Most of you haven’t heard about voting tomorrow. After all, it’s not till next year that we have a Presidential election. Neither do we vote for our Congresspersons or Senators this year. (Those happen in even years, unless someone dies or resigns.)
Continue reading It’s incumbent
Tonight (this should automatically post around 6 pm on Sunday night) started a most unusual holiday. This is the last one that requires me not to work until April. (Good. Now, I can make some money!) The bible gives us very little clue about this holiday. It’s called the Eighth Day of Assembly (Shmini Atzeret, שמיני עצרת).
Continue reading 8 days (not a week)
I’m sorry- there will be no post tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday
These are the first days of the holiday of Sukot, when work is not permitted.
Continue reading It’s Sukot (The Holiday of Boot
Whether we truly believe that our sukot (the plural of suka) are to remind us that we traveled for 40 years in the desert- or we needed to preempt the pagan harvest festival that occurred this time of year three millennia ago- is truly immaterial. Because we have found our own meaning in the suka- to remind us that our lives are transient, our lives are fragile, and our lives require our efforts along with Hashem’s help.
Continue reading More holidays? Yes- this one has 9 more days.
The 10th Day of Tishrei. That’s (tonight and) tomorrow’s Hebrew Date, which means it will be Yom Kipur. The end of 40 days of introspection, repentance, and preparing ourselves to be better humans and to make the world a better place- with renewed vigor.
In two days, the month of Elul will end. Five years ago, on the first day of Elul, I described the process of self-assessment. Today we are 28 days into the 40 day period of determining how we can make our lives- and the lives of others- better. (You can also search for Elul in the index to the left and see more of my thoughts on this “resolution-making” period.)
Continue reading Where did the moon go?
For years, Shira was the baby of the family. Until she turned 8, when a new (surprise) addition arrived. Shira’s first reaction? “Put him back! I want a baby sister.”
My shul took a trip. Oh, it took more than a few trips. We re-enacted the Selma to Montgomery m
arch (after David Duke threatened our shul). We went down to Houston to help after the floods. My rabbi personally visited the Mother Emmanuel Church after the terrorist gunned down 7 praying parishioners. We joined in the funerals for those gunned down at the Tree of Life/Or l’Simcha shul in Pittsburgh.
Listen… Do you want to know a secret? No, I am not channeling one of my favorites songs from the Beatles. And, my daughter actually let the cat out of the bag 10 days ago.
Continue reading Knock, Knock! Younger self?