The Swan's Protective Wing During the 10 Tevet Holy Fast

 

The miracle of the 10 Tevet Holy Fast is tomorrow, cutting down on carbs today, hunger relieves suffering, there is anger after sadness, and rebirth after anger. Rebirth not as "saved" by the Romans, but as a deeper commitment to my ancestors. Remember wading in puddles at Waldheim Cemetery at my family's burial ground in deep reverent mourning of my family who are all buried there together. There was a springtime rainfall there then, and I had my pre-mikvah in the pure rain in preparation 3 years before my actual conversion mikvah that took place on 26 Nisan 5772.

Grayer skies, fewer clouds, angrier Pharoah, darker sunless days in Tevet, greater commitment to mission, higher purpose, stronger goals, more rested moments, quieter silent reflections, building up an inward spiritual strength through fasting and Torah Study. Resuming attendance at Shul on all Saturdays, starting the weeks at Shul on Sunday mornings, tightening tefillin and draping tallit over broad shoulders warming my neck. The seagulls are circling overhead, but they are not vultures, they are my Levite angels, diving for fish and cleaning up the garbage as it is littered. Seagulls, geese, and swans: peaceful birds of grandeur, learning from nature, learning from the animals.

The Security of Retirement for the Wise in Years

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~Albert Einstein

Broken axe, peace at last. Having FREE-dom as a Bat Levi/Convert to Judaism: For dinner, it was a miracle: I ate 2 large fillets of FREE Kosher Breaded Fish, Kosher Stewed Tomatoes, Kosher Rice, Kosher Potatoes, Kosher Salad, Kosher Ice Cream, Kosher Hot Tea, Kosher Coffee, Kosher Juice, Kosher Silverware on Kosher Dishware. So much to eat, if I owned a belt I would have to unbuckle it. Punching extra notches on a non-existent belt, tighter than ever as Tefillin on my arm, gift of a free wristwatch. Not going out in the cold, always well-lit in the darkness on cold winter nights, learning basic conversation skills, talking with the nicest of people, non-existent "Yetzir Ha Rah," [evil intentions]. Keeping up with the Jones'es who do not compete with their neighbors at all, feeling good in a good environment: mezuzot on every door post, good feelings, goodness everywhere. People being cared about, an army of caring servants: pillows puffed, beds made, bathrooms cleaned, spotless white tile floors, all in a day's work so that I can have leisure and the security of retirement for the wise in years.

In Preparation of the 10 Tevet Holy Fast

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~Albert Einstein

Glistening shiny pearls like the inside of an oyster shell, having teeth of pure whiteness, no sugary candy to steal teeth from mouth, needing no dentists, no insulin, eating no processed sugars to contaminate the mouth, body, mind or spirit. Instead dollar bills collected to donate to the poor. Seeing shots of twisting airplane cloud trails in the not so far off sky, like remnants from shooting Independence Day firework rockets, piercing through clouds to take people to their destinations, immediate direction is forward and upward, a direct linear path straight up, a journey like an praying angel's ascension.

Coming down to earth before lunch, no sugars, gnawing stomach hunger instead, a preparation for the 10 Tevet holy fast that falls on the secular new year's day this year. Cutting back on foods to starve body so the body can survive the fast, not so devasting. Having hunger without candy, low blood sugar, hunger to change, to better oneself. "She drowned me and now She is drowning, and whoever is drowning Her will soon be drowned." ~Pirkei Avot. Swim And Let Swim is my motto.

Enjoying Xmas Without Snow

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~Albert Einstein

Miracles in my life, not understanding how God created me to be so happy! My happiness is a miracle! Happy, happy, happy! Seeing miraculous blue skies, strolling in parks! Happy! Listening to happy music, it is Xmas and I am a Jew, but I am happy on Xmas too! Walking briskly, no snow on Xmas, happy anyway--giggling to myself as I walk crushing crisp dead tree leaves, saying Merry Christmas to Christians as they work on Xmas, feeling sorry for the working class, maybe it is better to work on Xmas to pay for one's cake, even if all one can afford is bread. Laughing, breathing strong, vigorous activity, exercising on Xmas, listening to rock and roll music, eating Kosher Roast Beef with friends who are friendlier than family, and blessed to get a piece of Kosher Roast Beef with lots of greasy fat! How I love to eat the fat of Kosher Roast Beef! Leaving the carbs on my plate as a gift to God, but eating all the veggies, dark green nutritious veggies! Turning down chocolates, and sugary pie, no digestive problems to ache my tummy. Partying it up with the Christians who do not even know why they are Christian, they say they were born that way. Someone down the line turned against Judaism, generations ever after must follow suite. Keep your Covenants or forever hold your piece[peace] of broken cracked up promises. Promises that mean nothing to no one if they are not honored.  

Love, Honor, and Respect

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~Albert Einstein

Having mentors in great people, hoping for a mentor in God, and doing what God wants me to do. Staying purified and healing when there are disappointments and diseases, avoiding foods that raise blood pressure, or foods that cause diabetes, moderation in all things, and to think just eating itself was an issue and there was not enough food to eat at all. Lived through some hard times, kept trying and waiting for God to take over, and S/He did. I am so filled with gratitude that I keep my purity and also my dignity and that Ginzberg Creative Arts and Writing, Inc. survives. I survive, and we survive, and this is a miracle. Doing more than surviving now, thriving and creating everyday of the week other than on Shabbat. Shabbat taken seriously, not just a time to go outward toward the appreciation of the lives of others, but also as a time to reach inward deep into my own soul, making sure my soul stays cleansed, relaxed, heart beating strong and sure. It is a miracle that my outside and my inside are pure, because I now know what it is that causes purity and impurity: my body, mind, soul, all my intentions are good with intentional purification of food, drink, soaps, behaviors, purposes. I want to just live and let live and stay in peace without using a supposed peace effort as an excuse to start a war that could hurt someone. I need to forgive and not be antagonized by wrong-doers, Keeping My Faith and finding peace in my faith, and allowing others to also stay with their peacefulness if indeed that is what they preach. But I do not see peace where there is hatred and war and all is said and done in a kind of purpose to raise one but lower another. I believe in equality between all people and all of us on an equal balanced scale, justice. Justice as seen applying to all people, everywhere. I will not be plagued with hatred, the way to stay away from this plague is to NOT hate back. I have peace and only want to share it. I hope the best for a diseased warring world, hoping one day everyone will honor each other. I support love, honor, and respect.

