Adam and Eve and The Forbidden Fruit

No, I as a Jew am not tempted to eat pork or non-kosher foods. All my eating is completely kosher. However, I had unhealthy food addictions: I was tempted to eat processed sugar food products, and caffeinated beverages. These foods are addicting and unhealthy to my physical, mental and spiritual body, soul, mind and heart.

My Rabbi and Torah Study has helped me deal with these problems squarely in the face: head on. Now I just say politely "No thank you."

During the month of Chesvan, we as Jews study Adam and Eve in the Torah. Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit off the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. When they ate the fruit; it brought about their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, painful childbirth, working for a living (tilling the soil for food products), and finally death.

Adam and Eve were warned by Adonai not to eat the forbidden fruit. "...Adonai said: 'You shall not eat if it, or touch it, lest you die." ~Genesis 3:3.

Todah Rabbah [Great Thanks} to Adonai, to my Rabbi and to the weekly Torah Parashah portion on Adam and Eve for teaching me to say "no" to the temptation of unhealthy foods. This is a Torah miracle in my life.

"Hazak Hazak V'nithazzek!" [Be strong, be strong, and let us summon up our strength for the sake of the People and the town of our God.] ~2 Samuel 10:12.

Leather Is an Animal's Skin

One Friday night on Shabbat, I asked my Rabbi to pray Refuah Shlemah for me ( the Prayer of Healing). She did; and afterwards Adonai answered our prayer.

I had painful foot disorders. I suffered from blisters, bone spurs, Plantar Faciitus, and Achilles Heel in both feet--and I found it very difficult to walk--but had to walk anyway many miles per day because I was the owner of a dog walking business: Ginzberg/Pets: The Pet Walking/Sitting Business for Dogs and Cats. I tried numerous forms of foot pain treatments: ice, pain medicines, exercises, physical therapy, shoe inserts, doctor visits, etc.--to no avail.

Until one day...I relocated my home to the North Side of Chicago, IL USA and in order to do this I had to temporarily downsize the quantity of my property. I took only a good pair of athletic shoes with me and left all my leather shoes in storage. For three months I have been wearing only athletic shoes made of synthetic materials: no leather.

On the Jewish Holidays of Tisha Ba'av and Yom Kippur, and at a Shiva, we as Jews ritually do not wear leather footwear at all. We do this to respect and honor animals. Leather is made from the skin of a cow. A cow is a holy kosher animal. Adonai created animals on Day Five and Day Six when Adonai created the world.

"Adonai said: 'Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind.' And it was so. Adonai made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And Adonai saw that this was good." ~Genesis 1:24=25.

Adonai commands Jews to treat animals humanely. This is written in more than one of the 613 Commandments that we are taught to uphold.

After not wearing any leather shoes for 3 months my feet improved greatly and are pain-free at the present time. I believe Adonai rewarded me in this way because of my faithfulness to Judaism and because my Rabbi prayed to Adonai for me.

One may ask: Do I miss the slickness, shiny surface and intoxicating smell of polished leather? My answer is no. Because I no longer have the guilt of stepping on a dead animal everywhere I go--and I believe therefore that Adonai has relieved my pain because of this goodness. This is a Torah-miracle in my life!

Todah rabbah, Adonai. [Great thanks.]

My Erev Sukkot

It was Erev Sukkot: 5774. I was outside, but protected by Adonai, inside my Sukkah, at my home. I had just read the Parashat for the week from the Torah: Zechariah. Afterwards I experienced a miracle.

The following is what I read in Zechariah 14:5-8 from the Etz Hayyim:

"--And Adonai my God, with all the holy beings, will come to see you. In that day, there shall be neither sunlight nor cold moonlight, but there shall be light at eventide. In that day, fresh water will flow..."

In my Sukkah on that night of Erev Sukkot: the fresh waters were flowing, just as the Torah said they would be: it was pouring rain: a very high voltage electrical storm, with Adonai's wrathful thunder and piercing white lightening that were like arrows being thrown around a dark purple sky. This incredible light and sound show of Adonai's fireworks was like a debut: "The Opening Night" of Sukkot: the 8 day Jewish Festival when we rejoice in Adonai's greatness.

The "bohu" upper rain waters merged with the "tohu" lower lake waters of Lake Michigan in Chicago Illinois USA {which is across the street east of my home}, and I knew this unification of oneness was the emergence of Adonai "coming to see me" just as it had said would happen in Zechariah of The Torah. This fantastic lightening display was truly a miracle to me!

Yitgadal v'yitkadash sh'mei raba." May Adonai's great name be exalted and sanctified.