Thursday, September 28, 2006
Weird conversation
-What am I going to do?
-What am I going to do?
Such panic, such worry…
“Don’t say anything to anyone”, I reply as composedly as I can.
“Are you nuts?” he snaps.
I’m trying to be logical.
By talking it will hurt you, by keeping it quiet, no one will be hurt.
-How will I live with this on my conscience?
Who says you have to, block it out.
-it..it won’t work
It will and I’ll help you...
next post on The Pragmatician-What will - do?(and what the h*** is this about?)
-What am I going to do?
Such panic, such worry…
“Don’t say anything to anyone”, I reply as composedly as I can.
“Are you nuts?” he snaps.
I’m trying to be logical.
By talking it will hurt you, by keeping it quiet, no one will be hurt.
-How will I live with this on my conscience?
Who says you have to, block it out.
-it..it won’t work
It will and I’ll help you...
next post on The Pragmatician-What will - do?(and what the h*** is this about?)
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Been Tagged!
I got Tagged by Yakki
Acts of Kindness - גמילות חסדים
There is no prescribed measure for the precept regarding acts of chessed (kindness/righteousness). Talmud, Shabbat 127a
An act of Chesed done for me today:
Since today nothing in particular comes to mind, I'll pick something from Erev Rosh Hashana.
We came home and in front of our door there was a lovely small plant with a very nice note clipped to it.
It was our neighbors (we have been living there since Shavuot but...)welcoming us to the building.
It's always pleasant to be surprised by a kind and thoughtful gesture ,remember that friends.
I tag anyone whole feels like participating.
,
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
THE LONG MISSING SHOFAR
For those of you who like me just realized that Rosh Hashanah is starting in two days. Please remember it in fact is.
We were discussing whether or not to have guest over for Shabbes, when it dawned on us that the upcoming Shabbes was no ordinary one.
In fact we couldn’t have anyone over, as we’d be guests somewhere ourselves.
For fellow Bloggers who share an impatient nature and an intolerance for needlessly stretching out Tefillos with me, there’s good news.
Shabbes there’s no Shofar blowing and consequently the Tefillos and the davenen as a whole is shortened considerably.
The Berachos for Tekias Shofar are skipped and some Tefillos are generally omitted on Shabbes.
I’ve also opted to pray in a Shul where the Chazzan pronounces every word carefully but does not add “oi oi ois’ and “woe woe woes” to every few paragraphs.
It’s not a Shul intended for those who do not appreciate the importance of Rosh Hashanah and therefore wish ‘to get it over with’ fast and easy.
It’s a shul composed of people that realize that a Davenen that schleps exaggeratedly leads in many cases to idle conversation, sleepiness and possibly boredom.
Those who do appreciate a long Mussaf, who enjoy a Chazzan giving the best of himself and added non-words thrown in between Tefillos have my deepest respect.
That does not give them the right however to be condescending to others who feel that an overdrawn Tefillah is not for them.
There are many right ways to serve our Creator and if a congregation where the whole Machzor is recited, only in a less chanting manner, is the right one for me, than you should show me the same respect I show you for putting your head down on your arm while you are way ahead of the Chazzan…
Wherever you choose to Daven this Yom Tov, make sure to ask for a above all else a healthy year and for anything you else very specifically.
After the words put together by Chazal have been recited it’s alright to use your own words in your own language and express your needs to H’Ashem.
We were discussing whether or not to have guest over for Shabbes, when it dawned on us that the upcoming Shabbes was no ordinary one.
In fact we couldn’t have anyone over, as we’d be guests somewhere ourselves.
For fellow Bloggers who share an impatient nature and an intolerance for needlessly stretching out Tefillos with me, there’s good news.
Shabbes there’s no Shofar blowing and consequently the Tefillos and the davenen as a whole is shortened considerably.
The Berachos for Tekias Shofar are skipped and some Tefillos are generally omitted on Shabbes.
I’ve also opted to pray in a Shul where the Chazzan pronounces every word carefully but does not add “oi oi ois’ and “woe woe woes” to every few paragraphs.
It’s not a Shul intended for those who do not appreciate the importance of Rosh Hashanah and therefore wish ‘to get it over with’ fast and easy.
It’s a shul composed of people that realize that a Davenen that schleps exaggeratedly leads in many cases to idle conversation, sleepiness and possibly boredom.
Those who do appreciate a long Mussaf, who enjoy a Chazzan giving the best of himself and added non-words thrown in between Tefillos have my deepest respect.
