When I think of songs that warm my soul, the songs of Shabbat come immediately to mind and heart. Lecha Dodi is sung on Friday nights – the song is a welcoming of the “Sabbath Bride.” Lecha Dodi was written in the 16th century by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz. I rather like this untraditional rendition of the song on YouTube.
Thursday Challenge theme is MUSIC (Guitar, Playing an Instrument, Things that make sounds, iPods, Sheet Music, Noisy Things,…).
The Three Little Pigs is showing at the Forum Theatre in Metuchen, New Jersey. For more information, including times and how to get tickets, visit the Forum website.
More October 2009 leaves. Now you see them, outside you don’t, except on a few late-turning trees. Do I like taking fall foliage more than photographing flowers? Hard to say, but the time does flee quickly for the foliage. Flowers generally last longer, except for my climbing roses which are only bursting in bloom for two weeks of June.
Belle is a dog. My daughter has been reading to her once a week at the Highland Park Public Library. Last year my daughter struggled with reading even the simplest words. This year she is making progress, and she feels comfortable at her reading sessions with Belle, who is sometimes called a “therapy” dog.
And if you look in the comments for the See and Tell post you will find the villain. And in Name the Book, I named the book. Thanks to all who participated.
Note: I wrote this post a year ago. And it sat as a draft in my WordPress until today. In honor of Ilana-Davita and because Raizy misses Ilana-Davita’s parsha post this week, I am now hitting ‘published.’ Please note that I never finished, but at the bottom you will see that I found a high school student who did.
And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
One of the problems with writing about the parsha is getting it up before Shabbat is not always the easiest task, and one often has more time to review the parsha on Shabbat. So here’s a few more thoughts on the years of Sarah, before we turn to the parsha of this coming week, Toldot.
What’s the question about the opening pasuk, the opening sentence of the Torah portion? Unless you read Hebrew, you might think from the English that it only says “years” twice. However, it really says “shanah” or years 4 times. Since everything in the Torah is repeated for a reason, why so many years?
There is a midrash that goes with the story of Sarah. It’s like this:
When Sarah was 100, it was as though she was twenty in sin.
And when Sarah was 20, it was as though she was 7 in beauty.
So Rashi claims that we learn this midrash from the fact that the pasuk repeats the word “shanah” or year: 100 years, 20 years and 7 years. But the Ramban says no, we learn the midrash from the end of the pasuk, where it says “And these were the years of Sarah.” Because by Yishmael, it also has years repeated, but his years were not all alike.
Young moms, little baby, young trees in Donaldson Park Thursday Challenge theme this week is “YOUTH” (Young, Energetic, Optimistic, Children, Baby, Education,…).
I believe soup is one of the healthiest foods one can eat. And it is yummy, too!
As Lewis Carroll wrote:
Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau–ootiful Soo-oop! Beau–ootiful Soo-oop! Soo–oop of the e–e–evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau–ootiful Soo-oop! Beau–ootiful Soo-oop! Soo–oop of the e–e–evening,
Beautiful, beauti–FUL SOUP!
— Lewis Carroll
According to this article, that poem was a parody of a poem called “Star of the Evening.” More of Lewis Carroll’s funny poetry on this page.
