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Aug. 17th, 2014 05:44 pmToday we celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary, and I was asked to be among the speakers. (Because no one comes to parties to hear the speeches, I suggested my parents keep the talky part of the party to no more than 30 minutes. Each of the speakers was allotted five minutes.) I gave the following d'var Torah (talk on the parsha (the week's Torah portion)).
( This way to the learning )
( This way to the learning )
Today is Erev Shavuot
May. 14th, 2013 09:20 amThe holiday of Shavuot starts tonight. We have been counting the Omer since the second night of Pesach (Passover), seven weeks ago.
There's a concept in Judaism of Gematria, which involves the assigning of numerical values to letters of the Hebrew alphabet. A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated the 33rd day of the Omer, known as Lag B'Omer because the Hebrew letter Lamed (the "l" of "lag") is assigned the value of 30 and Gimel (the "g" of "lag") is assigned the value of 3.
Well,![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
batyatoon reminded me that the 49th day of the Omer -- today -- has an interesting letter combination. Mem is assigned the value of 40. Tet is assigned the value of 9. Thus, the 49th day of the Omer is...
( Wait for it... )
(Also this means I'll be offline tomorrow and Thursday for Shavuot. Have a good couple of days, all!)
There's a concept in Judaism of Gematria, which involves the assigning of numerical values to letters of the Hebrew alphabet. A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated the 33rd day of the Omer, known as Lag B'Omer because the Hebrew letter Lamed (the "l" of "lag") is assigned the value of 30 and Gimel (the "g" of "lag") is assigned the value of 3.
Well,
batyatoon reminded me that the 49th day of the Omer -- today -- has an interesting letter combination. Mem is assigned the value of 40. Tet is assigned the value of 9. Thus, the 49th day of the Omer is...( Wait for it... )
(Also this means I'll be offline tomorrow and Thursday for Shavuot. Have a good couple of days, all!)
Pesach's Progress
Mar. 24th, 2013 11:57 amKitchen work tracking:
Oven: Run Self-Clean
Floor: Clean -- DONE; Last sweep erev yom tov
Table: Clear -- DONE; change table pad
Stove: Clean stovetop -- DONE; Clean grates -- DONE; Kasher -- DONE
Microwave: Clean -- DONE; kasher -- DONE
Fridge: Clean -- DONE
Freezer: Clean -- DONE
Counters: Clear -- DONE; clean -- DONE; cover with aluminum foil -- DONE
Sink: Clean -- DONE; kasher -- DONE
Oven: Run Self-Clean
Floor: Clean -- DONE; Last sweep erev yom tov
Table: Clear -- DONE; change table pad
Stove: Clean stovetop -- DONE; Clean grates -- DONE; Kasher -- DONE
Microwave: Clean -- DONE; kasher -- DONE
Fridge: Clean -- DONE
Freezer: Clean -- DONE
Counters: Clear -- DONE; clean -- DONE; cover with aluminum foil -- DONE
Sink: Clean -- DONE; kasher -- DONE
Happy Sukkot!
Oct. 3rd, 2012 07:27 pmI have been offline since, basically, Friday morning. Sukkot, the festival of booths, started on Sunday night, and we got to have three out of the four yom tov meals in the sukkah. Lunch yesterday was rained out (well, our shul's new rabbi, who was a guest at the same home we were a guest at, asked the question "If this much rain was coming into your dining room, would you eat in it?"), but that's a pretty good record in Boston in early October.
We don't have space to build our own sukkah. Because of Muffin and Squeaker, I was reluctant to accept dinner invitations. So what is a family to do? My solution was to ask if we could use the shul's sukkah, and we were given permission. In fact, the shul sukkah was made available to anyone who wanted it, but we were the only ones who took the shul up on the offer. So I made a simple dinner of tortellini salad first night and a similarly simple dinner of pasta salad for the second night, and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mabfan and the girls and I hosted one person each night (first night was the rabbi; the second night was a young woman new to our community).
Now we are in the chol hamoed of Sukkot, and then next Monday and Tuesday will be the holidays of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Our shul is doing some new things this year for Simchat Torah; if you are local and interested, please e-mail me and I can point you to the information.
ETA: The flyer for Simchat Torah has been posted to the shul's website.
All this to say my pants are bankrupt. Please let me know if anything of import has happened since Friday afternoon.
