In honor of Harmon and Jorun Shragge, who have rounded the last turn on a seven year effort to learn all of Tanach. It’s the home stretch!
This six-minute video says about all that I want to say this week (Warning: It may make you feel ignorant!):
(By the way, I disagree with what it says about Yom Kippur - I’ll explain in a couple weeks.)
After you see the film, try this Question for your table:
What’s wrong with this statement: “I envy those who believe in something.”
Do you ever hear this?
This summer, I created a class that compares and contrasts what Jews, Christians and Moslems believe about themselves and about each other. I gave it to a group of Jewish teachers. The hardest thing for some of them to grasp is that unlike them, Judaism does not and never has asked us to take a leap of faith. A leap of faith is required by other traditions. Not by Judaism. It’s all about study and philosophy. The problem with our approach, however, is it takes more effort to study to get a Yiddishe kopf than to take a leap of faith.
If you don’t want to make the effort, don’t complain that you’re not connecting Jewishly.
If that film doesn’t inspire you to get off your duff and learn something about the world’s oldest wisdom tradition, that happens to be yours, then nothing will.
If, on the other hand, you want to start a small but meaningful study program at home or in your area, send me an email.
Shabbat Shalom
Einstein quote of the week:
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."
-Albert Einstein
Israel fact of the week:
Israel has the highest per-capita book sales in teh world.
Announcements:
New Amazement website about to launch – sneak preview: http://jewishspirituality.net – please send your feedback!
Speaking schedule:
September 12-14 - Rosh Hashana - Baltimore (“The Un-Shul” for people who want to connect but don’t connect to shul)
September 21-22 – Yom Kippur - Los Angeles (“The Happiest Yom Kippur of Your Life”)
(For details, send an email)
Yiddish of the week:
Yiddishe kopf — Jewish perspective (lit., Jewish head)
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha
bashert – meant to be, pre-destined, as in, “He’s my bashert” or “It was bashert that...”
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride
hishtadlus — effort, due diligence; as in, “Do your hishtadlus and let Hashem worry about it.”
Friday, August 31, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
This Just In Talk
Dedicated to the speedy and complete recovery of Rabbi Tzvi Shur, who has a scheduled heart surgery this coming Tuesday - he had had a routine test for a minor treatment two weeks ago and the doctors discovered a major problem in his heart. We are grateful for the gift of modern medicine. (Tzvi Gershon ben Shaindel Shaina Raizel)
Question for your table: What’s the most significant news of the summer?
Summer’s almost over, time for a roundup.
First, do you remember the family who had the terrible accident last October? I wrote about it here:
http://tinyurl.com/ynuz62 ....
Most of the children have recovered 99%. The youngest victim, seven-year-old Rafoel Dovid ben Brocha, has been making the slowest progress. He had severe brain trauma, but slowly, slowly is getting better. Here is a summary of what his father wrote three weeks ago:
Dovid was discharged from the hospital on February 16 and on the 19th he began his day care therapies at Ranken Jordon Children’s Rehab Hospital. After a month ,he returned to school for an hour in the morning to daven with his class and then proceeded to his therapies. Since school has ended, he has been attending a day camp along with a personal shadow/tutor and is going for out patient therapies 3 times a week.
It’s hard to describe his mental status. He is not what or who he was and his brain is still in need of much healing. His abilities are compromised due to the severity of the brain trauma and injury. Nevertheless, he has made and continues to make tremendous strides. His long term memory is better than his short term memory. His short term memory which was of the greatest concern seems to be getting stronger. He is remembering things that happened yesterday or in the recent past more than the doctors would believe possible. It’s not always on target or lucid, but we see continued improvements and are grateful for this and daven that he’ll come back all the way.
Every doctor and therapist who sees him, especially those who don’t see him regularly, has been wowed by his remarkable progress, albeit he has a very long way to go. Dovid’s left side of his body has made significant improvements. He still doesn’t move his left hand or fingers voluntarily, but we are hopeful and optimistic that it’s a matter of time when this function will return. His vision is basically good. He sees near and far and recognizes everything.
Dovid’s swallowing has been like a roller coaster. During Pesach his eating was great. After Pesach he had some setbacks, and it was a painstaking 20-40 minutes between each bite.