That does not give them the right however to be condescending to others who feel that an overdrawn Tefillah is not for them.
There are many right ways to serve our Creator and if a congregation where the whole Machzor is recited, only in a less chanting manner, is the right one for me, than you should show me the same respect I show you for putting your head down on your arm while you are way ahead of the Chazzan…
Wherever you choose to Daven this Yom Tov, make sure to ask for a above all else a healthy year and for anything you else very specifically.
After the words put together by Chazal have been recited it’s alright to use your own words in your own language and express your needs to H’Ashem.
Image of shofar from wikipedia
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, despite the fact that I've been absent lately.
My schedule is a little overwhelming at the moment and I miss reading all of you.
In the meantime I'll have to resort to post an old article.
See you all soon.
SIMCHA CHESSED(originally posted 19/07/05)
I don’t mean the age old Minhag of brining joy to the Chosson and Kalleh.I’m talking (actually writing) about people who sit at weddings or other Simchas and appear to be bored out of their minds.
It’s normal for people to automatically look up people they know, from the Beth Medrish, Yeshiva, or same neighborhood. Taking a chair next to friends, even though you were seated at another table, is pretty common.
Often however there is this one guest who doesn’t seem to fit in any category.
Perhaps a business relation from another town or country, an old Yeshiva mate from one of the Mechetonims, in any case someone who appears to have no one to schmooze with.
It’s happened to me a few times.While in Israel for a few weeks, I was invited to the Bar Mitzvah of a distant cousin.I planned not to go but they insisted, so I went.I was seated on a table where everybody spoke Hebrew and very little English.Except for a few polite pleasantries it was obvious that my tablemates were all acquaintances of each other and felt more comfortable exchanging news and ideas between them.
It’s also happened to me in my own city.I was at the third wedding that week, seated with people that remember my father as a kid, bored stiff.
Sure there were people I knew present, but everyone seemed to have a conversation partner already and you just pick up sometimes by the greeting you get, when trying to join in, that three’s a crowd.
That’s when a guy I had never seen before asked if the seat next to mine was available.Then he proceeded to ask my name, relation to Chosson/Kalleh etc…At first I was annoyed, I thought it was one of those exasperating curious guys, that need to know everybody’s name, what they do or don't, and by whom they are an Eidem (son-in-law)
As it was, he turned out to be a nice person, enjoyable to talk too, and time flew by till it was time to hit the dance floor (on which I never stay longer than 5 minutes).
He doesn’t even know how much I appreciated it then and still do.He probably doesn’t even realize what a Chessed he did for me.There I was, bored, annoyed, and angry with my wife for not wanting to go already.At the end, she was the one to insist we get going.Instead of a lousy time I had a nice time.And the next day I was able to sincerely say to the Ba’al Simcha “it was a lovely wedding”.
I hope I’ll get a chance to reciprocate with him or to someone else, like me at that wedding.
My schedule is a little overwhelming at the moment and I miss reading all of you.
In the meantime I'll have to resort to post an old article.
See you all soon.
SIMCHA CHESSED(originally posted 19/07/05)
I don’t mean the age old Minhag of brining joy to the Chosson and Kalleh.I’m talking (actually writing) about people who sit at weddings or other Simchas and appear to be bored out of their minds.
It’s normal for people to automatically look up people they know, from the Beth Medrish, Yeshiva, or same neighborhood. Taking a chair next to friends, even though you were seated at another table, is pretty common.
Often however there is this one guest who doesn’t seem to fit in any category.
Perhaps a business relation from another town or country, an old Yeshiva mate from one of the Mechetonims, in any case someone who appears to have no one to schmooze with.
It’s happened to me a few times.While in Israel for a few weeks, I was invited to the Bar Mitzvah of a distant cousin.I planned not to go but they insisted, so I went.I was seated on a table where everybody spoke Hebrew and very little English.Except for a few polite pleasantries it was obvious that my tablemates were all acquaintances of each other and felt more comfortable exchanging news and ideas between them.
It’s also happened to me in my own city.I was at the third wedding that week, seated with people that remember my father as a kid, bored stiff.
Sure there were people I knew present, but everyone seemed to have a conversation partner already and you just pick up sometimes by the greeting you get, when trying to join in, that three’s a crowd.