Going Home Again, Everyday, Everywhere

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

After I learned that G-d is everywhere and that I am always in the presence (macom) of Adonai, I realized I am always at home no matter where I am. All I have to do is look for goodness, the concept of kindness, (chesed), and I am at home. A home that is better than the home I grew up in. I was not blessed to grow up with a religious childhood home, but now as an adult, I learned in my Hebrew School how to find Adonai everywhere, and now I am "home," wherever I am, because I am always in the presence of G-d.

 

I have the desire to go back into my childhood years, and re-enact my childhood: to climb the trees again, and ride my bike, put on roller skates, blow bubbles, chew gum, splash in pool water, ride a horse, dig in the ground for treasure, hold my father's hand...

 

Now I am doing everything as G-d has planned for me to do: to do loving acts of kindnesses toward people so I can live knowing that they are feeling good and through these kindnesses have a feeling of being "home" again--(even though they could be without G-d and therefore without a home). If they see me as an example, someone who gives help to people, someone who is interested in people's lives, they can feel a sense of hope. Knowing that they are not alone. I as a Jew, am chosen to bring Adonai into people's lives, and in doing this I am an angel, a messenger from G-d, we as Jews are all just a little lower than the angels. And because I care about people, I hope that through my caring, people can see that they can look for G-d too, and find G-d in their environment and therefore be at home again wherever they are.

 

Going home again happens for me everyday, every minute of the day--and home now is a holy place, holier than my childhood home, a home where G-d is everywhere.

Yom HaZikaron

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Yom HaZikaron: The Jewish Holiday of "Remembering the Fallen Soldiers of Israel" is today. There were some fierce battles that were fought in Israel's history, and many brave young Jewish men and women who fought in these battles lost their lives.

In Israel today, a siren goes off at 8 PM when the day starts at sunset and again the next morning at 11 AM and when the siren goes off, all the people in Israel stop what they are doing, traffic comes to a halt. People stop and spend a moment of silence remembering and respecting the dead soldiers who gave their lives to ensure our freedoms and the survival of the State of Israel.

 

Yes, we won WWII and thank G-d we did not lose this war. But even after winning the war, we lost a great deal--6 million Jews died. But to think that if we had not won this war that Nazis could be controlling the world now. What a scary thought. It took the lives of young men and women to win this war and other wars in Israel and we need to acknowledge this.

 

Tomorrow is Yom HaAtzma'ut; Israel's Independence Day. The reason we have Yom HaZikaron the day before is to show us that without the bravery of these soldiers we would not have Israel at all. We would not have freedom, we would not be here today.

 

There is a poem titled: SILVER PLATTER by Natan Alterman that is traditionally read on this day of Yom HaZikaron. Here it is:

 

And the land grows still, the red eye of the sky  slowly dimming over smoking frontiers
As the nation arises, Torn at heart but breathing, To receive its miracle, the only miracle
As the ceremony draws near,  it will rise, standing erect in the moonlight in terror and joy
When across from it will step out a youth and a lass and slowly march toward the nation
Dressed in battle gear, dirty, Shoes heavy with grime, they ascend the path quietly
To change garb, to wipe their brow
They have not yet found time. Still bone weary from days and from nights in the field
Full of endless fatigue and unrested,
Yet the dew of their youth. Is still seen on their head

Thus they stand at attention, giving no sign of life or death
Then a nation in tears and amazement
will ask: "Who are you?"

And they will answer quietly, "We Are the silver platter on which the Jewish state was given."
Thus they will say and fall back in shadows
And the rest will be told In the chronicles of Israel.

 

This poem is so beautiful--yes, the moments of silence we can spend to respect the soldiers who are indeed the "silver platter on which the Jewish state of Israel was given" are moments heartfelt and well spent.

Sinning Can Lead to Improvement and Improvement Can Lead to Forgiveness and Thus Happiness

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

When I say "choose life" I do not mean it as an anti-abortion slogan--I mean it in a spiritual way--to choose the positive, to choose a healthy way to live one's life. When you choose doom, gloom, and disaster, in the way you perceive a happening, you condemn yourself to choosing death or unhappiness over life or happiness. Feeling negatively is like death--feeling happiness is choosing life. To feel so happy every day of the year, like it is one's birthday every day of the year--is in the palm of your hand. It is an option. If you look at every happening, as if it is G-d's Will, then even negative or seemingly negative happenings will have a silver lining. We cannot control what happens to us; but we can control HOW we perceive these happenings, and whether they put us in a bad way or a good way. If we say to ourselves that G-d, who is all goodness, wants this to happen, then we can wait for the outcome which could be a positive not negative outcome. We must be patient. It will inevitably rain and thunderstorm, but after the rains, a sun comes out. April showers bring May flowers. And we wait through the Jewish "Counting of the Omer" till Lag B' Omer when we light the bonfires of passion and we dance around them--and then soon, 25 days later, we celebrate Shavuot, yes, the day when Moses received the 10 Commandments from Adonai. We have goodness, the Commandments, to follow, and this is our happiness and path to redemption. If we study Torah we will know what is right and what is wrong. We go through rain--which are trials and tribulations-- and then the sun comes out--the goodness of The Commandments light our way. The rain can be perceived as sin. We are not perfect people and very few of us can claim to be a tzaddik (a righteous one). But we do sin, or perhaps not quite sin, but do a "wrong-doing" because we are not perfect, and then we are forgiven if we repent, if we perform teshuvah. And we need to show improvement as part of our teshuvah: if we are to continue to be forgiven for our mistakes.

What is teshuvah? "If a person transgresses any of the mitzvot of the Torah, whether a positive command or a negative command - whether willingly or inadvertently - when he repents, and returns from his sin, he must confess before God, blessed be, He as [Numbers 5:6-7] states: "If a man or a woman commit any of the sins of man... they must confess the sin that they committed." This refers to a verbal confession. This confession is a positive command. How does one confess: He states: "I implore You, God, I sinned, I transgressed, I committed iniquity before You by doing the following. Behold, I regret and am embarrassed for my deeds. I promise never to repeat this act again." http://www.oakparkjewish.org/library/article_cdo/aid/911888/jewish/Teshuvah-Chapter-One.htm

G-d hopefully will forgive us; and people hopefully will show mercy and forgive us; if we forgive them when they make a mistake. And this forgiveness is about compassion--and when we receive compassion--we get a feeling of happiness because this is what love is all about. 