Dovid has been walking slowly with someone holding on to him. It’s a slow process like teaching a child how to walk. Yesterday and today I’ve been encouraging him to stand by himself. This morning we got up to 15 seconds, he then takes one step before falling over. He traditionally says after someone catches him, “nice catch”.
Since May I have been taking Dovid swimming as much as possible.
Dovid is in great spirits. He often asks me, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask him, “Dovid, what are you thinking?” He responds, “About me getting much better”.
This Wednesday, my wife and I are taking Dovid to New York where he was accepted into Camp Simcha. On August 14th we are taking Dovid to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he will be evaluated and enrolled in an intensive rehab program for approximately 5 hours each day for a minimum of 2 weeks.
If that heart-wrenching saga of faith and hishtadlus isn’t enough to wow you, try this awesome animated video from Harvard, based on current knowledge of cellular biology:
Second Question for your Table: What’s more awesome, the human being or the universe?
On the BBC this morning, after rattling off the usual humdrum news, the announcer concluded with this:
“...and Scientists in the United States have found a giant hole in the universe, far bigger than any that has previously been found.”
That’s all she said – no elaboration. Try reading that with a British accent and see how odd it sounds.
What does it mean? Who knows?
Shabbat Shalom.
Einstein quote of the week:
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."
-Albert Einstein
Israel fact of the week:
ISRAEL LEADS THE GLOBE IN R&D INVESTMENTS, 4.4% of GDP (77% by the business sector), ahead of Sweden - 3.7%, Finland - 3.5%, Japan - 3.3%, US - 2.2% and Canada - 1.7% (The Marker, Aug. 2, 2007).
Announcements:
New Amazement website about to launch – sneak preview: http://jewishspirituality.net – please send your feedback!
Speaking schedule:
Monday, August 27 – Baltimore: “In the Beginning”
Tuesday, August 28 – Baltimore: “Let There be Light”
September 12-14 - Rosh Hashana - Baltimore (“The Un-Shul” for people who want to connect but don’t connect to shul)
September 21-22 – Yom Kippur - Los Angeles (“The Happiest Yom Kippur of Your Life”)
(For details, send an email)
Yiddish of the week:
hishtadlus — effort, due diligence; as in, “Do your hishtadlus and let Hashem worry about it.”
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha
bashert – meant to be, pre-destined, as in, “He’s my bashert” or “It was bashert that...”
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride
Question for your table: What’s the most significant news of the summer?
Summer’s almost over, time for a roundup.
First, do you remember the family who had the terrible accident last October? I wrote about it here:
http://tinyurl.com/ynuz62 ....
Most of the children have recovered 99%. The youngest victim, seven-year-old Rafoel Dovid ben Brocha, has been making the slowest progress. He had severe brain trauma, but slowly, slowly is getting better. Here is a summary of what his father wrote three weeks ago:
Dovid was discharged from the hospital on February 16 and on the 19th he began his day care therapies at Ranken Jordon Children’s Rehab Hospital. After a month ,he returned to school for an hour in the morning to daven with his class and then proceeded to his therapies. Since school has ended, he has been attending a day camp along with a personal shadow/tutor and is going for out patient therapies 3 times a week.
It’s hard to describe his mental status. He is not what or who he was and his brain is still in need of much healing. His abilities are compromised due to the severity of the brain trauma and injury. Nevertheless, he has made and continues to make tremendous strides. His long term memory is better than his short term memory. His short term memory which was of the greatest concern seems to be getting stronger. He is remembering things that happened yesterday or in the recent past more than the doctors would believe possible. It’s not always on target or lucid, but we see continued improvements and are grateful for this and daven that he’ll come back all the way.
Every doctor and therapist who sees him, especially those who don’t see him regularly, has been wowed by his remarkable progress, albeit he has a very long way to go. Dovid’s left side of his body has made significant improvements. He still doesn’t move his left hand or fingers voluntarily, but we are hopeful and optimistic that it’s a matter of time when this function will return. His vision is basically good. He sees near and far and recognizes everything.
Dovid’s swallowing has been like a roller coaster. During Pesach his eating was great. After Pesach he had some setbacks, and it was a painstaking 20-40 minutes between each bite.