That’s when a guy I had never seen before asked if the seat next to mine was available.Then he proceeded to ask my name, relation to Chosson/Kalleh etc…At first I was annoyed, I thought it was one of those exasperating curious guys, that need to know everybody’s name, what they do or don't, and by whom they are an Eidem (son-in-law)
As it was, he turned out to be a nice person, enjoyable to talk too, and time flew by till it was time to hit the dance floor (on which I never stay longer than 5 minutes).
He doesn’t even know how much I appreciated it then and still do.He probably doesn’t even realize what a Chessed he did for me.There I was, bored, annoyed, and angry with my wife for not wanting to go already.At the end, she was the one to insist we get going.Instead of a lousy time I had a nice time.And the next day I was able to sincerely say to the Ba’al Simcha “it was a lovely wedding”.
I hope I’ll get a chance to reciprocate with him or to someone else, like me at that wedding.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
SUBJECTIVE, my a**
Time, it’s such an elusive concept.
Time flies, time stand still etc...
It’s always the same, now a minute later than it was a minute ago and in a minute we’ll all have been doing something or nothing for another 60 seconds.
It never changes, that’s why I don’t wear a watch.
They say we don’t realize how much can be accomplished in a whole minute.
You can get something done, read another page in the book you don’t seem to finish, or you can earn eternal reward by peeking into a Chumash or a Gemarah. (Recommended course of action)
An hour flies by when you’re having fun, they say…
An hour seems like an eternity if you’re impatiently waiting fo
r something.(the first commenter on your last post??)
Work is no fun, not any day of the week, so how come some days nevertheless fly by and on others the clock seems to have gotten stuck on 12:00 am when it really should be 6 pm already? ??
One explanation pertaining to me, is whether I had my dose of coke(cola) with my breakfast or not
Monday, September 04, 2006
THE BEST YEARS OF LIFE
Recycling is a positive endeavor, no one will deny that.
It’s in this spirit that I post today a previously written piece(ON 15/07/06).
(Oh come on it’s not like you never watch reruns!)
Ps. I expect more comments than when it was originally published!
Ps2.The meme is still active.
As a kid when complaining about homework, exams, mifranims and the like, invariably I’d get the overused reply that I should enjoy my school-going years.
“When your school career is over you’ll look back nostalgically and wish it had never ended”, they said philosophically.
When in an agreeable mood, I would just nod, when I had just failed math (again), I’d answer that nostalgia had to be better than what I was feeling (despair and exhaustion).
Aside from the fact that this gives a very gloomy picture of what is awaiting us later in life, after all they’re saying pretty much that it gets only worse; it is simply no comfort to an overstressed kid.
Teachers are often bitter and bored individuals, and frequently way too aged to relate to their students on any level.They hand off homework like school was a 24/24 activity, and not just from 9 am to 6 pm.
Every morning I see the kids carrying backpacks that would be large enough to carry them, if they had been horses (the backpacks).
Occasionally I feel so sorry for a small child that I offer to carry it for him/her as far as I’m going in the same direction.
More often than not I’m shocked by the weight of these things.
Admittedly I’m no Hulk, but still if something feels heavy to me, to a 12 year old it must feel like lead or the suitcases I’ll be schlepping soon(check second article of this blog).
And 20 days ago, at the end of last month, I went to visit my in-laws, parents and friends with teenagers, there I saw the revulsion and desperation of those youngsters at the sight of those obese study books.I tried to give them some encouraging remark, but three sleepless nights, spent studying, in a row would make anybody numb to gentle support or anything else.
At that moment I thought back to what my parents used to say to me and said loud enough for everyone to hear,” you were so wrong!”.
I may not walk to my daily job with the enthusiasm of a kid who just heard he’s going to Disneyland (or –world).However there are very few circumstances I can come up with in my darkest imaginations that would make me yearn for those so-called good old days.
Friday, September 01, 2006
MEME!!
I don't have the time to write lengthy posts unfortunately, although there's much I'd like to share with you.
In the meantime, as I told Chaverah I would, I’d like to start a meme.
The idea is to give the first person you see after you read this post a compliment(unless it happens to be someone you despise)
and then when you have a moment to share to whom you gave the kind word and what it was.
I tag everyone who commented on my last two posts.
Tagged ones, you must tag another blogger in return!
Gut Shabbes friends!
In the meantime, as I told Chaverah I would, I’d like to start a meme.
The idea is to give the first person you see after you read this post a compliment(unless it happens to be someone you despise)
and then when you have a moment to share to whom you gave the kind word and what it was.
I tag everyone who commented on my last two posts.
Tagged ones, you must tag another blogger in return!
Gut Shabbes friends!
image from this site
