A Succeleh a Kleina

(For old times sake)

Ah succelah, ah kleina,
Fun breitelach gemeina,
Hub ich mich a succelah gimacht.

Tzukedekt dem dach,
mit a bisele s'chach,
zitz ich mich en succelah bainacht.

Ah vind, ah kalten,
Blast durch dih shpalten,
Un de lichtelach zey leshen zich vild.

Es is mir ah chidush,
Vi Ich mach mir kiddush,
Un de lechtelech zey brenen gan shtil.

Tzum Ershten gericht,
Mit a blasen gezicht
Brengt mir mein tochter'l arein.

Zee shtelt zich aveck,
Un zakt mit schreck
"Tatenui de succah falt bald ein!"

Zei nisht kein nar,
Hob nisht kein tzar,
Zal dir de succah nisht tohn bang.

Es iz shoyn gor,
Bald tzvei toisend yor,
Un de succelah zi shteit noch gantz long.

Gorgeousity

Fraide/Dovid

FOURTEEN

Wa-alla

Erev Yom Kippur the Avoda is remorse for the past; on Yom Kippur - resolve for the future.

"An individual friend can give you much more solid and eternal satisfaction and pride then any other "gifts" you may have."

Two Groschen. R' Levi Yitzchok Berditchov

With trembling fingers the woman took her kvitel and crossed out her own name.
"Pray for my Shloimehleh, Rebbe," she said, her eyes brimming with tears, "that he should have a year of life, health and happiness."

Upon hearing these words, the Rebbe's eyes came alive with a fiery light.
Grasping the widow's two groschen in one fist, and her kvitel in the other, he raised them triumphantly to heaven and cried:
"Father in Heaven! Look! Look what a mortal mother is prepared to do for her child! And You---shall it be said, G-d forbid, that You are less a parent to Your children?! Can You look this woman in the eye and refuse to grant Your own children a year of life, health and happiness?!"

"Come," said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak to his gabbai and to the widow, "let us go to Kol Nidrei."

Kaporos...

"Dear Father, today is the eve of Yom Kippur, when everyone forgives and is forgiven. Let us put the past behind us. I'll accept my troubles as atonement for my sins, and You, in Your great mercy, shall do the same."

Moshe took the two notebooks in his hands, raised them aloft, circled them three times above his head,and said: "This is my exchange, this is in my stead, this is my atonement." He then threw them into the fireplace, where the smoldering coals soon turned the tear-stained pages to ashes.

Ovinu Malkeinu Ein Lonu Melech

Ein Lonu Melech e e e e elo oto.....

What are you cooking now?

Fish for Rosh Hashono.
Is it going to be a head?
Yes.
Big or little?
Little.
Does it have an eye?
Yes.
Will it talk?
No.
It's going to be quiet the whole time?
Yes.
Does it have a mouth?
Yes.
Is it smiling?
Yes.
It's happy?
Yes.
Do we also eat pomegranate?
Yes.

Dee: How am I going to do Tashlich here?

Me: You can do it by the sink. Not in the bathroom.
Dee and Cee: We don't have any other water here.
Me: Well, wherever you would get a drink of water, water fountain?
Dee: We don't have water, we're in jail!!

Sheesh!

Enter elevator.

Goyims: How are you, Imam?
Imam: Very good.

Quiet.

Me: I too am fine, thank G-d.
Thank you for asking.

Chuckle chuckle...

Imam Introduces us.

Goyims wants to shake hands.

Me doesn't.

Goyims excitingly remembers watching a program all about these things... wants to talk more to me...

Elevator doors open.... me exits.

Goyims catches me later in Lobby.

Interrupts me and imam talking.

Again with excitement...."is it true you need to cover your hair?...."

Me: "Yep, this is a wig I am wearing".

Goyim: "This is the first time meeting someone...

Me: "You want my autograph?"

Laughs, chuckles....

Apple n' Honey. Duh.

There is a difference between the sweetness of an apple and the sweetness of honey. An apple is a sweet fruit which grows on a tree. Honey comes from a bee--an insect that is not only inedible, it actually stings. Nevertheless the honey that it produces is sweet. In fact, honey is sweeter than an apple!

Similarly, there are two types of sweetness in our lives: we have times of family celebration, personal triumphs and harmonious relationships. These are sweet times like the apple is sweet. But then there is a sweetness that comes from times of challenge. When things don't go the way that we would like them to, when tragedy strikes, when we fail to reach the goals we expected of ourselves, when our relationships are being strained and tested, when we feel alone.

At the time when we are facing these challenges, they seem bitter and insurmountable, like the sting of a bee. But if we are strong and withstand the difficult times, and overcome the obstacles to our own happiness, we reveal layers of our personality that we would never have tapped into if we weren't challenged. Something deeper is brought out when we are tested. Tension in a relationship is painful, but there's nothing better than reconciling after that tension. Loneliness can eat us up, but it can open us to higher levels of self-knowledge too.

In the year to come the apples should bring sweetness, and what the "bee stings" bring should be even sweeter!

Pencils have erasers for a reason

If we do the wrong things we have a second chance to correct them.

"You appreciate faith when you have nothing else besides faith."

Apple Mango Tango ?!?!?!

Ichy Pichy

Stam...

Today I witnessed "dead" people, all wearing green shirts and pants, moving.

D. sprung to life when she saw me enter.
"Shalom." she told me. "I am so happy you came."

Her eyes lit up...
cautiously....
excitingly....
she fingered the 6 oz. carton of orange juice....
quietly remarked...
"I haven't had orange juice in 3 months."
Fafambled the brocha...
and drank.

We repeated the Brocha properly.
She drank some more.

Pulling up to the front of the Federal Detention Center...

Me: "Where can I park?"
Guard #1: "Down the street, make a right on Temple St...."
Guard #2: "Or, you can turn around and park in the lot across the street."
Me: "Oh great thank you. Can I turn around right here?"
Guard #1 : "Um it's illegal, but hey I'm not telling you what to do". And laughs.
Me: Laughs.
Guard #2 : "I wouldn't do it, too many ("cops", I think he said I couldn't hear well) around here."
Me: As I'm about to make the U-turn, "What better place to do something illegal than right here in front of this building."
And we all laugh.

I make my turn.
Park.
Walk back.
Wave to the guards and enter the building.

An hour later.
I'm walking out the building.
Waving to the guards across the plaza.
Yelling, "Never make any illegal turns!!"

Hehe.