Haveil Havallim Parshat Vayetzay Roundup!

B'SD

7 Kislev, 5775  

Chanuka happens in a few weeks and I sort of celebrated early at the start of the Kislev month.

Thanks to my friends Chava Levin and Batya Medad, I spent time in Shilo, home of the Mishkan last Shabbat. 

​​It was a spiritually spine-tingling time to be in Shilo at Rosh Chodesh. When the men announced the molad (astronomical moment of the new moon's "birth") as "AKHSHAV!" ("NOW!") during rosh chodesh (new month) tfilot (prayers) on Shabbat, I felt spiritually electrified. That confluence won't happen again for another 30 years, I believe. 

Batya Medad (she blogs at http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/) told me that it's a special segula (special portent) for brakhot (blessings) and gosh I felt it. 

Here I am in the white coat, praying for the welfare of the world at large, with women who arrive at this site for the start of every Jewish month. That's Carralee Harwood from Eli, in the denim skirt and orange striped top.

Chava (a local) is in the blue and white snood.

As for praying at Tel Shilo (the archaeological site of Shilo) on Sunday, rosh chodesh (start of the new month), well, I had a mantra during my 3-hour bus ride back home: "I live in the holy land. I live a holy life. I live in the holy land. I live a holy life. I live in the holy land. I live a holy life..."

Miriam Blum, in the middle gave us a guided tour of the area, 

with fascinating information. 

Inside that building behind her are relics of 

several civilizations. 

All over the area, as in all over Israel, 

relics of conquerors are atop

what had been there in the first place: Jewish artifacts!

Miriam mentioned that the conquerors 

destroyed earlier structures without concern.

I responded that, no, they'd done it with
calculated contempt for their enemies.

(Remember Rabbi Sacks' words: 
"To be free, you must let go of hate.")

She agreed with me.

Let's move on. Real life acquaintance and IDF truck driver Sgt. Shem Tov Sasson brings us along for the ride and another of his excursions around the Israeli countryside in

Mitzpe Oded and Kever Yosef 

Long a beacon of good sense for the Jewish and wider worlds, Gail Winston carries on her late husband Manny's work. Check out the Jewish State Law coverage at

Gaza War Diary Mon. Nov. 24 Day 140 11pm

Oh, you want to know what the heck the Haveil Havalim thing is all about? OK, I borrowed this succinct explanation from fellow (fellowette?) HHer and former homie, Ruti Eastman:

.A blog carnival is a round-up of blog posts, sort of an internet magazine. 

Haveil Havalim is the most veteran of the Jewish blogger carnivals

and probably one of the longest running blog carnivals

Haveil Havalim, the international Jewish blog carnival, 

was established by Soccer Dad,

and was then run by Jack.

Now it is run via the HH facebook page. Anyone interested in contributing to Haveil Havavalim should join the group.

[The term “Haveil Havalim” is from Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, which was written by King Solomon. It means “Vanity of Vanities”.]

Back to me, YG again. My take on the Haveil Havalim phrase for Jewish blogging purposes is that no matter how we try to keep Am Yisrael on track with a pro-Israel, pro-Torah set of priorities, GOD will have the final say in everything. We mortals just do our best  ;^D

Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod shares lotsa good stuff with...

Israel's cheap coffee obsession!

The five-shekel coffee obsession started in the centre of the country, but it’s spreading out, propelled by chains like cofix – the original five-shekel fixed-price coffee joint.

Awesome new aliyah book:

http://blog.aliyahland.com/2014/11/wanna-see-something-cool-hint-it-book.html

How do you write a book about something as momentous as moving to Israel? One Facebook post, one bus ride, one limonana at a time.

From MAMALAND.BLOGSPOT.COM:

It would be a joke... if my foot didn't hurt so much:

http://ronypony.blogspot.ca/2014/11/my-mothers-favourite-joke.html

My problem is that it only hurts when I’m barefoot.  Put on a pair of shoes and I’m Wonder Woman.  I leave everybody in my dust.  Take them off… and I’m Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma, barely able to get out of bed.

Are you smarter than a third grader when it comes to mental illness?

http://ronypony.blogspot.ca/2014/11/9-phrases-youve-got-to-stop-saying.html

Some of these phrases are so deeply ingrained that you might not even realize you're talking about mental illness when you say them. 