We don't have space to build our own sukkah. Because of Muffin and Squeaker, I was reluctant to accept dinner invitations. So what is a family to do? My solution was to ask if we could use the shul's sukkah, and we were given permission. In fact, the shul sukkah was made available to anyone who wanted it, but we were the only ones who took the shul up on the offer. So I made a simple dinner of tortellini salad first night and a similarly simple dinner of pasta salad for the second night, and
mabfan and the girls and I hosted one person each night (first night was the rabbi; the second night was a young woman new to our community).Now we are in the chol hamoed of Sukkot, and then next Monday and Tuesday will be the holidays of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Our shul is doing some new things this year for Simchat Torah; if you are local and interested, please e-mail me and I can point you to the information.
ETA: The flyer for Simchat Torah has been posted to the shul's website.
All this to say my pants are bankrupt. Please let me know if anything of import has happened since Friday afternoon.
L'Shannah Tovah... Onwards to Yom Kippur
Sep. 19th, 2012 03:18 pmRosh haShannah was, for the most part, good, except for mabfan getting sick second day morning. First-day lunch and second-night dinner went well. Davening at Kadimah broke new speed records (this is not a complaint); done by 1:20 first day, and rumor has it 1:05 second day (I missed shul due to aforementioned ill husband). The rabbi came by our house in the afternoon on second day to blow shofar for us and amused Muffin and Squeaker.
Now I have to review the haftarah for Shabbat Shuva (as I will be leyning it at Minyan Kol Rinah) and then start making firm plans for Sukkot. Yom Kippur, of course, requires more mental preparation (fasting is much easier for me since I gave up caffeine a number of years ago) but less logisitical prep aside from figuring out Muffin and Squeaker's food.
(Now if I just could get past having to remind myself constantly that today is Wednesday, not Monday...)
mabfan getting sick second day morning. First-day lunch and second-night dinner went well. Davening at Kadimah broke new speed records (this is not a complaint); done by 1:20 first day, and rumor has it 1:05 second day (I missed shul due to aforementioned ill husband). The rabbi came by our house in the afternoon on second day to blow shofar for us and amused Muffin and Squeaker. Now I have to review the haftarah for Shabbat Shuva (as I will be leyning it at Minyan Kol Rinah) and then start making firm plans for Sukkot. Yom Kippur, of course, requires more mental preparation (fasting is much easier for me since I gave up caffeine a number of years ago) but less logisitical prep aside from figuring out Muffin and Squeaker's food.
(Now if I just could get past having to remind myself constantly that today is Wednesday, not Monday...)
Entering the Jewish Holiday Period
Sep. 16th, 2012 06:14 pm...and the period of falling behind on LJ. I will be offline from tonight until Tuesday night. Shannah tovah to those celebrating.
Some Links About Today
May. 10th, 2012 09:21 am::points to icon::
Today is the thirty-third day of the Omer. Thus, I bring the following:
-- Counting the Omer
-- Lag B'Omer (today)
-- ( Matt B'Omer )
Today is the thirty-third day of the Omer. Thus, I bring the following:
-- Counting the Omer
-- Lag B'Omer (today)
-- ( Matt B'Omer )
New Patch Column Up!
Apr. 12th, 2012 08:59 amThis morning (a day early, due to tomorrow being the seventh day of Pesach and therefore a yom tov), our The Brookline Parent column discusses Muffin and Squeaker's experiences preparing for Pesach and then at the Seder. Click to read It Was, In Fact, Just About Enough for Us.
We Talk Like This at the Seder
Apr. 9th, 2012 08:57 amScene: On Saturday night, mabfan and gnomi are at the seder with lcmlc and Abba-with-no-LJ. gnomi has just broken the Afikoman for distribution.
gnomi: There are pieces of varying size.
mabfan: Pieces of Varying Size? I don't believe they exist.
This subsequently sparked a conversation about "The Princess Bride," the fact thatlcmlc has never read the book, and whether Goldman should do a digital enhancement.
mabfan: It would be like what Lucas did with "Star Wars."
gnomi: Inigo parried first!
mabfan and gnomi are at the seder with lcmlc and Abba-with-no-LJ. gnomi has just broken the Afikoman for distribution.gnomi: There are pieces of varying size.mabfan: Pieces of Varying Size? I don't believe they exist.This subsequently sparked a conversation about "The Princess Bride," the fact that
lcmlc has never read the book, and whether Goldman should do a digital enhancement.mabfan: It would be like what Lucas did with "Star Wars."gnomi: Inigo parried first!
Thursday Morning Rambly Bits
Mar. 1st, 2012 09:55 am-- We're having what I've termed "snizzle": could be snow, could be drizzle.
-- Due to the weather, many of my coworkers chose to work from home. Because of them and the coworkers traveling for various reasons, the office is really quiet today, to the point that I was the first one in the office today.