Dovid has been walking slowly with someone holding on to him. It’s a slow process like teaching a child how to walk. Yesterday and today I’ve been encouraging him to stand by himself. This morning we got up to 15 seconds, he then takes one step before falling over. He traditionally says after someone catches him, “nice catch”.
Since May I have been taking Dovid swimming as much as possible.
Dovid is in great spirits. He often asks me, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask him, “Dovid, what are you thinking?” He responds, “About me getting much better”.
This Wednesday, my wife and I are taking Dovid to New York where he was accepted into Camp Simcha. On August 14th we are taking Dovid to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he will be evaluated and enrolled in an intensive rehab program for approximately 5 hours each day for a minimum of 2 weeks.
If that heart-wrenching saga of faith and hishtadlus isn’t enough to wow you, try this awesome animated video from Harvard, based on current knowledge of cellular biology:
Second Question for your Table: What’s more awesome, the human being or the universe?
On the BBC this morning, after rattling off the usual humdrum news, the announcer concluded with this:
“...and Scientists in the United States have found a giant hole in the universe, far bigger than any that has previously been found.”
That’s all she said – no elaboration. Try reading that with a British accent and see how odd it sounds.
What does it mean? Who knows?
Shabbat Shalom.
Einstein quote of the week:
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."
-Albert Einstein
Israel fact of the week:
ISRAEL LEADS THE GLOBE IN R&D INVESTMENTS, 4.4% of GDP (77% by the business sector), ahead of Sweden - 3.7%, Finland - 3.5%, Japan - 3.3%, US - 2.2% and Canada - 1.7% (The Marker, Aug. 2, 2007).
Announcements:
New Amazement website about to launch – sneak preview: http://jewishspirituality.net – please send your feedback!
Speaking schedule:
Monday, August 27 – Baltimore: “In the Beginning”
Tuesday, August 28 – Baltimore: “Let There be Light”
September 12-14 - Rosh Hashana - Baltimore (“The Un-Shul” for people who want to connect but don’t connect to shul)
September 21-22 – Yom Kippur - Los Angeles (“The Happiest Yom Kippur of Your Life”)
(For details, send an email)
Yiddish of the week:
hishtadlus — effort, due diligence; as in, “Do your hishtadlus and let Hashem worry about it.”
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha
bashert – meant to be, pre-destined, as in, “He’s my bashert” or “It was bashert that...”
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride
Friday, August 17, 2007
It's the economy, Stupid!
Dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Kermani of Los Angeles, great friends of the Jewish People.
Question for your table:
When I eased into the back of the taxicab Wednesday morning, I was looking forward to a half-hour of rest. It’s hard for me to get enough sleep the night before a trip.
But this time I wasn’t blessed with a soft-spoken immigrant driver. I had Bob, a native Bal-i-morian (that’s the native way of saying it) who immediately started preaching to his captive audience:
“America is doomed. It’s over. In 2009, when China comes to collect 40 trillion dollars in debt, it’s over. The country is shutting down! You have a car? Enjoy it while you can, because in two years, you won’t be drivin’!”
Of course, Bob had worked out a plan to avoid the foreclosure of America, if only he were elected president:
“First, I’d shut the borders, no one and nothing in or out. Then I’d declare bankruptcy and cancel all our debts....”
Fast-forward: Now I’m in California. A businessman tells me during a charity meeting, “You know, I’ve started to notice that every time I neglect giving tzedaka, my business slows down.” A few hours later he reports, “Just like I told you – immediately after our meeting, we got a flood of new business.”
Karma? Or random coincidence?
So I’ve developed a one-question quiz to determine your spiritual IQ. Please get pencil and paper and let’s begin:
1. What gives you more pleasure:
A) Getting gifts
B) Giving gifts
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
If you answered (A) or (D), and you are single, please don’t get married just yet! Your selfishness will make both of you miserable.
What’s the connection between giving and marriage?
Let’s say for the sake of discussion that there is some kind of infinite being that created the world and that everything was created for a purpose.
(It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree. The point is to understand the implications of the philosophy.)
According to this philosophy, what is the purpose for women and men to be created so different? Why is it so often true that “opposites attract”?
