a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Tshuva.
Tshuva.
and More tshuva.
Yesterday I went to a drosha given by Rabbi Galinsky of Yeshiva Torah Ohr.
There is 1 point that he mentioned that I thought I could share:
1. The concept of malchus. He said we have no IDEA what this is. We don’t have a king. We never saw a real king. But he said to think of Esther and Ahashevarosh. She was terrified just to Approach him without being called. She had all the jews daven for her THAT is how a king was. He had the power to give life and death at a whim. He also said that we think of King David.. with a harp… playing music…etc. People spoke to him.. lying face down in the earth.. THAT is how a king was treated. so we should keep this in mind when we daven to the King on Yom Kippur as he decides our fate.
The kids are counting down the seconds until my aunt, Ruth and Niece, Aliza are coming.
My son asked yesterday. I can almost see aliza.
I said, You must be really looking forward to seeing her.
He gave me a weird look and said “I said Lizard. Not Aliza.”
oops.
At shalosh seudos a speaker mentioned how we can improve our adam lchaveroh. In this area, its very easy. You see new people EVERY shabbos.
I looked at a young yeshiva boy and welcomed him.
Turns out he is From Staten Island.
Goodman, Son of Robert.
So if anyone sees Robert Goodman, tell him his son is doing fine at Reishit.
This shabbos I attended my third shalom zachor in the 2 months I’ve been here.
The third time that it was the families first “sabra”, so people are very excited and emotional. It is another step in the transition from Oleh chadash to Israeli. This time it was a young rabbi who gives the Daf Yomi who had the son. Like the Green Room Minyan, Aish Kodesh here is a very tight knit crowd so everyone feels a part of the simcha.
ALso like the green room no one gets bent out of shape when a newcomer sits in your seat.
When I got to shul, I saw a dude in my seat and noticed he was new. Turns out he moved from the old city to come to Ramat Beit Shemesh. I introduced him to some of the fellas etc. Just a little chesed can really make a newcomer feel welcome.
Its weird even though I’ve only been in Israel 2 months I feel like a veteran already.
well, gotta run..
Actually I don’t have to but I’m running out of things to say…
Enjoy your sunday!
U.D.