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Re’eh and the idea of charity
When I was growing up in Manhattan, we often had people coming to our door to collect charity.Sometimes these charity collectors came as representatives of worthy institutions, other times they came on behalf of an individual in need, and sometimes they were actually collecting for themselves.My Father obm generously responded to their requests and often would engage the gentleman, many of whom had traveled far and wide, in conversation, to treat them as human beings and express interest in their background and learn more about their travails.I was always in awe as I watched these conversations. My Dad was a very busy person on a strict schedule. But his mien was totally caring and present as he would seem to have all the time in the world as he listened to their stories with rapt attention and shared his comments with them as one would with an old and dear friend.One evening their was a ring at the door and I ushered in a charity collector. When I called my Father obm to the front of the house I whispered to him that this particular gentleman had already been to our house earlier that today.I watched in surprise as my Father went through the whole spiel all over again, inquiring and listening and concluding with a donation.After the gentleman left I asked my Father about his actions, hadn’t he heard me tell him that this was a second visit by this man?His answer moved me deeply.He said that his custom is to pray three times daily. Each and every day he turns to his Creator and engages in conversation through prayer and makes requests again and again.If he is coming to Gd over and over again with requests and beseeching, how can he not respond to a second request from someone in need?Read more
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Small People Do Big Things
“Small people do big things, big people do small things”So said Rabbi David Kronglas, spiritual guide at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in the last generation.Rabbi Kronglas was trying to impress upon his students the importance of small and meaningful actions. People who make large sweeping motions with great pomp and circumstance may not be the ones to be relied upon in a pinch. The truly great people are the ones who quietly lend support and get the deed done, in spite of the lack of publicity. Very often the greatness of a person can be glimpsed in quiet actions that we may discover wholly by accident.Read more
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Yom Hazikaron 2021
When we travel to Israel we have had the immense privilege of meeting some of the young men and women in uniform. So many comment on how young the soldiers are and there is a frequent desire to give them gifts and food, as we see them as our own kids. We salute these soldiers for their discipline and dedication!It has been an intensely emotional week in Israel with the commemoration of Memorial Day which remembers the fallen soldiers and victims of terror, followed by Independence Day.So many have given up their lives for our country. It is hard to connect to the the overwhelming loss.Perhaps by focusing on the story of one woman, one mother, we can have a glimpse of the magnitude of the pain - but we can also be inspired by her courage and her wisdom.Miriam Peretz is a loving mother and grandmother. She makes delicious food for her family and is a doting and joyous matriarch.Read more
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Key Shabbat 2021
This coming Shabbat is sometimes called Shlissel or Key Shabbat. The first Shabbat after Passover there is a custom to bake the Challah into the shape of a key, or, some wrap a key in silver foil and bake it in the Challah (it’s fun to find, but be careful not to bite into it!). Some sprinkle poppy seeds on the loaves to remind us of the manna that began to fall in the desert after the Jewish nation left Egypt. The manna began falling in the Hebrew month of Iyar which is the Hebrew month which comes after Passover.
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Caryn Young
Phone: 9193957499
Email: [email protected]
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