One Jewish approach to chew on is that being so different from each other maximizes our potential to give. It’s really hard to give to someone so different from me! And giving is what it’s all about, for by giving from the heart, we transcend our own egos and become more God-like. There’s your elusive definition of “soul-mates” - two people who most enable each other to give. That’s your true bashert.
One last question for your table: When does receiving = giving?
In this month leading to Rosh Hashana, I will suggest one tool per week to prepare your mind for a transformative holiday.
This week’s tool: Make a list of 3-5 ways in which you could and should become a better giver. Tape the list to the bathroom mirror.
Shabbat Shalom.
Speaking schedule:
August 27-28 – Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
September 12-14 - Rosh Hashana - Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
September 21-22 – Yom Kippur - Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
(For details, send an email)
Yiddish of the week:
bashert – meant to be, pre-destined, as in, “He’s my bashert” or “It was bashert that...”
Yiddish review – how many do you remember?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal — (MAH-z'l) luck or fortune, as in, "It was good mazal that...."
beshert — (b'shairt) - meant to be, as in "It was beshert that..."
mine eltern — my parents
mine lair-er — my teacher
hamantashen — Haman-pockets
zeigezunt — all the best (said upon parting)
kesher — connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. — I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. — ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. — ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. — ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes — The Four Questions
Oy vey! — Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanus — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — How wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That's how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of cessation; weekly Sabbatical experience.
("Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience")
neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz - sweat
shanda – shame
L’chayim! - Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid - the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus – zeal
m’kohm – place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen – mother tongue
kvetch – complaint
kvell – burst with pride
Question for your table:
When I eased into the back of the taxicab Wednesday morning, I was looking forward to a half-hour of rest. It’s hard for me to get enough sleep the night before a trip.
But this time I wasn’t blessed with a soft-spoken immigrant driver. I had Bob, a native Bal-i-morian (that’s the native way of saying it) who immediately started preaching to his captive audience:
“America is doomed. It’s over. In 2009, when China comes to collect 40 trillion dollars in debt, it’s over. The country is shutting down! You have a car? Enjoy it while you can, because in two years, you won’t be drivin’!”
Of course, Bob had worked out a plan to avoid the foreclosure of America, if only he were elected president:
“First, I’d shut the borders, no one and nothing in or out. Then I’d declare bankruptcy and cancel all our debts....”
Fast-forward: Now I’m in California. A businessman tells me during a charity meeting, “You know, I’ve started to notice that every time I neglect giving tzedaka, my business slows down.” A few hours later he reports, “Just like I told you – immediately after our meeting, we got a flood of new business.”
Karma? Or random coincidence?
So I’ve developed a one-question quiz to determine your spiritual IQ. Please get pencil and paper and let’s begin:
1. What gives you more pleasure:
A) Getting gifts
B) Giving gifts
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
If you answered (A) or (D), and you are single, please don’t get married just yet! Your selfishness will make both of you miserable.
What’s the connection between giving and marriage?
Let’s say for the sake of discussion that there is some kind of infinite being that created the world and that everything was created for a purpose.
(It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree. The point is to understand the implications of the philosophy.)
According to this philosophy, what is the purpose for women and men to be created so different? Why is it so often true that “opposites attract”?
One Jewish approach to chew on is that being so different from each other maximizes our potential to give. It’s really hard to give to someone so different from me! And giving is what it’s all about, for by giving from the heart, we transcend our own egos and become more God-like. There’s your elusive definition of “soul-mates” - two people who most enable each other to give. That’s your true bashert.
One last question for your table: When does receiving = giving?
In this month leading to Rosh Hashana, I will suggest one tool per week to prepare your mind for a transformative holiday.
This week’s tool: Make a list of 3-5 ways in which you could and should become a better giver. Tape the list to the bathroom mirror.
Shabbat Shalom.
Speaking schedule:
August 27-28 – Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
September 12-14 - Rosh Hashana - Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
September 21-22 – Yom Kippur - Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
(For details, send an email)
Yiddish of the week:
bashert – meant to be, pre-destined, as in, “He’s my bashert” or “It was bashert that...”
