Cal Ripken. Baseball’s “Iron Man”. He played for a team that I never followed- nor one I liked. But, Cal Ripken is someone I admired- not just because he played day in and day out- but because he represented all that is honorable in sports.
Category Archives: Just Because
A speech to remember
So, I told you that I attended my son’s graduation from the University of Michigan. (Of course, I did. Wild horses, a hurricane, or even a tornado would not have kept me from it.) And, I had the opportunity to hear one of the best graduation speeches ever. (I’m not inexperienced in this matter; a rough count is that I have heard- nay, endured- some 45 or so of these colloquys.)
Shvuot- the Feast of Weeks.
We’ve been counting since the Pesach (Passover) Seder. 50 days after we were freed from Egypt (Mitzrayim- a place of narrow straits), we were waiting by Mount Sinai (sorry- NOT in the “Sinai Peninsula”, more likely in Saudi Arabia, near an active volcano), to receive the 10 Commandments. Where the words were seen- yes, seen. I admit, until I saw the effects of a rocket plant explosion in Henderson, Nevada, I had no idea you really could see “sound”. Not surprising that those in attendance were totally awed…
Lee Adrian… (Hartley A. Schwartzberg, DO)
Yes, I’m breaking into my queue. Something I don’t do very often.
This past Sunday, while I was celebrating with my son (and my family) his graduation from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), my cousin, Hartley (Lee) Adrian Schwartzberg, died. I hadn’t seen him- or his family- in a while (he livesd in Florida). I have tried to keep in touch, though. (Facebook is NOT as good as being there, nor is eMail.) And, I’ve thought of him and his brother, my other close cousin, often.
The Song of the Sea
If I were able to work on the 7th day of Pesach (Passover), I would have posted this then. But, that day is one of the days where work is proscribed. So, this post was scheduled for today, the first day back to work after the holiday.
So quick…
Seder. It means order. Where we progress from page 42 to 262 in our Hagada. (No, we don’t skip pages- the first 41 or so pages cover the laws of the Pesach, as well as the blessings and laws for the searching of any left-over chametz in one’s possession, before the holiday begins.)
Wait until dark…
Today is a very special day. Believe it or not, this day is celebrated by more Jews than those who celebrate Rosh Hashana (almost 3:1). Yes, even those who consider themselves “Secular” Jews.
Hurry up…It’s time!
It’s that time of year. Spring cleaning. Many of you may not know how old this tradition really is. It started out some 3000 years ago- when it was a commandment to remove all the chametz from one’s life. Now, chametz literally means “leavened items”. Because the holiday of Pesach (Passover), which celebrates the liberation of the Jews, also involved a commandment to destroy all the chametz in one’s possession. One is not permitted to see any chametz in one’s domain for the entire holiday.
Sunday is…
Do you know what this Sunday is? Oh, yes, it is, indeed, the 10th of March (2103) [28th day of Adar]. But, that’s not the point. No, this Sunday is Good Deeds Day!
Many of you are not going to like this..
True confessions? Yes, that’s how I will start today. (But, I probably will end with a wonderful happy dance. Twice or so.)