: Jewish New Year
Chayelet Bodedah: lone soldier (a soldier not having parents in the country)
chagim: holidays; here referrring to the High Holidays
Tzadikim: righteous people
Ivrit: Hebrew
Elul: the 6th Hebrew month coming before Tishrei, the month of Rosh Hashana
Cheshbon haNefesh: an accounting of the soul
Shiur: lesson
Shiurim: lessons
Yom haDin: Day of Judgement
Teshuvah: repentence
Yir'at ha-ba'alabatim: fear of the wealthy influential ones in the community
Yir'at Shamayim: fear of Heaven
Galut: the diaspora
Ktivah ve-chatimah tovah: expression said around the time of the High Holidays: "may you be written and sealed [in the book of life for a good year."
*Copyright alert: No infringement of any text or graphic copyright is ever intended on this blog. If you own the copyright to any original image or document used for the creation of the graphics or information on this site, please contact the blog administrator with all pertinent info so that proper credit can be given. If you wish to have it removed from the site, just say the word; it shall be, ASAP.
Comments
Since you mentioned your menu, please send it to KCC.
re: challah, take a simple braid and make it a circle!