Motzei Shabbat

     I have one of these growing downstairs in my garden in a large pot - but my Israeli date palm is a lot smaller than the one in the picture!

    Just as the hard lockdown in South Africa was ending, a friend gave me the little plant - back then it was only about 10cm high - and now it's more than a metre tall with many branches. The story of this little Israeli date palm tree is that my friend ate some Israeli dates when he was doing a communications job in the West Bank. He saved all the pips and when he got back to South Africa he planted them all! Most of them grew and I am the very blessed possessor of one of them. My tree is still almost a decade away from producing fruit, however, so I still have to settle for buying my dates in the shops.

    The local grocery shop sells a certain brand that is affordable for me. These dates are from the Middle East to be sure, but the country of origin is none other than Iran. I have eaten these dates before without any incident. But the packet I bought last Friday for Shabbat turned out to be different. By the time I realized there was something wrong with the dates in question, I had already eaten three-quarters of the packet.

    I took them back to the shop the next day and got a refund for the unopened packet and just tossed the almost-finished one. I told the manager what exactly was wrong with the dates - I'm not sure if she believed me - but shortly after returning home the tummy ache started, accompanied by some other very disconcerting symptoms.

    I began to feel very tired and bloated, suffered slight brain-fog and body weakness. I don't know what those little red granules in the dates were, nor those dry flaky skin-like things, but one thing I do know - my digestive system complained bitterly.

    Today is Thursday, so it has been almost a week. It could just have been a harvester who didn't really know how to harvest properly - the reason could be just about anything. I just know I will never buy those dates from Iran again.

    I say all this to offer an explanation for my "lazy" and "unproductive" week, having had no energy. I was actually feeling somewhat under the weather.

    This evening for the first time I began to feel slight improvement and I am hoping I can spend time tomorrow to properly prepare for Shabbat.

    I did accomplish some things today, although I have not yet watered all my plants, only the very dry ones. (I have to grow my food and medicinal herbs in pots as I live in an upstairs apartment). My day started off with an early-morning Biblical study and I then went back to sleep, woke up at about 9 and did this and that, here and there, read the 5th Aliyah of Lekh Lekha, had a fabulous Torah study session with a friend at 12 for 2 hours, and prayed Mincha with another friend - always a beautiful experience.

    My body needed more rest so off I went. Woke up, ate supper, phoned my grandson to pray the Bedtime Sh'ma and chatted to a friend far away via Zoom, attended a prayer meeting for Israel, chatted to another friend in a neighbouring country, and had my last study session for the day with another friend from the same neighbouring country.

    I am pleased that my days get to contain a lot of praying and Torah study, even if I don't always have the physical energy to do much else. It's such a blessing. I went through the day's posts about Israel and supported the truth with comments, likes, and shares wherever I could. I still cannot believe the evil that has been committed - and that people are trying to whitewash it! My heart cringes at the thought of what those poor hostages are going through - babies!!!

    I discovered the amazing beauty and depth of the Ana BeKoach today. What an incredible find! (It's been there all along, of course, I just didn't know of its value.) Its real beauty, depth and value are in the Hebrew of course, but I will share the English version with you here - still beautiful, and all-encompassing:

    Please, by the power of Your great right hand,

        set the captive nation free.

    Accept Your people's prayer. Strengthen us, purify us,

        You who are revered.

    Please, Mighty One, guard like the pupil of the eye

        those who seek Your unity.

    Bless them, cleanse them, have compassion upon them,

        grant them Your righteousness always.

    Mighty One, holy One, in Your great goodness

        guide Your congregation.

    Only One, exalted One, turn to Your people,

        who proclaim Your holiness.

    Accept our plea and heed our cry,

        You who know all secret thoughts.

    Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for

        ever and all time.

    Layla tov Chaverim