Yiddish review – how many do you remember?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal — (MAH-z'l) luck or fortune, as in, "It was good mazal that...."
beshert — (b'shairt) - meant to be, as in "It was beshert that..."
mine eltern — my parents
mine lair-er — my teacher
hamantashen — Haman-pockets
zeigezunt — all the best (said upon parting)
kesher — connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. — I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. — ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. — ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. — ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes — The Four Questions
Oy vey! — Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanus — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — How wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That's how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of cessation; weekly Sabbatical experience.
("Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience")
neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz - sweat
shanda – shame
L’chayim! - Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid - the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus – zeal
m’kohm – place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen – mother tongue
kvetch – complaint
kvell – burst with pride
Friday, August 10, 2007
Sneak Preview
With thanks to Targum Shlishi, and other supporters of Jewish Spiritual Literacy.
Question for your table, story, and announcement.
The Question: What would you do if you were stuck in an airport for five hours?
The Story: I was stuck in an airport yesterday for five hours. Big deal? Yes and no. I didn’t like not seeing my kids that day before they went to bed. But the time was not wasted: I had a tavel-size copy of the Talmud that I’m currently studying, and used the time to cover a lot of ground.
I also noticed that many of my fellow passengers sat and stared into space for five hours.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” - Ben Franklin.
A lot of people are prepared for disasters – extra water, blankets, flashlights. But once you’re safe and sound, are you prepared not to lose the time?
The Announcement:
I am pleased to invite you to a sneak preview of a new time-saving tool - our new website for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with Jewish education:
http://jewishspirituality.net
Here you can download free lesson plans, handouts, audio and other support for teaching Jewish spiritual literacy across the spectrum of topics:
...and more.
There will also be on-line courses for training to become an “Art of Amazement” teacher and to teach our popular “Jewish meditation” curriculum.
Currently in the Theology section you can find my recent class, “Why Bad Things Happen” as an mp3 streaming audio as well as the handout for the class. Check out the other categories weekly for new uploads.
The official worldwide launch is scheduled for September. We are holding this sneak preview for Table Talk readers in order to get your feedback as we tweak the site for its official launch.
Please send your kvetches and kvells (about the site)!
Shabbat Shalom,
Alexander Seinfeld
Speaking schedule:
August 15-16 – Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
August 27-28 – Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
Yiddish of the week:
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha
Question for your table, story, and announcement.
The Question: What would you do if you were stuck in an airport for five hours?
The Story: I was stuck in an airport yesterday for five hours. Big deal? Yes and no. I didn’t like not seeing my kids that day before they went to bed. But the time was not wasted: I had a tavel-size copy of the Talmud that I’m currently studying, and used the time to cover a lot of ground.
I also noticed that many of my fellow passengers sat and stared into space for five hours.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” - Ben Franklin.A lot of people are prepared for disasters – extra water, blankets, flashlights. But once you’re safe and sound, are you prepared not to lose the time?
The Announcement:
I am pleased to invite you to a sneak preview of a new time-saving tool - our new website for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with Jewish education:
http://jewishspirituality.net
Here you can download free lesson plans, handouts, audio and other support for teaching Jewish spiritual literacy across the spectrum of topics:
+ Art of Amazement
+ Esoteric and Occult
+ Mitzvot
+ Passover
+ Relationships
+ Rosh Hashana - Yom Kippur
+ Talmud
+ Theology
...and more.
There will also be on-line courses for training to become an “Art of Amazement” teacher and to teach our popular “Jewish meditation” curriculum.
Currently in the Theology section you can find my recent class, “Why Bad Things Happen” as an mp3 streaming audio as well as the handout for the class. Check out the other categories weekly for new uploads.
The official worldwide launch is scheduled for September. We are holding this sneak preview for Table Talk readers in order to get your feedback as we tweak the site for its official launch.
Please send your kvetches and kvells (about the site)!
Shabbat Shalom,
Alexander Seinfeld
Speaking schedule:
August 15-16 – Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
August 27-28 – Baltimore (Etz Chaim)
Yiddish of the week:
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha
Friday, August 03, 2007
Bentching
So what do you do to keep five kids happy when you’re traveling for twelve hours (how long it took us to get from Seattle to Baltimore this week, door-to-door)?
One thing we do is look for mountains.
Snow-capped mountains.
