Magic Touch

Thank you to all who responded to our membership drive last week. Evidently the $5 link is broken, but all others should be working.

If you have not yet completed the 1-minute Table Talk survey, please do and follow the instructions to receive your free gift! Here’s the link.

I don’t know about you but I’m weary of this election. While I’m at it, I’m weary of a few other things too. I’m weary of poverty, disease and killing. I’m weary of bombs falling on Israel every day and nothing being done to stop them. I’m weary of crises. I’m weary of technology and breakthroughs.

Next week I’ll tell you what I know from Talmudic wisdom how to pick a leader. Then I’ll try to avoid the subject for the next eleven months.


This week, a personal snapshot.

This week I finally built (with the help of a skilled handyman) a workbench in the basement. Actually, we built two, one for me and one to distract the kids so they’ll have less interest in mine.

For the first time in many years, I can actually find my tools. For a man, there’s nothing quite like having access to some really useful tools. Now that I’ve got the plumber’s wrench within reach, you can’t mess with me. Guys reading this know what I mean, women just roll their eyes. But when you come to me with a broken anything and I can fix it, you are giving me so much pleasure, you have no idea.

It pleases me to do something constructive.

It pleases me to help.

It pleases me to work with my hands, because working with my hands is really working with my entire being.

It pleases me to work a little magic....

Women reading this, I’ve just given you the secret to getting a man to do whatever you want. I hope you’re taking notes and reading between the lines...



The really cool thing that’s coming is called “personal fabrication”. According to the Table Talk survey, you are enjoying the amazing videos that I send, so here’s another one – a glimpse into a very different future world (thanks to my sister-in-law Beth for the link!)

So here's the coolest tool not yet on my workbench: Rabbi Seinfeld's wishlist

Now, how do you deal with a four-year-old and six-year-old who want to start sawing and nailing their own boards?

Shabbat Shalom.


Travel/speaking schedule:
January 15-17 - California
January 28 - Baltimore
February 18-20 – Chicago and Deerfield
March 18-19 – Miami area

For details, send an email!