 

We are happy when we are loved. Sinning can lead to reform and reform can lead to a feeling of being loved, by G-d and by people, and that is the process of human nature if one uses G-d as a mentor and we let His teachings guide us.  

Holocaust Memorial Day

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

It is Yom HaShoah today. This is the International Holocaust Memorial Day. Today we remember the 6 million dead Jews who were brutally burned, gassed, and shot in the Holocaust.

 

When the sun set last night, at the beginning of Yom HaShoah, I saw a flash of  lightening outside my window--a thunderstorm started brewing just as the night started. It flashed a picture of memory in my mind--of all the horrific photographs of the anonymous burial grounds where my family is buried in mounds in Proskurov, Ukraine, (one is pictured here on the left). Proskurov used to be a highly populated Jewish city, and now it is a burial ground.

 

My lesson from my Rabbi today was very helpful to me. I told her I felt sick to my stomach thinking about the Holocaust and could not get out of bed in the morning to face it. She told me, we do not get sick about these things, we choose life. She helped  me heal from the atrocities I have experienced around this issue of the Holocaust, as a Jew. I stopped feeling the pain in my stomach, and my head cleared up. I was able to continue my good work as a leader in my community: being cheerful to all people, showing love to my neighbor, peace with my fellow, truth with my family, and justice with all humankind; as Adonai guides me to do.

Greet Every Person With a Cheerful Countenance

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

In the Jewish Literature Tractate "Pirkei Avot" or "Ethics of Our Ancestors" in Chapter 1:15 there is a rule that promotes peace and love toward one's neighbors and gives instructions on how to have this peace and love with a very easy method. The rule is "To greet every person with a cheerful countenance."

 

I have been experimenting with this easy method of creating peace in my neighborhood and at my residence. I smile in a cheerful way at everyone I meet. It is that simple. One does not even have to have an explicit stimulus to become cheerful, except that one does this with the desire to create peace and love with one's neighbors and to follow a Jewish rule.

 

This peace-making method of smiling at everyone cheers one's own heart. Especially when one gets a smile back--but one should not do this to seek a reward, but do it whether or not one gets a response or not. It is this cheerfulness that becomes contagious, and if one is cheerful towards another, it is a show of friendliness, a show of lovingkindness--to change a sour look on one's face into a smile. This is a gift from Adonai and to use it as a peace-making tool can change your life as well as everyone's life around you for the better.

Choices and Gratitude

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

To feel the miracle of happiness, one must recognize that one has choices, and one needs to be grateful to Adonai for everything--for the sunlight, and the moonlight, for a rainy day, and for all that goes with it--all the people in your life, and for all the people who were in your life, and yet will soon be in your life. Happiness is choice. One can feel sad, and that is a choice. If one chooses to feel sad, one must be thankful for the ability to feel sad. To be thankful to Adonai that you can cry. There are people who cannot cry, or who are afraid to cry, or who are not allowed to cry. Crying cleanses the sinuses, and gives you an opposite to happiness so when you do feel happy, you have a down time to compare it to. So this makes one happier still. One becomes happy that one is not sad. You can be happy that you know what sadness is, so you can have a choice to have happiness instead. If that is what you want. There are people who are afraid to complain when they have sadness, and this is unfortunate, because they will not receive the help from people that they need to then become happy--to feel happiness--and to share happiness with others.

 

Yes, life is always filled with choices. There are choices everywhere. You make your life livable by recognizing that you have choices, and using your judgment to make good choices. Then to become happy that you made a good choice, and to thank Adonai for giving you the choice, the good judgment, and the happiness that follows the process.

 

Feel good. Feel bad. But make sure you allow yourself to feel. And then thank Adonai for the great range of feelings that you are able to feel and to express. It is all about G-d---G-d is the one who is making it all happen. Believe it. Know it. Don't doubt it. G-d is a choice. Use your choices, and benefit, have success, feel the greatness and goodness of this holy choice. It is all YOURS.

The Lamb Will Lie Down with the Lion

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Lambs. It is a miracle in our day that there is an animal so lovely as a lamb. It stands on 4 wobbly youthful legs with knobby knees, and cries softly "Baaaaahhhhh..." and is so gentle and beautiful. I understand totally why the Prophets of the Torah chose being a shepherd of these animals as their occupation.

 

When I was a modern shepherd, a pet sitter, I took a dog for walks who was of the Labradoodle dog breed.  He was a cross between a standard Poodle and a Labrador Retriever, and he looked just like an adorable little lamb with locks of curly hair that I could run my fingers through. His name is Tripp and his owners are a wonderful family who love him and even gave him his very own room in the house where he lives so he could feel nurtured. He was my little lamb.

 

It is the lamb that will lie down with the lion when the Mashiach comes and complete peace will come to the Earth. This animal, the lamb, is my favorite animal--it is a kosher animal. It has cleft hooves and it chews its cud. These are the Torah's 2 requirements for what a kosher animal must have. I can so imagine how happy the life of a Prophet must have been to care for lambs and watch them grow into sheep. This animal is delightful. I think it is miracle that there is such a flawless animal among all of Adonai's creatures.

The Goodness of Masorti Jews

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

It is a miracle that I am still alive and that I can use my time to pray for others who are sick so they stay alive as well. I pray 3x daily. All Jews are obligated to pray and to try to find a minion (a group of 10 or more Jews) to pray with. I pray with Masorti Jews, that is Jews of the Conservative Jewish denomination. We sweetly sing in Hebrew to Adonai, our God, and praise and worship Adonai in all of our services at our Synagogues. When I converted to Judaism, I signed a contract that said I would pray. That I would pray in a Synagogue or at home. I desire to pray with other Jews, and also pray at home. Praying, for Jews in my denomination, is a social activity. We as Conservative Jews are a very inclusive and are a communicative group of people, sociologically.

 

The women sit in egalitarian fashion with the men in the Synagogue. We are not separated in our seating the way they are in the Orthodox Shuls. The women are included in the prayer service in all ways as equals to the men. We as women, can become Rabbis, can have a bat mitzvah, carry Torah and participate in all Torah duties; are honored to read Torah on the bemah, wear ritual clothing: tefillin, tallit katans, tallit gadols, and kippot, and perform worship in all ways the same as the men.

