Moon on the 14th of the Jewish month of Av (almost full)
By the light, of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon,
To my honey I’ll croon love’s tune.
Honey moon, keep a-shinin’ in June.
Your silv’ry beams will bring love’s dreams,
We’ll be cuddlin’ soon,
By the silvery moon.
Somehow I remember a line in the song that goes “not to fork but to spoon.” The Wikipedia page has some variations of this 1909 song.
So there we (we = husband, daughter and I) are in East Brunswick, New Jersey at the Middlesex County Fair, and I notice the moon is almost full. I think, it’s almost the middle of the month! (The Jewish month is a lunar calendar, so the full moon signifies the 15th of the month.) Why, it’s almost Tu B’Av, the Jewish answer to Sadie Hawkins Day or the Israeli equivalent of Valentine’s Day.
To learn more about this holiday where the young unmarried women used to dance in white dresses in the fields, please visit:
How do you find comfort? What do you do when something or someone in your life, community or in world news causes you pain? How do you get in touch with the pain and also find new ways of self-comfort?
When my children were babies, I remember learning that it was important that they learn to self-comfort. If every time a child cries, a parent or guardian rushes to the child’s side, how will the child learn to cope on his or her own? My boys, I remember, each had a blanket that was precious in the going to sleep process.
One of my friends, when times are hard, reads from the Book of Psalms (Tehilim) when she is in distress. I feel she is fortunate that she can find comfort in that manner.
Today is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the fast day of Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, the day when the Beit HaMikdash, the holy temple that was in Jerusalem, was destroyed. Other tragic events happened on this date as well. In two days we read the haftorah from the Book of Isaiah, in which he proclaims (Isaiah 40:1-2) –
Comfort, comfort my people, so says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
“Double from sins”? – Is this referring to then or now? It seems the pain continues to this day; the warfare does not seem at an end.
And later Isaiah says (Isaiah 40:7-8) –
Indeed man is but grass: Grass withers, flowers fade – but the Word of our God is always fulfilled!
We can read all of Isaiah (especially the part from Chapter 40 and on), and some of us may find some comfort in the words. For many of us, struggling to understand the words of the ancient prophet is as far as we can get. Perhaps we are meant to know that even if we don’t understand the Big Picture, God does.
So getting back to comfort, here’s a short list from me, perhaps I can get your creative juices running, too:
Write a blog post.
Talk to a friend.
Paint. Draw. Putter in the garden. Find a creative outlet.
More on comfort and Isaiah: Comfort, Comfort (2005) by Professor Gary A. Rendsburg, chair of the department that I do work for at Rutgers, the Jewish Studies Department
Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They don’t judge the orphan, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
SuperRaizy wrote a post called Too Nauseated to Blog on Friday (lots of bad news in the Jewish community). I didn’t really know what to say to Raizy or about Raizy’s post, but Isaiah, the prophet of over 2000 years ago, says it well. I’m hoping to write a post called “Seeking Comfort” later this week. More words of wisdom from Isaiah.
On a related or not so related note, Jientje alerted me to a Positive Day in the Blogosphere. Did the creator of this have any idea that this is the day after Tisha B’Av, the most mourning-full day of the Jewish calendar and right before Shabbat Nahamu, the Sabbath of Comfort? Just a coincidence, I am sure.
Sometimes I think it must be easier to be non-Jewish (Jientje is not, and she is always so upbeat). But maybe we just have to be “Happy with our lot.”
Anyway, to Raizy, you wrote well in your post. May with the wisdom of Isaiah we find a way to move forward.
Update: if you are interested in discussing the details of the current New Jersey/New York scandal and Dwek, Rafi has a post: Dweck Entrapped Them? (Note: it seems that his name is spelled “Dwek,” and Rafi misspelled it in his post).
“What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?”
On that note from Alice, let’s begin our exploration of recipes, food topics, kashrut, anything kosher. Most links have been given a picture, because I like pictures. If you didn’t post it with a picture, I added one of my own. You are the recipe writer, I’m the illustrator. Unless you decided to self-illustrate. So without further ado, here’s Kosher Cooking Carnival #44:
Fit for a meal
Ilana-Davita teaches us how to make spicy fish – hraymi. She explains: “Hraymi is a red spicy fish dish that is popular among the Sephardic Jews of Libya.”
