Shanah Tova

We just wanted to take this time and wish everyone a Shana Tovah u'Mituka - a sweet and happy new year. May this be a year of reaching our potentials, health, happiness and peace for everyone. We know it will start of interesting for us as our "new" fruit this year is a Dragon fruit or pitaya - it pretty much looks like a magenta pink exploding artichoke, slightly reminiscent of the plant from little shop of horrors. All else is going well, we are off today to spend the day cooking and cleaning in preparation of hosting our first groups of guests in our apartment (over 14 throughout the course of the holiday and Shabbat). Therefore, the kitchen calls...until next year.

My New Best Friend

This Wednesday will mark the third week that I have been learning in Yeshiva. I am not sure exactly when the moment struck me, but it has officially set in. Yeshiva life is no longer so novel to me. In only a few weeks the schedule seems to have become rather routine. I don't mean to give the wrong impression; I am learning a lot and the atmosphere is intellectually challenging. By way of analogy, despite the fading of the new car smell the car is still awfully fun to drive. Yet when you are in the same building for 12 hours a day with the same people it doesn't take long to adjust to that environment before it can become a bit stale.

Yesterday afternoon I had an unbelievable moment with a complete stranger that completely changed my mood.

I decided to walk home in the middle of day during the break to do a few chores around the apartment. We just had the building exterminated and the kitchen needed to be cleaned pesach style. In any case, on my way home I stopped in the street because an Israeli driver was trying to completely turn his car around on a street that was far too narrow to accommodate the turn radius of the car. So I waited. After almost a minute of futility I just made up my mind to go around the car and get moving. Just as I did I felt someone slide their hand into mine. I looked down and saw an adorable girl who couldn't have been older than six years old. She asked in Hebrew, "can you please help me cross the street?" And before I could process what was happening and uttered a weak "ken" she was leading me precariously exactly where she needed to go. When we got to the curb she beamed at me and said "todah." I challenge anyone to find a greater high than that. I literally felt like a hero the rest of the day!
This girl helped me realize that in the midst of great spiritual pursuit the reality of the world around you can occasionally become quite blurred. And that can't be a positive thing. I hope that I can find this girl again so that I can tell her "todah" for helping me see this lesson.