-- I have discovered some games for my phone that are addictive (Ticket to Ride, Where's My Water?). I am now looking for people to play Ticket to Ride with.
-- A fanfic project I've been pondering for a while just became both easier and harder due to a casting spoiler. ::ponders some more::
-- We have achieved Purim costumes for Muffin and Squeaker. Tried them on last night, and they were adorable.
-- Speaking of Purim, this year I thought ahead and got mishloach manot items at BJ's when I last went. I just need a couple of items and we can assemble them.
-- Speaking of assembling, check out the new Avengers trailer from Marvel UK. It's really cool.
-- Today's date makes me think I should be humming Sousa music all day. So does Sunday's date.
-- It's 1 March and already my grocery store has put out Passover food. This is ridiculous.
-- With the warmer-than-usual weather we've been having, the trees are confused and some of them are budding. So, of course, I'm having my annual Spring allergy attack. Spring allergy attacks should *not* start in February.
-- It's Thursday, and I have no clue what I'm making for Shabbat.
-- Due to the weather, many of my coworkers chose to work from home. Because of them and the coworkers traveling for various reasons, the office is really quiet today, to the point that I was the first one in the office today.
-- I have discovered some games for my phone that are addictive (Ticket to Ride, Where's My Water?). I am now looking for people to play Ticket to Ride with.
-- A fanfic project I've been pondering for a while just became both easier and harder due to a casting spoiler. ::ponders some more::
-- We have achieved Purim costumes for Muffin and Squeaker. Tried them on last night, and they were adorable.
-- Speaking of Purim, this year I thought ahead and got mishloach manot items at BJ's when I last went. I just need a couple of items and we can assemble them.
-- Speaking of assembling, check out the new Avengers trailer from Marvel UK. It's really cool.
-- Today's date makes me think I should be humming Sousa music all day. So does Sunday's date.
-- It's 1 March and already my grocery store has put out Passover food. This is ridiculous.
-- With the warmer-than-usual weather we've been having, the trees are confused and some of them are budding. So, of course, I'm having my annual Spring allergy attack. Spring allergy attacks should *not* start in February.
-- It's Thursday, and I have no clue what I'm making for Shabbat.
Because a Friend Asked on G+
Feb. 28th, 2012 09:38 am...does anyone know of ultra-observant Jewish groups that say that humans should not explore space, based on Tehilim (Psalms) 115:16 (הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַה' וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי-אָדָם -- "The heavens are heavens of the Lord, but the earth He gave to the children of men")?
The Return of the Shabbat Menu
Feb. 3rd, 2012 02:06 pmThis week, we're home for dinner and out for lunch. Our original set of guests (new neighbors and their two-year-old son), for whom this menu was originally tailored, had to cancel on us, but by then mabfan and I were in the mood for fleishigs (meat) (which I had planned due to the new people factor). And thus we have same menu but different guests. Our new guests are three folks with whom we've been friends for a while.
And the menu is:
-- Grape juice & challah
-- Gefilte Fish a la Jen (though she says it's Meir Green's recipe)
-- Brisket a la lcNlc with potatoes and carrots (but no onions due to guest allergy)
-- Pasta salad to be brought by guest
-- Broccoli-rice casserole from a recipe I mostly made up
-- Brownies (recipe fromdancingdeer but without the peppermint or cocoanut)
-- Cookies from the same bakery where I got the challah
-- Coffee and/or tea for those that want
mabfan and I were in the mood for fleishigs (meat) (which I had planned due to the new people factor). And thus we have same menu but different guests. Our new guests are three folks with whom we've been friends for a while.And the menu is:
-- Grape juice & challah
-- Gefilte Fish a la Jen (though she says it's Meir Green's recipe)
-- Brisket a la lcNlc with potatoes and carrots (but no onions due to guest allergy)
-- Pasta salad to be brought by guest
-- Broccoli-rice casserole from a recipe I mostly made up
-- Brownies (recipe from
dancingdeer but without the peppermint or cocoanut)-- Cookies from the same bakery where I got the challah
-- Coffee and/or tea for those that want
Clip from the next episode of "Srugim" (YouTube link).
(Clip is in Hebrew without either Hebrew or English subtitles; let the viewer beware.)
( Srugim spoilers after the jump )
The really funny part is at the end, when language is used to prove identity.
(Clip is in Hebrew without either Hebrew or English subtitles; let the viewer beware.)
( Srugim spoilers after the jump )
The really funny part is at the end, when language is used to prove identity.