 

And yet, choosing the word "conservative," as in Conservative Judaism, means that we exist to conserve the traditions. We however, do not conserve any hateful, fascist, discriminatory "traditions." Any trace of evil and injustice, that is masquerading as a supposed "tradition," we have thrown out in the garbage where it belongs.

Yes, when the Messiach comes, He/She will be very glad that women--half the human race, are being treated inclusively as equal humans, an equal gender, with the men, in our religious Masorti Jewish denomination. It is a miracle that there is something like this that is striving to be so perfect in so many ways. The essence of Judaism, the "truth," is to always to strive for improvement.

Wearing Priestly Clothing to a Synagogue

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Orthodox Jewish service tomorrow--it is down the block. I was told by a former member of that shul that I had better wear a skirt there, or else. "You better cover up." I have always been modest in my dress. But how I feel is that wearing a skirt is not very modest. I wear pants most of the time, but I like once in awhile to wear a long skirt. There is no rule in the Torah or Mishnah that forces a woman into a skirt when she goes to a Shabbat service. I like to wear skirts when I go out to a Synagogue--sometimes I do and sometimes I do not. I feel more dressed up wearing a skirt than wearing pants. But I feel more protected in pants--my physical agility is better and I could defend myself better if I needed to.

 

When I was a young girl of 11 years old, I wrote up a petition for the girls in my school to be allowed to wear pants to school, and got hundreds of students in my grade school to sign it. It was a petition that allowed girls in my school to wear pants instead of skirts. Even on cold wintry days we had to come to school in skirts. It was the school rule that girls must only wear skirts to school. Pants were not allowed. The petition was honored and we were allowed to wear pants from then on to our grammar school classes. This was in 1970. My Rabbi who is a woman, wears pants sometimes and skirts sometimes on the bemah when she leads a Shabbat service. It is her choice what she wears. She does what she wants to do--it is between her and God. It is not up anyone else or anyone's so-called standards of social norms.

I love to wear skirts. I do it because I love the feeling of freedom a loose long skirt gives my legs and body. My first Hebrew name was Nisha before I became Batyah. One meaning of Nisha in Hebrew means "to feminize." I love to look feminine and prefer wearing dresses and skirts to a synagogue because I like to look my best when worshipping G-d--I do this for G-d; and to look my best for my fellow congregants who see me. I like to look dressed up, a bit fancy, and well-groomed. It is all a choice and we have freedom and choices--my choice is to look my best and I look very nice in dresses and skirts; and some pants outfits are dressy as well. It is all about dressing to look good, to be appealing, and to please oneself as well as others. When one goes to a synagogue, it is very lovely to look around at all the nicely dressed people who care about the way they look. We are dressed respectfully to worship G-d and take pride in our appearance. This is the way it should be.

My Family Is a Miracle In My Life

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

My family is a miracle in my life. I want to talk about my lovely 15 year old niece, and her strong and stately brothers and older sister, Emily.

 

My niece's birthday is coming up at the end of March--she will be 15 years old. She will be a sophomore at her high school where she excels in subjects like the sciences, and math. She was tutored in mathematics when she was younger and she loves numbers. I was able to let her know that in Judaism, numbers mean something. Each Hebrew letter has a number that corresponds to it. She is a very deep thinker and will wonder about each number and give them more significance in her life now that they are associated with Judaism--and she has this knowledge. I told her that I love numbers too. I love to play games with numbers--I add up house addresses whenever I am passing them on the street, and I created my own number game using my digital watch and its numbers as they change with time. She has excitement too, about numbers. Numbers--they are exciting. My nephew Jacob took up Calculus 2 as a Freshman at college. He once told me not to pay a waitress's restaurant bill twice in a restaurant when I took him out for a juicy piece of baked salmon. I had forgotten that the bill was already paid!

 

My other nephew Joseph wears the multi-colored coat in the family. He is a media specialist and he creates websites, and other computer image art, yes, just like his Aunt Batyah. He looks just like his father, and lives with his Dad. He used to drive a pick up truck. I remember asking him when he was about 5 years old what type of car will he drive and he said "I want a pick up truck!" He is very active, has his own girlfriend and is attending Northern University in DeKalb IL. All the children of my family are in school somewhere, learning, and also working at employed positions. My niece Emily who is also in college, is the night manager at a Subway Restaurant in DeKalb. My sister has her hands full working everyday as a teacher's assistant and then taking care of a family as a single mom.

 

I am very lucky to have a big family with lots of active people in it. I look forward to giving them gifts on Purim and I like to send my nephew Jacob books in the mail. I am so lucky to have this extended family situation. I consider myself one very blessed Aunt. I love my family and hope they feel like they are loved by me. I wish the best for everyone.

Sunday: A Day of Work and the First Day of the Week

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

Sunday--how to cope with "Closed on Sunday,"
Open a book and spend my time reading.
Better yet, open the Torah and comprehend
What it was like before "Closed on Sunday" existed.
All was gold, silver, copper, bronze, purple, blue and crimson--
This is how it was before we had Sundays.
It was a day of worship to the One and Only God.
Feel like reading Torah until my eyes close.
Good and better--it will be alright,
It will be "Open on Sundays,"
With the arrival of  the Messiach.

 ~Batyah Ginzberg 3/2/14

 

Sunday. Some Christians, not all, see it as a day of rest. But it is the first day of the week on our calendars and God rested on the last day of the week, not the first. We as Jews rest on Saturday, the 7th day of the week as God rested also after He created the world. God did not rest on Sunday. I see it as a falsehood, a rebellion against Judaism and therefore God, to rest on a Sunday. Some say since Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday--it is supposed to be a Christian day of rest to observe this. Whatever the reason they rest on Sundays; I do not. However I respect our differences.

 

What do I do on a Sunday? I work out heavily at a gym, work my body, to build my muscles. And I study Torah on Sundays. Sunday is a day of study and hard physical work for me. As a Jew I rest on Shabbat on Saturday and this gives me the stamina to work on Sunday. Sunday is a day to prepare for the week ahead. To do laundry, do shopping, do cooking, pay bills, exchange money (since this cannot be done on a Saturday)--Sunday is a day of great activity.

