Quiet moment..
January 12, 2007Whew… finally got a quiet moment.. also trying to pass the time while the new cleaning lady is here.
Penina went out and I have to be here to make sure the cleaning lady is not stealing anything… especially my artscrolls…I put on my headphones and listened to rav eisenman on my ipod while she was humming some russian israeli song… or something…
Been a busy week actually. My Mother in law left. Litchy came and went and my parents came.
It was great having my mother in law here. Although Penina remarked that when people come to visit, its alot of eating out and the dieting starts when the guest leaves. Its just sad when people leave. ALthough I see my folks and in laws more often as I travel to the states, its hard for my folks and in laws to only see their grandkids a few times a year. I think thats the most difficult thing about making aliya. Its a huge change for everyone involved. I think about it alot actually. If my kids moved away and my grandkids were only accessible through a phone call or email. In Jewish circles, families live closer. Families see each other more often. When I speak to people and co workers in the states I’m amazed how many of them don’t speak to a sibling or a parent. How many years go between visiting family members. Hard to imagine. I just heard a dvar torah on zchus avos.. and we really draw on out parents and families… Phyisically and spiritually. We want our kids to be close to our ancestors… well… thats for another day.
This week Avromi proved to be the MAyor Of Bnei Brak. You have not been there if you havent been there with Litchy. An almost private moment with reb Kaniesky and a private moment with rav shteinman… something you can get everyday. We stood and spoke with rav shteinman for more than 10 minutes. Well, I didnt speak much as my yiddish is worse than my Hebrew (insert joke here). I Actually was a bit nerous when I DID speak. Rav Shteinman asked he what me parnassa was and when I said machsvin / COmputers… He shuckled a few times and had a serious look. I’m like… oy… no good? Should I have said Balloons? Hassling people?
We also learned that rav shteinman does not know where Staten Island is. You can ask litchy about that one.
It was actually a huge chessed of litchy to take Penina and I with him to get the brachos. We were the most anglo looking people in the entire city.
Yesterday my folks came and the timing couldnt be better. I didnt have my English artscroll taanis. Going to a daf yomi can be rough… but in hebrew… oy….The strange thing is.. I actually understood it. I think understanding shiurim in Hebrew is my strong point. I should ask people on the street to talk to me and throw in divrei torah..
“What? Where what is?”
“Can you quote a rashi and THEN ask me, I think I’ll understand it better, Todah”
So a mazel tov to the daf yomi people for completing the new year. YOu should be zocheh to make another siyum quickly. Like in a month from now. 28 days actually..
Did I mention I made the cover to the magazine here? Well, I get stopped by people … Oh, seen your picture. Are you the clown? Etc.
Penina is NOT to happy about that.
“he’s NOT a clown, he’s a balloon twister…..”
You Decide.
U.D.
