Between Rosh HaShannah & Tsom Gedalia

 

The two beautiful days of Rosh HaShannah ended just a short while ago and tomorrow morning will start the Fast of the Seventh Month (Zechariah 8:19).

    What a wonderful time for me, spending every waking moment praying or reading the Torah, alone or in the company of companions.

    Erev Rosh HaShannah was spent preparing for the seder. I baked a round fruited sweet bread for the first time in my life - at the age of  Sixty One! - it was so delicious I ate an entire loaf on that night!

    I had cooked all the veggies for the plate the previous day and had them all sorted, ready to warm and place on the table for our online siddur at 7.30pm. I was hungry, though, and thought I would just have a little grape juice and challah to tide me over. I couldn't stop eating the honey bread! Thereafter, I went to sit on the sofa to await 7.30, but I got so tired that I excused myself, wished everyone Shannah Tovah, and went to bed!

    I did join the online community for Shacharit in the morning, though. The Word of God and the Prayers are so beautiful and meaningful. They touch my heart every day. Anyone who wonders how one can just repeat the same words day after day has never prayed the prayers of the House of Israel. I shed tears many a day.

    We prayed Mincha for Rosh HaShannah and then a few of us went down to the river to do Tashlich. Here's the evidence:

There go the iniquities!

    Came back, lit the candles, said the blessings, watched a teaching on the book of Matthew through Jewish lenses, prayed Ma'ariv and went to bed for sweet sleep.

    Woke up for Shacharit this morning, read a bit of my book on prayer by Rabbi Nachman, and prayed Mincha. My goodness, unless you have an actual Rosh HaShannah Machzor, it is so difficult to get the prayers right! We ended up taking this from the siddur, that from an online source, etc, etc. I pray the LORD was pleased with our persistence - we certainly did the best we could! I hope HaShem smiles when He watches us trying to please Him with all our hearts.

    Did Havdallah with just a glass of grape juice, put the lights on, packed all the Shabbatot things away, phoned my grandson, had a sandwich, arranged some Hebrew classes for the week of Yom Kippur, and started watching a teaching which I will finish later, after my reading of the Jerusalem Talmud with friends. We're still in Berakhot. It amazes me how much attention the Sages paid to every word that God said, how they dissected everything so as to make sure they understood what He was saying to us. What a painful time it was for anyone who followed the Torah in the first century in the land of Israel. Rome and the Roman army treated the Jews unkindly, cruelly and inhumanely. It was dangerous even for them to walk in the street looking like a Jew!

    Our reading in Bereshiyt Rabbah has more momentum. We started in Bereshiyt last year and are left with about 15 chapters to read. We might finish it by the time we get to Wayyiqra, which will be good timing, because we plan to read Wayyiqra Rabbah next - seeing Jewish children learn it at age 4!

    Just boiled the kettle for the first time in 2 days and made a nice cup of Green Rooibos & Senna tea. Waiting to join my friends online in a few minutes.

    Tomorrow we shall resume our daily Slichot & Shacharit. I will be attending my cousin's funeral online at 2pm, so will miss the usual Torah study and Mincha prayers - but I will be taking part in my weekly study on the inner meaning of the Torah later that evening. I have things to do and learn up to and including midnight on a Thursday! For which I am very grateful.

    Friday morning Slichot, followed by tea and talking with a friend, Shabbat prep and Erev Shabbat Mincha. Then .... Shabbat!

    God fills my life with such joy and activity for the sake of Heaven. I am so thankful to Him!

Shannah Tovah!