After resting on the Jewish Sabbath, Sunday comes as a day of great strength for me after my rest on Saturday, because I am regenerated in body, mind and spirit. I feel strong like a bull on Sunday. Just think how much one can accomplish on a Sunday after a Saturday of ultimate rest. My muscles feel like they grow overnight on a Sunday from heavy use. Sunday is a good day--it is a work day. It is a miracle how much Sunday is a day of accomplishment in my life. I thank Adonai for Sundays!

After a Total Complete Rest on Shabbat

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Shabbat has ended, I did my Havdalah rituals and said good-bye to a wonderful restful Shabbat. I feel so rested, so completely at ease--this revitalization of my spirit, body, and mind is so incredible--it is like nothing else I have experienced.

 

I do yoga on Shabbat instead of working out at the gym, and this yoga I do with  my body relaxes all of my muscles--I sleep if I want to--do not get out of bed until later in the morning, and this also relaxes my body. I do not eat processed sugar on Shabbat--my body is a Temple to Adonai and so I really keenly watch my diet on Shabbat and my body, my liver and kidneys get a rest on Shabbat this way too. I do not cook on Shabbat and eat only kosher foods.

 

I read my Siddur and study Torah on Shabbat--reading in bed--and this reading does wonders to put me in a holy state of mind. Today I read about the Tabernacle--the first Synagogue built under the leadership of Moses, and the Parashat was beautiful. I imagined being in the Tabernacle and seeing the gold, silver, bronze and copper that was used to make the mishkan and other items in the Tabernacle and hence, I was in the richest state of mind one could imagine. And to think all those precious metals were donated by the Jews who were slaves and had just been freed from Egypt, and they were donated with good will--real love for the first Synagogue. I just love it.

 

This restful state of mind, body, and spirit is necessary for me to regenerate good positive energy, and to use my energy to do good. I try not to carry things on Shabbat, and try to limit my music to Classical relaxing music. This also helps to religiously respect Shabbat rules and to get the needed rest I have to have to function properly. I do not hurry anything on Shabbat. I take my time eating and digesting good kosher meals, never gulp down my food in a rush on Shabbat. This relaxes my digestive system, and my body feels better because of this modified slow eating behavior. I remove my eyeglasses and relax my eyes. When I relax my eyes and just use them for reading and studying, they do not hurt or get tired. I shower on Shabbat. The hot cleansing and purified water hits my sore muscles like a whirlpool bath and it is warm and soothing.

 

I always wear only white clothes on Shabbat. I feel this limit to pure colors--just the purest of whites--is a respectful way to dress when praising Adonai. It adds to my feeling of holiness to dress only in whites. I do not wear leather shoes on Shabbat--my feet are extra comfortable this way. I wear athletic shoes, they are white and do not disrespect animals because I am not stepping on leather. My feet get relaxed and never feel sore on Shabbat. I walk slowly, and in a meditative manner, looking in my environment for beauty, and this slow gait keeps me from feeling hurried or rushed, and adds to my Shabbat rest.

 

I limit my caffeine intake on Shabbat--it would just speed up my body and this would detract from the complete rest I could get. I drink plenty of pure cool water instead.

 

I do all this to chill out, to lounge, and to let my body, mind and spirit detox from all the weekdays' work. I do not create on Shabbat. I put my drawing art supplies in my closet and lock them up for the day. I also do not email or write on Shabbat. I communicate with God and the Jews I live with, and do not stress myself out with excessive communications. I turn off  my computer completely, and this relief is so good. I do not play at all with electronics on Shabbat. This relief I get when I turn my computer off is so restful.

 

Shabbat works for me to rest myself when I follow these rules of relaxation. I do everything in my power to de-stimulate, and do this ritually. I am so blessed to be able to rest on Shabbat as a Jew. I would never trade this rest for anything else in the whole wide world. To me resting on Shabbat makes me a millionaire and when I go to a Synagogue on Shabbat I am a minionaire--a Jew blessed to pray with 10 or more Jews in an egalitarian minion. I have my body, mind and spirit doing a complete turn around to being the best I can be. Thank you, to my Rabbi and my spiritual community for teaching me how to rest. And mostly, thank you to Adonai--I could never do it without You.

Obedience and Respect for My Rabbi

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Peace and quiet. This is my new miracle that I am experiencing today. Why am I experiencing peace and quiet? It is because I have made up my mind to always obey my Rabbi and to always revere her and listen to her and always to defend her no matter what.

 

There are people who deny women the right to become Rabbis--still, even though we are living in a modern world. The reason I chose a woman to be my converting Rabbi is because I deeply, whole-heartedly believe women are equal to men and should have the same opportunities that men have, more so in the job market than anywhere else. It gives me peace and quiet to assert Women's Rights--and this is a miracle in my life.

 

I pray with my siddur (prayerbook) 3 services per day: The Shaharit, The Minchah, and The Ma'ariv services. Anytime I need lovingkindness or mercy--Adonai provides me with this by me reading about it in my siddur. My Executive Director of my Synagogue gave me 2 siddurim when I moved away from my home Synagogue, and these 2 books and my Chumash, the Torah, a version that was edited by my Rabbi, are a saving grace to me. I just love these books. I have one of them open at all times during the day and read them as if they are the only books left in the universe.

 

I also have a new membership at my YMCA and exercise everyday--I believe that exercising the body, as well as the spirit and mind, is essential to good overall health.

 

This peace of mind I have has become a direct result of listening to my Rabbi and showing her the most of utmost respect that she deserves. Some of the things she says urge me to become the best person, the best Jew I can be--and this is so important. I strive for excellence and always to find ways to improve--improvement of oneself being the essence of Judaism.

 

 

On Love and the 613 Commandments

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Valentine's Day is tomorrow. "Valentine was a priest who was arrested by the Emperor Claudius. Following a theological debate about the merits of Christianity, Valentine was sentenced to live with a noble by the name of Asterius in a form of house arrest. With the help of God and true faith, Valentine miraculously restores the sight of his master's adopted daughter and, in doing so, converts Asterius and the 24 members of his house. When Emperor Claudius hears of this miracle and the subsequent conversions, he has Valentine killed." ~MyJewishLearning.com

This is a Catholic and not a Jewish holiday--however the concept of "love" itself is very Jewish in origins. My research led me to the following of the 613 Commandments from The Torah that discuss love. It is a miracle in my life to have righteous guidance on how to love--the Jewish way.

