Kodesh-Chol, Body-Soul

One of the lessons of Purim is that "mikreh," "just by chance," or coincidence is all in control of G-d. The miracle of Purim is "being in the right place at the right time."

Mordechai just, by chance, happened to hear the plotters against King Achashverosh, and just, by chance, that was the page in the chronicles read to King Achashverosh, when he couldn't sleep. And just, by chance, Haman came in, and just, by chance, there were ready-made gallows...

And just, by chance, there was an Esther, beautiful and wise and dedicated to her people, willing to risk it all, body and soul...

Oh, yes, body and soul, Kodesh and Chol, the Holy and the "profane," or just plain ordinary...

One of the things that distinguishes Judaism from any other is the integration of the two. It's like our calendar, which integrates the solar and the lunar, making it the most accurate calendar of all. And to think that it was developed in a world that not only predates computers, also simple adding machines and calculators. Our ancient sages somehow managed to calculate it all very accurately.

Now how did I get to this? Yes, I remember.

I was sent two requests to publicize sites/blogs on my blog, Home Game and YK's Jewish Music Forum. The requests arrived within hours of each other, which gave me the message that I had to combine them.

Home Game is more than sports,

"Home Game" documents the story of graduating 12th graders, from the Israeli village of Netzer Hazani, during their last vacation before adulthood.

Their yearly summers of beach, ball and fun usually focused on the annual youth final four basketball competition. Yet their 2005 summer vacation turned into something else entirely because the Israeli government began to implement its plan to remove them from their homes in Gush Katif, Gaza, as part of the Middle East peace process.

And the Music Forum is more than just some music reviews.

Reviews and other fun stuff about JM

Chag Shiloh Purim Sameach!