Batya's back with "There are many of us who write/blog to stay sane." 

http://itsallfromhashem.blogspot.co.il/2014/11/my-coping-skills.html

Take out the hankie for this wonderful aliyah story.

http://www.headingupwards.com/2014/11/first-steps-in-new-land.html

My illustrated travel adventure. http://me-ander.blogspot.co.il/2014/11/winter.html

Basic hasbara (public relations, literally "explanation")  helps by knocking out the lying anti-semites.

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/2014/11/palestinian-history-101-curriculum-and.html

Feeling hungry for good food and some history, yet? 

Batya asks "Who remembers this cookbook?" Please read, comment and share, thanks.

http://me-ander.blogspot.co.il/2014/11/kosher-cookbook-memories-bring-on.html

Well I'm the HH hostess this week and I say "NO DESERT for the leftists!" Why? I read what Batya reveals: "That's the only way they could make their demands a reality. Please share if you agree, thanks."

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/2014/11/israeli-left-wants-communist.html

Ew. So-called Palestinians are Acting Sovereign. BEWARE! 

New HH participant Irene Rabinowitz seems to share my sentiments, somewhat. Check out her Times Of Israel Op-EDs!

OK, OKAY, I hear you. Let's focus more on upbeat content. Check out  Adam Hopkins' message:

My wife and I just made Aliyah last week. 

We are blogging about our adventure 

at www.headingupwards.com 

There are a couple new posts this week 

that people may find interesting.

Since it's almost Hanuka (Chanuka, spell it as you wish), how about making someone feel better with information on how to lower their medical costs, headaches and frustration over a medical or mental health/emotional situation? Give the gift that doctors recommend (click the cover to buy the E-book or print edition): 

BTW, do you know how many candles we use over the 8-day Chanuka holiday?

36! 

While we're on the subject, I'll refer you to a rabbi who shares fascinating information related to that: Rabbi Pinchas Winston. See his website. 

Quick! Click on Jacob Richman's "Only in Israel" Photos for a photographic treat!

Heartwarmer time: Miriam Green of the Beersheva AACI has a fantastic food & family blog about her mom's Alzheimer's situation. It leaves me teary-eyed each time I read it. This post salutes her dad. 

Ruti Mizrachi heals some aching hearts with her message "That we are all one family is evidenced by a love note, from one beleaguered community in Israel to another" here. 

The next HH host/ess is Tzivia  (Jennifer) MacLeod
http://aliyahland.com, so send your submissions to her via tzivia @ tzivia.com (repair the E-mail address by removing the spaces I put in to prevent spam from heading to her).

Buy the E-book or print edition of EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. 

Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism. 

Fill yourself with self-respect.

 

3 Treats in 1: HH #406 Blogpost = Holy Happiness!!!

B'SD

18 Iyar, 5773

It's a special day as I celebrate

1) a lovely trip to Shilo last week, 

2) Pesakh Sheni/The Second Passover, 

3) the start-date anniversary of the Mon/מן aka 
 Manna from heaven 

that began to fall for the newly freed 
hungry Israelites 

trekking to the Promised Land from Egypt 

and 

4) the fun festivities of Lag B'Omer.

I'm sharing the fun with the Haveil Havalim blogpost group (I've done this before) and you.

About that Shilo trip: I belong to a Facebook group of women from all over Israel's map. Our skin colors, accents and life experiences are diverse but our friendships are united and strong. Every few months we share a get-together called a face-to-face (f2f in facebook language). This past Tuesday we shared lunch and spiritual insights in Shilo, site of the long-ago Tabernacle.

Here's a photo of me praying on the archaeological site, protected from wind and sun with a wide-brimmed hat and scarf to protect my skin and eyes.

Bracha Barbara Goldman provided the ladies with the text for a prayer: Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu melech Ha'Olam Meitziv G'vul Almana. In the Artscroll siddur it appears under "Blessings over phenomena and events", and says, "upon seeing a destroyed synagogue that has been restored to its previous grandeur", and literally translates "Who sets a limit for a widow". It is based on the gemarra Brachot 58/2, which uses as its source a verse in Mishlei 15:25. There is a shiur in Hebrew prepared by Rav Yair Hiller on the subject.