26.To love all human beings who are of the covenant (Lev. 19:18)
27.Not to stand by idly when a human life is in danger (Lev. 19:16)
28.Not to wrong any one in speech (Lev. 25:1...7)
29.Not to carry tales (Lev. 19:16)
30.Not to cherish hatred in one's heart (Lev. 19:17)
31.Not to take revenge (Lev. 19:18)
32.Not to bear a grudge (Lev. 19:18).
33.Not to put any Jew to shame (Lev. 19:17)
34.Not to curse any other Israelite (Lev. 19:14) (by implication: if you may not curse those who cannot hear, you certainly may not curse those who can)
35.Not to give occasion to the simple-minded to stumble on the road (Lev. 19:14) (this includes doing anything that will cause another to sin)
36.To rebuke the sinner (Lev. 19:17)
37.To relieve a neighbor of his burden and help to unload his beast (Ex. 23:5
38.To assist in replacing the load upon a neighbor's beast (Deut. 22:4)
39.Not to leave a beast, that has fallen down beneath its burden, unaided (Deut. 22:4)

There is a misnomer that Christians love God and Jews do not love God, rather we fear God. Jews are commanded to love God above all else and our fear of God comes from our awe of God's miracles--fear being a necessity to discourage sin. I love Adonai and often look for God in my environment and in people's eyes--their divine spark of life. Worshipping Adonai brings me into "the moment," the present, and when I am in the present looking for love, God always guides me to Judaism--I see Jewishness in my environment artistically and come into contact with God this way and then have gratitude: Thankfulness for seeing evidence of God. God is in everything good and bad. This is a miracle that I have been taught to experience Adonai everywhere. Even when I see something unpleasant--one can make lemonade out of lemons, so it is in our power given to us by Adonai to see good in everything and thereby we can experience Adonai's love for us everywhere. When I experience God with my senses, I am at peace. When I help another human being I am also at peace. "Love your neighbor," is the true bottom line and essence of Torah.

Icicles Are Miracles

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Icicles are a great subject matter in conversations during wintertime because of their incredible beauty. As they are dripping and reflecting the sunlight like prisms and small rainbows, they are truly magnificent natural sculptures that are formed by Adonai as the artist.

 

They remind me of stalactites that form in caves--dripping salt formations that come from the ceilings in caves and form yet another type of natural sculptural artwork.

 

I watch the icicles out my window dripping drop after drop in the sunshine, or see a fast water flow from some that are in more direct warm sunlight--it is these drops of cold water that form yet ring after ring of ice that extend the icicles even further down to the ground.

 

What do they look like to me? Like shining silver daggers. Like teeth. Adonai puts a set of these teeth on rooftop over-hangings to show His smiles. He arms the people with silver daggers to fight off the evil impulse in one's mind and heart. Repetitive. Icicles are like piano keys--they form together in communities--like fish. Where you see one you are likely to see another. In cold weather, the icicles huddle together, and remind us of the need to spend time with our families, with our communities to keep warm and friendly.

 

They are here now, but with warmer weather they will disappear, they will melt. But we can count on them returning next year with the freezing temperatures. We will see these miracles again next year. But we will miss them and so they will return.

 

Yes, icicles are miracles of Adonai, miracles of nature. Enjoy them while they are here!

World Peace and Jewish Views of Justice

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

I think it is a miracle how the Hebrew God Adonai, the Psalms, and The Torah protect the innocent and punish the guilty; and I see this miracle as a tool to keep world peace. There is a question that comes up frequently to my mind: the question whether or not to wish for revenge if you have been mistreated by an "evil-doer" (as is the wording in King David's Tehillim--The Hebrew Psalms.)

Maimonides does not see human revenge as being a peaceful answer to establishing justice; as an answer to one's problems. But in Exodus in the Torah, it is "...an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth... " That verse is not a prescription for revenge; instead the idea is to give fair punishment for a crime--a punishment that fits the crime; or a reward that fits a good deed; or to set a fair price for a saleable item. One of the 613 Commandments explicitly states "Do not to take revenge" and another says "Do not bear a grudge." These Commandments come from the Torah in Leviticus 19:18.

But do the Hebrew Psalms promote taking too passive of a role in punishing crimes by an evil-doer; encouraging the victim to be "letting go and letting God"?  In the Psalms the message is that if one is treated unfairly one can be sure that God will take care of the injustice His way: His way being to break the arms of the evil-doer. In Psalm 37:17 it says: "For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but Adonai upholds the righteous." This approach as I see it; takes away the human need for revenge--humans do not need to get revenge because God knows who is righteous and who is not and He will take care of the revenge Himself with Divine Intervention, (i.e. The Ten Plagues, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and The Great Flood). In Psalm 1:4-6 it says: "Not so the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. ⁵ For this reason the wicked won’t stand up to the judgment, nor will sinners at the gathering of the righteous. ⁶ For Adonai watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed."

This afore-mentioned philosophy "God'll get ya" is the punishment for the crime and suggests that human revenge is not necessary. "Anger leads to evil." Of course there are courtrooms for more serious crimes, but here we are discussing the everyday mistreatment of the poor, the orphan and the widow; rudeness, verbal abuse, being insulting or bullying. What of these offenses? Is revenge necessary? Not according to the Tehellim Psalms. Psalm 37:32-33 says " The wicked keeps his eye on the righteous, seeking a chance to kill him. ³³ But Adonai will not leave him in his power or let him be condemned when judged."

 

I see this as a very peaceful approach to solving everyday small offenses. My daily prayerbook (siddur) has a nighttime prayer where we ask God "...to forgive anyone who angered annoyed or wronged me, myself, my possessions or my honor." We ask God to "Let no one be punished on my account." It is this peaceful way to forgive these oppressive actions, and not to seek revenge--that will repair the world's attitude towards holding a grudge--instead of forgiving--inappropriate  behavior and actions.

The Torah goes on to say that it is a crime to "...insult one's father or mother," and this crime is punishable by death. There are definite measurements of crimes as to their seriousness, and these offenses are addressed in the Torah, Talmud and Mishnah.

 

The bottom line as I see it, is "not to take the law into one's own hand." And to try to forgive an offender rather than seek revenge. The Divine Lawmaker, Judge and Executioner is Adonai; and He will protect the righteous, and condemn the guilty.