Because 2,500 years ago, the Jewish Supreme Council enacted a special bracha to make when you see a snow-capped mountain for the first time in 30 days.
It used to be that everyone made up their own brachas. That was when all the Jews lived in the Land of Israel and everyone spoke Hebrew.
After we were scattered to the four corners of the globe, the rabbis supposed that over time, different sorts of Judaism would emerge and eventually there would be no more Jewish people, rather Jewish peoples. So they created a common liturgy to try to keep us together. That’s one reason why we don’t invent our own brachas anymore. It’s a slippery slope.
Another reason is that few of us have mastered the hundred or so brachas that already exist.
One of the easiest to relate to is the snow-capped mountain bracha.
Flying from Seattle on a clear day is an uplifting experience (pardon the pun).
On your left,
Mt. Baker.
Hey, there's Glacier Peak!
On your right, Mt. Ranier so close you could reach out and touch it. 
Over there, Mt. Adams....
Is that Mt. Hood in the distance?
When I asked a religious guy I know how many times he’s bentched a mountain, he told me, incredibly, none!
“Why not, haven’t you ever seen a snow-capped mountain?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know there was a special bracha for it.”
I thought, How could there not be a bracha? It is such an awesome experience.
You see, if you’ve read The Art of Amazement then you know that bracha is not a religious ritual, it is rather a meditation on the awesome experience of this moment and the greatest awe of all, the fact that I am here to experience it.
So here’s a question for your table: What’s more important, the experience of awe, or the articulation of that awe through something like a bracha?
(Hat’s off to Southwest, by the way, for making sure that everyone and their baggage made their connections, despite the disruptions on Thursday.)
If you would like a list of many little-known brachas, see Ch. 5 and Appendix F of the book, or send me an email.
Shabbat Shalom
Speaking schedule:
August 7-8 – St. Louis (CAJE):
"You Can Teach the Talmud!"
"Combating Missionaries: The 'Why be Jewish?' Defense"
"Two Plus Five: How to Teach Spirituality"
August 15-16 – Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
Yiddish of the week:
bentch — make a bracha
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
One thing we do is look for mountains.
Snow-capped mountains.
Because 2,500 years ago, the Jewish Supreme Council enacted a special bracha to make when you see a snow-capped mountain for the first time in 30 days.
It used to be that everyone made up their own brachas. That was when all the Jews lived in the Land of Israel and everyone spoke Hebrew.
After we were scattered to the four corners of the globe, the rabbis supposed that over time, different sorts of Judaism would emerge and eventually there would be no more Jewish people, rather Jewish peoples. So they created a common liturgy to try to keep us together. That’s one reason why we don’t invent our own brachas anymore. It’s a slippery slope.
Another reason is that few of us have mastered the hundred or so brachas that already exist.
One of the easiest to relate to is the snow-capped mountain bracha.
Flying from Seattle on a clear day is an uplifting experience (pardon the pun).
On your left,
Mt. Baker.
Hey, there's Glacier Peak!On your right, Mt. Ranier so close you could reach out and touch it. Over there, Mt. Adams....
Is that Mt. Hood in the distance?
When I asked a religious guy I know how many times he’s bentched a mountain, he told me, incredibly, none!
“Why not, haven’t you ever seen a snow-capped mountain?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know there was a special bracha for it.”
I thought, How could there not be a bracha? It is such an awesome experience.
You see, if you’ve read The Art of Amazement then you know that bracha is not a religious ritual, it is rather a meditation on the awesome experience of this moment and the greatest awe of all, the fact that I am here to experience it.
So here’s a question for your table: What’s more important, the experience of awe, or the articulation of that awe through something like a bracha?
(Hat’s off to Southwest, by the way, for making sure that everyone and their baggage made their connections, despite the disruptions on Thursday.)
If you would like a list of many little-known brachas, see Ch. 5 and Appendix F of the book, or send me an email.
Shabbat Shalom
Speaking schedule:
August 7-8 – St. Louis (CAJE):
"You Can Teach the Talmud!"
"Combating Missionaries: The 'Why be Jewish?' Defense"
"Two Plus Five: How to Teach Spirituality"
August 15-16 – Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
Yiddish of the week:
bentch — make a bracha
Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
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