First Documented Camouflage. Guess!

Sometimes my mind goes in strange directions. Actually, it's rare when it follows directions or thinks conventionally.  Does that surprise you?

Today at a Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the Week class as we talked about the sudden self-consciousness of Adam and Eve after sinning. They quickly fashioned clothing out of leaves, so they wouldn't be noticed in Gan Eden, The Garden of Eden.

Isn't that called CAMOUFLAGE?

Bereishit III Genesis

וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם הֵ֑ם וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת׃

Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ מִפְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃

They heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible, Stunning!

I am very privileged to be reviewing Yoram Raanan's Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible.

For months I had been waiting for the book to arrive, and it was certainly worth the wait. It's the art book worth buying a coffee table for.

Some of you may have read about the burning of Raanan's studio a couple of years ago.

"IN NOVEMBER 2016, A FIRE DESTROYED MY STUDIO, TOGETHER WITH FORTY YEARS OF WORK,
I soon began painting again, and I realized this was only another part of a journey I'd begun long ago..." Yoram Raanan

Miraculously, after the fire that destroyed Raanan's studio and a large percentage of his paintings, he was able to produce this book from photos of them.

I went through Raanan's entire book, studying all the paintings. It is organized by the weekly Torah Portions. For some Torah Portions there is more than one painting, since apparently he uses the art medium of his painting to interpret the Bible, annually. It reminded me of how, each year when we read Parshot Shavua, we see different points/lessons and interpret the same words, verses and stories differently each year. I found some of the paintings absolutely stunning, aesthetically and spiritually.  Many of Raanan's paintings would be exquisite on silk.

Lech Lecha

Noach

Bereishit

Aren't they gorgeous!? Definitely awesome.

Presently, Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible by Yoram Raanan can only be purchased via his site; click here. It's a visual and spiritual treat, perfect to feast your eyes on Shabbat,  Jewish Holidays and weekdays, too. Perfect as a gift, not only to give to others. You should enjoy it, too.

Delicious and Inspiring Melava Malka

The past few months, a neighbor has been organizing a once a month motzei Shabbat, that's after Shabbat on Saturday night get-together. It floats from house to house. Our neighbor Rabbi Dov Berkovits has volunteered to give a shiur, class each month, which is great. He is always interesting and inspiring. And it's basically a "pot luck" menu. Everyone brings something, some healthier and some tastier than others. I must admit that the plate of simple sliced fruit was my contribution. I'm just not very good when it comes to dessert, besides loving to eat...

Those little chocolate things with the cream in the middle were even better than expected, since the chocolate was flavored with mint, and you know about me and mint... I must gt the recipe from my neighbor. And when I do, bli neder, I'll post it.

Shabbat, Without it I Couldn't Survive

Wikipedia

I must thank my good friend Esther Revivo for this. She posted a lovely "gratitude" piece on facebook and gave me permission to repost it here:

"Short gratitude post for today: I am eternally grateful for having Shabbat a part of my life. It grounds me and is the center of my enter week. I spend the whole week gearing up for it- baking ahead of time; buying, preparing and freezing special foods for Shabbat. It is a warm, wonderful spiritual family day when my family is cut off from the media and everything digital. I feel my soul, spirit, mental and physical strength energized and connection to G-d renewed.Having lived the first 15 years of my life in a home without Shabbat observance, I never take this for granted. I love living in Israel where Shabbat is part of the national consciousness and I'm not considered strange for my actions. Thank you Hashem for this precious gift!"

Like Esther, I, too, wasn't raised with any familiarity to a traditional, Torah Jewish Shabbat. After close to half a century keeping Shabbat according to Torah Judaism aka Orthodox Judaism, I just can't imagine surviving life without it.

Shabbat is a chance to breathe. Sometimes it is a drop stressful getting everything done beforehand, before we light the Shabbat Candles and usher in the peacefulness. All the food must be cooked, light-switches set, floors cleaned, laundry washed. Only someone, like a doctor or police or in the military etc., may find him/herself disturbed on Shabbat.

Once you adjust to the cycle, getting everything ready on time isn't all that complicated.

We pray, we eat, we stay pretty close to home and we rest  physically, mentally, emotionally. We recharge our batteries to help us cope with the following week.

Thank G-d for giving us Shabbat!

"Saturday Night, Full Moon;" Book Review

A not so funny thing happened on the way to writing this book review...

Saturday Night, Full Moon by Yerachmiel Michael Tilles, Menorah Books, Intriguing Stories of Kabbala Sages, Chasidic Masters and Other Jewish Heroes, has been sitting by the computer in the den for just over three weeks. I generally don't wait all that long before writing a book review. How long can one remember the facts about the book and how it felt reading it? But some very unpleasant things happened here in Israel to three wonderful families, which became the focus of my blogging of late. And you're probably well aware of them.

Teenagers Gilad Sha'ar, Naftali Fraenkel and Eyal Yifrach were kidnapped by Arab terrorists, then murdered and it took over two weeks for Israeli authorities (actually a group of civilians in the end) to find the bodies and then there was their massive funeral. Sorry, but I just couldn't think about reviewing the book, even though it was right next to me each time I saw here in the den.

Saturday Night, Full Moon, is a lovely compilation of stories, messages, full of Torah and the words of Jewish religious leaders. Each chapter has messages to make life better for us, to make us feel better.

Now you can enjoy, read and re-read, stories from Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles’ famed repertoire. Saturday Night Full Moon is a collection of thirty-three Chasidic stories of Kabbalah sages, Chasidic masters and other Jewish heroes dating from 16th Century Israel to 21st Century USA. Fully indexed with biographical information, as well as verses, names, dates and topics, this first volume of Rabbi Tilles’ stories is certain to become an oft-turned-to family treasure.

I particularly like the chart/guidelines at the beginning of each chapter with information about the people mentioned and suggestions as to when the chapter is particularly appropriate to read or use in a Dvar Torah or speech.

The Onion Plot, page 121

The stories are beautifully written and can be read or repeated at various sorts of occasions, or just read quietly to to give comfort or good ideas. Yes, it's highly recommended.

Product Code: SNFMYT

ISBN: 978-1-940516-07-3

Binding: Hardcover / 270 pages

Dimensions: 8.75” x 5.5”

Global Shipping Available

Wisdom With a Dash of Humor

This is another book review. 

A Bit of Wit, A World of Wisdom by Yehoshua Kurland, Gefen Publishing House has sitting here by the computer for a few weeks waiting to be reviewed.  I've been telling the agents who send me books, or had let me take from their stand at the Jerusalem International Book Fair that I can't promise to be quick with the reviews.  So, now, since Simchat Torah has ended, just a couple of hours ago, it's the proverbial אחרי החגים acharay hachaggim, after the Holidays when all good Israelis promise things will eventually get done.  Just like the custom to start building the succah mitzvah after Yom Kippur, I'll start the post-Holiday time keeping a promise, which is a mitzvah, too.

That "light" beginning suits Kurland's book.  It's a no pressure Jewish message/teaching/self-help book.  There are short chapters; each opens with a joke relevant to the theme. Some of the jokes are pretty well-known, but it doesn't really detract from the book.  This isn't a book of heavy, deep learning.  The messages are very accessible and easy to follow. 

A Bit of Wit, A World of Wisdom is a good book to give as a gift for someone who needs cheering up.  It's not preachy.  The book would also be helpful for someone who must do a bit of public speaking and needs ideas.  It can also be read from at the table or event as a Dvar Torah, a Torah message.

There's a lot of wisdom and helpful words in A Bit of Wit, A World of Wisdom all very nicely served, with a spoon full of honey and pleasant smile.