We are Made in God's Image

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

 How to be happy with your lot. The Torah says for each individual to be happy with what he has and not to want. The Hebrew Psalm 23 says "Adonai is my shepherd; I shall not want." To want what another possesses is actually in disobedience of the Commandment that says: "Do Not Covet." Do not covet and do not want are two of the same. To be happy where you are; to be happy in the moment, is the key to being a spiritual person and the key to happiness and will eliminate anxiety--no worries about the future.

 

On Shabbat, I do not spend money; but I make sure every Shabbat gives me what I want that I do not allow myself during the weekdays. I take that extra bite of a sugar cookie on Shabbat--this will make my Shabbat very special. Shabbat is the time to fulfill all of one's wants. It is time to rest, yes, but it is also time to indulge--not indulge in work or creative pursuits, but to indulge in what will bring on a feeling that one is honoring Adonai--praising and worshipping Him.

 

There are conscious decisions one needs to make to get spiritual happiness: "To be self-aware, to be humble, to use your ability to choose, to be patient, to make the most of circumstances, to improve, to be compassionate, to have perspective, to have purpose, to search for truth, and to change," writes Rabbi Twerski, MD.

 

One must admit mistakes and be aware of one's shortcomings, to want to be a better person. The way one behaves is in one's control: you can be in charge of your behavior. A person should laugh and smile as often as s/he gets the chance. To know what your character defects are and to work on them. To take these defects one by one and to change them. To make lemonade out of all the lemons in your life. To overcome negative characteristic traits. To not be afraid of being a spiritual person, and let your imagination take you to God--no one has ever seen the face of God, (and lived), but one can use his imagination and pretend God looks like anyone you want Him to look like. We as Jews, are not to see God being Jesus, but we can see Him in the human form, a real Friend, a real Teacher with a human face. We can see God in the faces of everyone we meet. Look for the divine spark of life in the twinkle of someone's eye. We as humans are made in the image of God--which means God looks like us. Yes, 2 eyes, 2 ears, a nose and a mouth. We are to use God as a mentor and be like God: good, peaceful, not easy to anger, forgiving--all these positive characteristics.

 

One should protect oneself and family from anti-spiritual influences: like humiliation of one's creative forces. In other words, don't let someone ridicule you and tell you that you are childish because you want to play the violin, or draw a picture. Creativity is good--like God who created the world we are also supposed to create and be creative. Creativity is a key to happiness. It is not a fault or a shortcoming. There are people who are jealous of creative people and who are so uncreative themselves that they cannot even imagine what God looks like. God is giving us a choice to see Him as anything and anyway we want to see Him. Use your imagination and yes, picture God. Go a step further and listen to God.

People complain that their parents didn't guide them well enough. Putting all the blame on their parents--but one needs to look for God to be one's Guide, not your parents--unless you think that what your parents would do, is right for you to do as well. You cannot see or feel love, but it is there, God is someone we cannot see blatantly either--but like love is there, God is there too. Did you just taste a sweet delicious cookie? That sweetness was put into your mouth by God. Yes, and do not be afraid to talk about God with those in your religion. Talking about God will bring Him alive too. Religion itself will not bring you happiness, it is where you take what you learn in the Torah (Bible) and what you do with it that will make you happy. And spread this happiness around to others. Learn to laugh more, consciously cause yourself to laugh. Laughing will make you happy, and it will make others happy as well.
 

The bottom line is to listen to God at all times, if what He wants you to do is good, He will help you with it and it will make you happy. Follow the 613 Commandments because this is His guide for us. Yes, Baruch Atah Adonai. It is You God, You are number One--and there is no other God but You. Keep this philosophy and you will not fail. Rest on Shabbat, as God rested too. You will be invigorated and refreshed for the coming week. Keep your nose to the grindstone, but not on Shabbat. Aren't we extra lucky! We have Shabbat and we have God. Anyway we want to. This is the freedom of choice and freedom of religion as we have it in the United States of America. Use your choices, use your imagination--and laugh and rest. It is that easy! 

Finding Happiness is a Miracle

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

How do I make myself happy? First and foremost, I follow the kosher dietary laws of the Torah and Mishnah. And I have many other secrets too. Gratitude is the key to happiness. To be thankful for every little thing you have or that comes your way--to make lemonade out of lemons, to give gratitude to God for it all. What is in front of you? A beautiful white snow bank? Appreciate it for its pureness and coolness, and its sculptural formation. Yes, even in the freezing temps of winter, one can be thankful for something that God is showing us. A window? Reflections in the glass that show the colors of a prism? Be thankful for that window--it is a rainbow. Do you have clean hands and lotion? Be thankful for your soap and for the perfumed scent of your lotion. Smell it frequently. And be thankful every time your nose sniffs a delightful smell. Who are you thankful to? To God. To
Adonai. Be it man-made beauty or natural beauty--all of it is given to you through your eyes, ears, nose, and throat--your senses: which Adonai created within your body--the gratitude for your senses goes to Adonai. Brushing your teeth with a minty toothpaste--thank God for that. Breathe in some fresh air and relax and taste the mint after brushing your teeth. Do not take it all for granted--that is the sure fire way to depression. Give someone a gift, get some exercise, pet a dog, wear fashionable clothing, go to your synagogue or church. Throw a party. Attend a class or lecture. Sing a song. Bake a cake. Water a plant. Find employment for yourself or for a friend. One must marvel at everything, not with the aid of drugs or alcohol, but with gratitude towards God. What makes you happy? If your senses are stimulated with beauty,

good smells, nice tastes, the sound of beautiful music, or the actions of doing mitzvot for someone--good deeds--these things make one happy. Learning something new or teaching something to someone makes me happy. Reading something profound makes me happy. Getting an email from a friend makes me happy. My appreciation goes out to You, Adonai. Find something in everything you are exposed to, to make yourself happy. Truth, justice and peace makes me happy--I love being exposed to the goodness of it all. Be generous and give--it will bring you happiness. And this incredible amount of happiness is all under your control--it is a miracle to be so happy--so peaceful. Whatever you see that could be lemonade instead of lemons--go for it! Turn around the bad and create good. If in a crowd of unworthy people--one must strive to be the worthy one. Follow the 613 Commandments and it will make you happy. Be creative, look creatively for ways to find happiness. Strive for happiness--go get it!

