Sunday Night

9:24 PM - A long day at work.  Chaperoned a bus for my school for the parade. Was away for Shabbos and got to school as planned, with my luggage, by 11:30 A.M.  Got the tee shirt and bust list.  Checked off all present, and got all the notes from those excused from riding back.  Got all the kids' cell numbers and the driver's too (which was key). Things ran about an hour behind.  It was sweltering. (Can anything but heat be sweltering?) We marched. Saw some dear family, friends, colleagues. Then I got people to the buses and made sure all were on and we were good to go. Shmoozed on the bus with a former student, now a colleague.  I love talking Torah with him.  He was fascinated to learn about Irving Bunim and his life, ideas, and ideals. Got a ride to my 'hood and was home by six-ish.  And then it was time for a different kind of work, final review prep.  Tomorrow's the last day of review.  Finals start Wednesday. These finals, they need to be written and otherwise prepared.  Then, after they're taken there is marking to do.

11:28 PM - Funny (not ha-ha) that today I was discussing Ever Since Sinai, Irving Bunim's out of print collection of talks to smicha students at RJJ and that tonight I came across a book that quotes it.  I randomly took The Universal Jew off my shelf and found that on page 49 Yosef ben Shlomo HaKohen quotes from that book the story about Rav Aharon Kotler insisting on going through the manned tollbooth because "the automatic booth is devoid of heart or mind."

11:59 PM - Yesterday, as I've done several times before I wrote a poem/prayer going through the Aleph-Bet. It was Shbabbos and so I did it by heart.  I wonder if I remember what I came up with for each letter... Here are - I think I remember - the key words - maybe I'll fill in more if there's interest expressed:

Alef - Ahavah
Bet - Brachah/birkayim
Gimel - Gadlut
Daled - Dor
Heh - Hoveh
Vav - Vered
Zayin - Zach/zechut
Chet - Cheit
Tet - Taharah
Yud - Yeish
Chaf - Kelev/kol leiv
Lamed - levush
Mem - Moach
Nun - Nefilah
Samech - Smichah
Ayin - Einayim
Peih - Ptichah
Tzadi - Tzedek
Kuf - Kin'ah
Reish - Rosh
Shin - Shalvah
Taf - Tamim