What would an HH blogpost be without
 Batya Medad's take on that 
Facebook Friends in Shilo visit, eh? 

You can contact the tourist authority for 
scheduling Shilo visits with tour guides 
(awesome experience for families & large groups) 
at http://telshilo.org.il/en/

I ate some matza and said a few pertinent prayers 
the next day on Pesakh Sheni. 
Ruti Mizrachi explains what it's about, 
that life can be a do-over in some respects, 
at Once Again, with Feeling!

I can't show you a picture of the Mon/מן aka Manna from heaven but I can let you know that I felt some excitement on Friday last week. It was the 16th of Iyar, the anniversary of when the all-nourishment no-waste food that tasted as one wished, began to fall. I recite the Biblical passage about it daily. It's a way of asking GOD for the blessing of having one's needs met with ease.

As for Lag B'Omer (today!), that's a fun, spiritual day filled with not 1 but 2 day's worth of...

• Bonfires supervised by safety-minded adults, 

 

Toy bows and arrows to remind us of the rainbow-filled sky that illustrated GOD's promise never to destroy the world with a flood again plus the human need to pray, 

A celebration of the END of a plague that decimated the numbers of Rabbi Akiva's students long ago, and...

FIRST haircuts for little boys whose parents preserve the chalaka custom. Check out this no-cost item for the occasion from http://theboldedge.com/free-upsheren-printables-gifts/

SERIOUS SAFETY ALERT for Lag B'Omer: Child Predators!

Need to know more? Jacob Richman shares Educational websites about Lag Ba'Omer. 

Ladies, make this MORE of a yom tov for yourselves with Rabanit Yemima's comments on Lag B'Omer!

It's been a time of holy happiness. Hat tip: GOD ;^ D

While we're thinking about arrows, here's my zinger of an OP-ED to kneseteers who promise to protect Israel, then endanger it. "Emor m'at v'asay harbay, MKs. Find your spines. Stick to the program GOD gave us. Got it?"

Batya Medad hits a bullseye with Those - Moving -- Red --- Lines.

YAY! Sharon Altshul reminds us to Keep Jerusalem Green and Accessible.

Moving on to other HH stuff, Brian Wallace shares his joy over the OU's 4th Annual Job and Relocation Fair. Batya Medad wants Jews to relocate to the only Jewish home HaShem (GOD) told us to live in, and asks How About Relocating to Israel?

Coming up on the Jewish Calendar: Yummy Shavuot. 

But uh-oh, Haveil Havalim founder Esser Agarot compares and contrasts admirable historical figure and convert to Judaism Rut (Ruth, for non-Hebrew-speakers) to MK Ruth Calderon, who clearly does not rate high on his gracious behavior of worldview scale (nor on the scale of several other critics).

And what would the world of Judaism be without more controversy? Esser Agorot opines about the Battle of All Time aka Torah and it's Doubtful "Democratic" Adherents.

Headline-making individuals and the rest of us can do some apropos introspection (please do) with Reformism is NOT Judaism.

While we're thinking of Torah and its decency/GOD-centric values (ahem, me-centric reformists), let's see what Batya Medad and Paula Stern have to say about...

 Sorry, Not all Mothers are the Same 

and 

 What Did YOU Do the Night Before, respectively. 

sigh-h-h...

Let's get back to the feel-good stuff, by visiting Meira Josephy's Mitzvot Unplugged!

I have to sign off, now. 

I'm heading to southern Israel with friends delivering United with Israel's above-ground bomb shelters for kindergartens in Netivot (did the Boston Marathon Massacre clue you in to the capricious, unpredictable and evil nature of islamic violence, yet? NONE of it is Israel's fault. Islam is about dominance). We'll enjoy

• A farm tour/presentation at Moshav Tifrach by Torah scholar/Talmid Chocham/Farmer Reb Shmuel Rappaport (Rav Moshe Feinstein's great-grandson)
• A Lag B'Omer picnic 
• Planting Fruit Trees (hands on) at Moshav Tifrach's orchard

I'm doing it all despite an enduring (and decreasing) disability most people never detect. I use necessary coping skills and a nurtured sense of optimism.

Want to know how that's possible?

EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge with the E-book or print edition today. Put a brighter light on your disability or medical life.

Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.

You can fill your life with fun despite setbacks.