This Week Shabbat Started on a Friday Morning

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Today, on Friday before Shabbat, I had one thing in mind and that was to pursue peace, justice and truth. Today was a miracle in that I tried the Messianic goal of having a Shabbat, or close to a Shabbat on a Friday including tomorrow which  is a Saturday, (when the Messiah comes everyday will be a Shabbat). 

 

The sun is going down now and the real Shabbat is starting. The cold icy sky of Chicago's winter is getting gray in color and soon will be alive with reds and pinks and purples of a sunset just before Shabbat. I knew I had it in my abilities to obey truth, justice, and peace--and I did it. I have committed no sins today. I have no reason to do teshuvah today, no reason to ask for forgiveness. I was rewarded tonight by Adonai in that I was trusted by someone who had a very hard time trusting me in the past. Today this person just gave me her total trust and I was able to fulfill her expectations. If communicating with warring people just takes away my peace of mind--then there will be no more communication with them. Shabbat will ease into every day of the week in spots, and not just be contained on a Saturday. Peace is my goal and I will obey the 10 Commandments plus the 613 Commandments in order to get this daily peace. We as Jews are obligated to recite prayers everyday--and my prayers were answered today. This was a miracle in my life. Todah rabbah, Adonai.

Every Drawing I Create is a Miracle--a Gift from God

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

It is a miracle in my life that I have the chutzpah to create art. Many people go into media or design instead of fine art because it is so difficult to make a living on fine art. And because they just are not creative enough to give it a try--one needs an imagination to create fine art. It is not easy; but it is great fun. If you can think of expressing yourself like no one has done before, you deserve to be called an artist.

 

Being an artist is a lifestyle--someone who can stop and smell the flowers no matter what. An artist has to believe in her/himself. S/he has to believe that what she is doing is going to make someone

happy, even if it is only the artist who becomes happy. 

 

Creating color is a talent that not everyone can manage. It takes constant exercising of the right side of the brain--it is not the same side of the brain that computes math or science. Some people, true artists have greatly developed right sides of their brains whereas some people have little or none--those being the non-artists.

 

An artist has to have spare time. Time to make art and dream and visualize in an undisturbed relaxed atmosphere. Visualizations on paper are gold mines. If the artist visualizes with an original mind, the work is that much more valuable.

 

An artist is a fun person, a revolutionary, someone who dares to not go mainstream. Someone who at the risk of being called "odd" will still pursue his craft and have a good time at doing it. This is where the chutzpah comes in. Do you dare make art? It is a miracle in my life that I have found a place where I can do my
drawings and be self-employed as an artist--having 24 hours to pursue my craft everyday. Todah rabbah Adonai for this miracle. I love colors and beautiful things. And I get to create them myself. How blessed I feel because of this miracle. Every drawing I create is a miracle to me. It is like giving birth to a child. A drawing can be one's best friend--you get to look upon it and breathe in its beauty with your eyes anytime! Thank you Adonai for my talent and imagination. I feel like you have chosen me to make this world a little bit better for all who look upon my artwork. Let all people see something new, something powerful--to see Adonai in every drawing I create. This is my goal.

Todah Rabbah, Adonai!

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

I am feeling deeply in gratitude to Adonai for many many things Adonai has given me and that I take for granted. I am thankful for being in a nice warm large brick-built home with a heater in my bedroom as well as in all the other rooms in my house. Todah rabbah, Adonai. I am also thankful for a working computer so I can email my friends and family and keep writing in my blog. Todah rabbah, Adonai. I am so glad that I am getting all completely kosher meals everyday, 3x per day, with kosher snacks, and getting my 2,000 calorie diet per day in a certified kosher fashion. Todah rabbah, Adonai. I am really thankful for getting my medicines that I need to keep up my health so I feel good and active and healthy. I waited 3 years to get a medicine and it was imperative that I got it and I finally found a doctor to prescribe it and it is paid for and readily available to help me. I am so thankful for this. I am thankful that I have 1x per week contact with my Rabbi and that I pray everyday with my Synagogue's siddurs. Todah rabbah, Adonai. I am really in gratitude to Adonai for giving me chutzpah: I find out what I need to know and I use it to help myself and to help others. I am a research expert and I also talk to many people to get answers to my questions and this all builds up my wisdom. Todah rabbah, Adonai. Thank you Adonai for curiosity and wisdom--for cho-achma. Todah rabbah, Adonai! Todah rabbah, Adonai! Todah rabbah, Adonai!!

365 (not just 8) Days of Hanukkah Miracles

 "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

A miracle happened to me over the holiday winter season of 2013-14. I converted to Judaism 2 years ago, and while I was studying and studying to know all about the religion, I still could not say I was a Jew--because I had not converted by mikvah yet--even though I had a Jewish soul and felt like a Jew, I did  not become official until after my beit din mikvah bath at the Synagogue in Wilmette. After my mikvah--things changed--and there was a miracle that happened in my life.
 

The miracle that I experienced was getting all Hanukkah cards in the mail instead of Christmas cards. Not one of my Christian friends sent me a Christmas card. I received the most beautiful Hanukkah cards in the mail instead. My sister sent me a gorgeous blue-ish colored card that said "Bright and happy days to you at Hanukkah and always." My cousin sent me a turquoise colored card that says Happy Hanukkah on the front and inside it says "8 Days to Celebrate!!" My mother sent me a Season's Greetings card and on the inside it says "Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year."

 

I saw carolers during the holidays and when they finished singing Christmas songs, they afterwards came up to me and said to me "Happy Hanukkah!" I wear a yamulkhe and a tallit katan in public and so am dressed obviously as a Jew--and received the nicest Hanukkah greetings from everyone. I lighted a large electric menorah that was in our front window each of the 8 nights, and it shone brilliantly and boldly in the night; warming up all who looked at it.

 

Yes, this year--Hanukkah was my personal miracle all 8 days of its length. On these days my own light shone forth; and I was as happy as could be--seeing miracles happening everywhere--all 8 days and after that too. We as Jews do not hate Christmas; and we do not hate people who are less religious than ourselves; and we love being greeted appropriately with a great big giant and smiley "Happy Hanukkah!!!"

Thanks to everyone who made my Hanukkah as happy as can be.