Post Shloshim, Post Vacation Post: On The Road Again

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"If you want something done ask a busy man." I took the time to google that aphorism and didn't succeed in finding an attribution. I guess I didn't search hard enough (yaga'ati velo matza'ati al ta'amin). It comes to mind during this winter break.

I wonder a lot about davening and like to talk with kindred spirits about it. I am reminded of this renewal poet's words and my angry reaction. There is something to the power of the words. There is also something to understanding what you're saying before G-d. This question comes to me often around Kaddish. The mourner's Kaddish is a prayer one might expect would be treated with reverence and recited with emotional intent.

Sigh.

A few posts ago I cited Rabbi Abraham Twerski via Rabbi Josh Hoffman about how the monn represented the imperative of taking life one day at a time. He says a similar idea in relation to the Omer, that we build up to kaballat haTorah one day at a time. He also explains brilliantly that when Yaakov worked toward marrying Racheil it does not say, as most people think it does, that it was like a short period of time for him. It was many years of work till he could marry someone he loved. It's hard to imagine what it felt like for Ya'akov, but it may have felt like forever. His secret weapon was that in his eyes it was "keyamim achadim," he took each day on its own.

A dear talmid of mine pointed out to me that Rav Nachman MiBreslov has a beautiful take on the one day at a time motif. Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim 95 that we must listen to G-d today - "HaYom im bekolo tishma'u." He says that this means that we are advised to consider just one day at a time. This makes things more manageable and and also can temper procrastination.

Rashi tells the story of Yirmiyahu displaying the jar filled with monn that Moshe had prepared years before. Yirmiyahu tells the people who complain that they can't devote themselves to Torah because they must earn a living; "Harbei shluchim yeish lamakom lehavi mazon leyerei'av." I remember being 22 like it was a second ago, visiting relatives in an Israeli city on the sea. In my learning I came upon that pasuk and the Rashi and repeated it over and over to myself until I knew it by heart. I remember it to this day.

Rav Chaim Schmuelewitz writes that the theme of the mannah is bitachon, trust in G-d. He says that this is evident from the fact that people had to trust that they would have enough. He compares this to the similar situation of Shmitah, when as the sixth year approaches Jews must trust that G-d will keep His promise that enough crop will be provided to last three years.

On the one hand the people of the desert displayed great trust in G-d through the routine of the monn. On the other hand they worried and complained and doubted G-d turn after turn. As isolated as the desert seems to be this dichotomy rings of real life to me.

Some hopefully helpful links: Do you want to find out the earliest time for minchah, or any thing else related to zmanim? Then go here. You happen to be at the YU sefarim sale and want to know minyan times? Go to YUzmanim.com. Looking for minchah in New York City? The O-U's got a post for you here. Learning Gemorah and have a question? Try dafyomi.co.il, you'll be amazed what they have to offer.

During shloshim I started writing this: One of my friends who called a week after shivah asked the FAQ, how are you doing?

"You remember how you told me once that you wouldn't have gotten through your first year of marriage if not for the support of (older divorce' X and young married Y)?

"How do you remember that?"

"Well, I'm sure there were a lot of people there for you during the week of sheva brachot and for a month or so following that. But then you just had those two life lines..."

Tomorrow is a jump back from yeshiva break to holy work. These shifts are hard for me, probably not only for me. Rav Kook (as explained by Rabbi Nachum Romm) says that when we go from one atmosphere into another it is a turbulent time for our souls, thus we pray for extra siyatah dishmayah.

Good night and G-d bless

And good G-d please bless tonight

Good night and G-d bless.