Three years ago this month, almost to the day, I was in Israel. G-d, how I miss it. I know I've written about it before, multiple times, possibly to an annoying extent. I'm not sorry. Unless you've been to Israel, you may not understand how such a place can change you. Forever. And I think I'll be writing about Israel for just as long, too. Of all the changes which continue to affect me, I believe the greatest of all is the strengthening of my trust in Hashem. Going to ...
Israel
Messy Musings
I've started about 3 different posts which I immediately saved to drafts. Nothing seems to be flowing easily. Maybe it's from eating all that matzah? Maybe it's exhaustion from the holiday and then all this overtime? Maybe it's just the fact some days, some weeks, writing is difficult, and that's when you have to write all the more. That's when you write "harder". I'm sure there's a great metaphor or allegory I could utilise comparing physical exercise, strength building, or whatever ...
Why is it Different?
There's been a question perplexing me for about two weeks now. As we say, "On all other nights, we eat both chametz and matzah, but on this night we eat only matzah." Here's my question: what's the the difference between the chametz and the matzah? Or rather, what's the difference between the carbs of Pesach and the carbs the rest of the year? Usually the jokes before, during, and after Pesach are about craving carbs. However, as I realised and then heard my rebbetzin say a few days later ...
Returning Home
Pesach [Passover] begins tomorrow evening. I'm listening to The Prince of Egypt soundtrack. Later, I'll be getting my last bagel before the upcoming 8 days of matzah (B''H). And for whatever reason, I can't stop thinking of home. I miss it. Of course, I don't mean Texas from where I hail. I mean Israel. I mean Jerusalem. These past few weeks, the desire to go back has been aching again. Then again, it never really goes away. It just ebbs and flows with intensity. It's been almost 3 ...
Musings before the New Year
As I'm sitting here at home on this lovely rainy, September day, sick with who knows what, I'm grateful for this bit of quiet in my recently much noisy life, a life which keeps me from this, what I love most. It reminds me what this season is all about, of preparing one's soul for the coming New Year on Rosh Hashanah as we enter the courts of our King and ask Him to pardon us from all sins, iniquities, and unrighteousness from the past year. How? I have books to write reviews for, ...
