May their memories be for a blessing

 

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg have died in the Mumbai attacks and their son has lost his parents.

A change is as good as a rest, apparently

 

Or it could be a complete fallacy!

Anyway, I’m thinking about changing the design of my blog.  It will be radically different to the current blue & white theme, so be warned!

It’s been a tumultuous week – I’m ready for the weekend, I can tell you.  Not that I’ll be sitting around, doing nothing.  But at least I won’t have to get the train to work in the dark, and come home in the dark, for the next two days.

On a Jewish theme, I read this week’s parshah, Toldot, and did a double-take.  Forgive my ignorance, but I truly have only just begun the cycle of reading, so my question is – is there a reason for Isaac going through the same issue as his father, by pretending his wife is his sister?  What is this supposed to represent?

Shabbat Shalom, everyone.  I can’t wait until the end of the day for some rest and relaxation.

Past, present, future

 

“Remember the past,

Live for the present,

Hope for the future”

 

Abba Kovner, 1918-1987

Hebrew poet and resistance fighter in the Vilna ghetto

I found the quote above a few moments ago, in the front pages of a document that I have saved, but not yet read.  The document is called “The Jews in the Channel Islands during the German Occupation 1940-1945″ and you can find it here.

For those of you who don’t know, the Channel Islands consist of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm together with other uninhabited islands, they are off the coast of Northern France, are British Crown Dependencies and were the only part of the British Commonwealth to be occupied by Germany in World War Two.

The Occupation was harsh, some residents were taken for slave labour in mainland Europe, native Jews were sent to concentration camps, there was partisan resistance and following retribution.  The Royal Navy also blockaded the islands intermittently throughout the war, resulting in widespread hunger and near starvation towrds the end of the Occuaption.

My main reason for posting was the quote that I found, as it certainly resonates with me.

Family stuff

 

Goodness me, how a phone call can change things.  Unfortunately, a bit like Chavi, I suddenly have a very close family member who is ill. 

If anyone feels like saying a Mi Sheberach type prayer, for someone they don’t know, that would be really, really welcome.

Thank you.

My meme!

 

Horror of horrors, I’ve been meme-d by Chavi!   Like my tagger, I’m not addicted to these things, but hey, maybe it’s time to reveal 7 things about myself that you might not know…

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people (if possible) at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

So, my 7 things, in no particular order:

1. My favourite sandwich is cheddar cheese and gherkin, on white crusty bread, with loads of butter.

2. In my fantasy life, I am a thigh-high, high-heel black patent boot wearing MI5 agent.

3. I am a frustrated author.

4. I love fountain pens.

5. I wish I’d invented Harrison’s Marine Timekeeper (H4). 

6. I played the Virgin Mary in my school’s Nativity play, when I was 7.

7. I had whooping cough when I was 8.
So, that’s me!  Now, who will be my victims….?

I would like to call upon… (and yes, it’s not 7 people, but hey, I’m new around here and Chavi stole at least two people off my list!!).

Jew Wishes

Religiously Challenged

My menorah

 

Whilst I was away, I was asked, where did I get my menorah?

Well, here’s the store – Habitat – they have actual branches as well as an online presence and they have very nice home products indeed!  Unfortunately, I don’t think they sell into the US….

Critical Bible Studies 101

 

Whew, it feels like I’ve been away for months!  Yes, I did miss the old blogging whilst I was out of circulation – both posting and reading my favourite blogs.  So much to catch up on.

I just could not get out of bed to go to the service on Saturday morning.  I don’t know whether it was the busy-ness of the [ast few days catching up, whether there’s something going round, but I was washed out.  I made it to the class afterwards and was somewhat comforted to note that people noticed my absence and were asking after me.  Anyway, after a little bit of sitting there like a dumbstruck person (most unusual for me), I did get fired up to join in, as we were coached in the basic art of interrogating the Torah.

We chose this week’s parshah and followed the method of (1) asking ourselves what is the plain meaning, (2) what is missing from the narrative, (3) what might be the hidden meaning and (4) looking for mystical meanings.  I think it was just brilliant that this week, Abraham is entering into a witnessed contract to buy a parcel of land to bury Sarah.  Why?  Because that’s what woke me up!  The phrase ‘inalienable right’ certainly does that to anyone working in the legal world! So, even though I was fighting with a migraine and general ropiness, I got my teeth into it, big style!  The question we finished off with though was, why did Sarah die then?  And why was so little made of it?  The main thrust was to do with the contract, the will-he, won’t-he take the land as a gift.  Meanwhile, although it mentioned Abraham bewailing Sarah’s death – he didn’t appear to do it for very long!

Anyway, onto other events.  My partner is coming along to next week’s class (Israel, its people and the covenant) and I am VERY excited about that.  This is a step that I had no idea would happen so quickly.  But I won’t say any more about it.  Don’t want to tempt fate and all that!  Read into it what you will…

Leaving on a jet-plane

 

Busy!  So busy!  I’m away for a few days for work, so blogging just won’t happen.  Hmm – I wonder if I’ll get withdrawal symptoms?!

However, I have had time to do a bit of reading up on Sarah, her three names and the meaning behind each of these names.  I could do worse than to model myself on her strength of character, I have to say.

Although, having children so late in life and living to 127 – not so sure about that!

Here’s a link to an article I have just read – The Three Faces of Sarah.  I found it very interesting and somewhat empowering!

Pass the Candle

 

Hey! Hey! Just found this via Chavi, who reminded me that the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival was up on West Bank Mama’s blog, who mentioned that the next Haveil Havalim was being hosted by Ima On The Bima who had another post about…. Pass the Candle.  Whew!  It’s amazing how you find stuff.

Anyway, this Pass the Candle idea looks great.  I really want to see the finished result!  Who’s joining in??!!

Partial to some Parshah

 

Goodness me, it’s amazing how some things just ‘fit’.  I’m just in the middle of a cup of coffee and have just eaten a very tasty, if rather naughty chocolate bar.  Whilst I was taking a few minutes’ break, I thought I’d look up this week’s parshah, Chayei Sarah – the Rabbi keeps on reminding us that food and study work very well together, in Jewish circles!  I must say, I’m inclined to agree.

Anyway, I jumped on to Chabad as this is easily the most accessible online source, giving as it does Rashi commentary side by side with the text.  The very first thing that struck me was the explanation of why ‘years’ is repated three times in the first line:

“And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.”

The explanation is as follows:

“The reason that the word “years” was written after every digit is to tell you that every digit is to be expounded upon individually: when she was one hundred years old, she was like a twenty-year-old regarding sin. Just as a twenty-year-old has not sinned, because she is not liable to punishment, so too when she was one hundred years old, she was without sin. And when she was twenty, she was like a seven-year-old as regards to beauty. — from Gen. Rabbah 58:1]”

If only we lived in a world where a twenty year old was without sin!  Although, I’m sure that I am missing something – what does the phrase mean ‘because she is not liable to punishment’?  I would love to know, or know where I can find out what this means.

The next bit that has caught my eye is this:

“I am a stranger and an inhabitant with you.”  This is of course, Abraham speaking to the sons of Heth, asking for a burial plot for his wife, Sarah, who has just died.

This is a little bit how I feel at the moment – a stranger within a community.  Me, coming in, working hard to become Jewish, as if I always was Jewish.  (As a side note, emotionally I feel as if I always have been Jewish, but that’s a slightly different story).

For now, that is it – if only because I need to get back to other more mundane tasks.  The rest I will read tonight.

If anyone does know about the punishment issue, please let me know!