Annette tells us how to make Matzoh brei, which she says she makes year round! She teaches us: “Be sure to use plenty of salt and pepper, or you may find the Matzoh Brei too bland for your taste.”
Mimi makes my mouth water with her schnitzel photo and recipe. She suggests “serve with a rosé wine, cold beer, or lemonade.”
Batya shows us her delightful, sparkling minestrone vegetable soup. She says: “there are two fast days in the summer, and I love to break my fast on vegetable soup. ”
Breakfast Time
G6 shows us her breakfast food.
She says: “I figured that rather than have you all traipse over to my house in your pajamas on Sunday morning, I’ll give you the recipe here to share with your own families. It’s really easy. All you have to do is remember to set it up the night before, since it “cooks” in the refrigerator overnight. ”
Sugar cookies are brought to you by Soccer Dad’s daughter. And can you guess the missing ingredient in Soccer Dad’s challah?
Oatmeal Apple Crisp is brought to you by Mrs. S. – is it a dessert or a side dish or both? (and does it matter)
And another apple recipe (is it almost fall?) by Baleboosteh – Easy Apple Crumble.
Jacob Da Jew asks: Which Donuts Do You Desire? Responses include: “Am I the only one who doesn’t care about donuts, pizza, etc? Keep your donuts and bring me meat and beer!” and “Fresh French kruller from DD is just heavenly.”
An unexpected submission for the Kosher Cooking Carnival, Daled Amos tells us of a new job market for Orthodox Women. So will you be suggesting this to your daughter instead of occupational or speech therapy?
Since it is the Three Weeks (and now the Nine Days), a solemn time when we remember that the Beit HaMikdash (the temple that was in Jerusalem) was destroyed, I’ll leave you with some imperfection. It is customary in some families to not complete the building of a home; perhaps one brick is missing, or there is one piece of wall unpainted. So in the spirit (or lack of spirit) of the Three Weeks, here is an imperfect sentence, one that
Can you think of any famous farewells, in history or in literature? Or famous deathbed scenes? Do you have any farewells in your own memories that you are willing to share?
In Ancient Secrets: Using the Stories of the Bible to Improve Our Everyday Lives by Rabbi Levi Meier, Rabbi Meier suggests that the farewell address of Moses in the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) is written for lasting impact, as “words of parting are perhaps remembered best.”
Welcome to JPIX, the blog carnival of Jewish photo bloggers from around the world.
Batya:
Robin:
Ilana-Davita, G6, and Rahel:
Maya and Mike in Midwood:
Devo aka Pesky Settler and Proud Mommy:
Occidental Israeli, TRS and Mottel
Soccer Dad and Mrs. S.:
CosmicX:
Mother in Israel, Rafi and Imabima:
Baila and Jew Wishes:
Jewish Side and Mimi:
Leora:
If you see a photo you like, please click on it to visit the blog from which it came. You may find other photos you like as well, and perhaps an explanation of the photo. In particular it is always nice to leave a complimentary comment on the blog of the photographer about the photo. You can also leave the photo blogger questions about the photo on his or her blog.
Unless someone volunteers to host JPIX in the next few months, the next addition of JPIX will be in December. Batya has volunteered! See below.
Stained Glass Window at Congregation Etz Ahaim, Highland Park, New Jersey
I photographed this one stained glass window at Congregation Etz Ahaim where we are members last Sunday. It was dark in the room, but I managed to capture this one panel of many that line the top of the sanctuary. This stained glass panel depicts the fourth day of creation, Yom Daled in Hebrew.
Genesis 1:16 –
And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars.
This portion of the Torah is the one my son will be reading next October, when he turns 13, and we celebrate his bar-mitzvah.
Jew Wishes mentioned Journey from the Land of No by Roya Hakakian (review now offline, sadly), a book I highly recommend, especially if you want to learn about Iran. Roya is a good storyteller.
Imabima has hosted 