Blog/August 2011/Aug 12th

Aug 12th (See this week's devar torah)

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Hi, again!

Last summer we experienced a very hot summer. Almost every week there were a couple days of sharav (hot winds from the east), making it an uncomfortable couple of months. This summer, in contrast, has been really pretty wonderful weather-wise. It's hot in the day, but not too hot, and cool in the evening. Wonderful!

The fast of the ninth of Av was this week. Not fun, though of course it's not meant to be. But in contrast to the previous fast (just three weeks ago), which was only a "light" fast -- this one was much, much easier for me. Interestingly, I was talking to a Muslim Arab guy at work, and he said: "you have a fast coming up, don't you?" So I said yes, but it's just one day -- and you're in the middle of a month of fasts! So he asked when we start the fast, and I told him it was a full 24+ hours. He asked, surprised, "you mean you don't eat for a whole day? Can you drink at least?" To which I answered that no, we weren't allowed to eat or drink anything at all for at least 24 hours. He was very impressed, which I thought amusing -- since they fast for an entire month (albeit only during daylight hours). Guess it all depends on your point of view, don't it?

Given that one of the tragedies we commemorate on the 9th of Av is the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (by the Romans, approximately 70CE), and that the reason our sages give for that happening was "baseless hatred" amongst the Jews, it seems appropriate to share this article about a similar contemporary phenomenon.

Sarah's finishing up her last real work week for this year of sherut. Next week she has another day of work, and then some sort of "celebration" and then she's done until September when she starts her second year of sherut working in a government office in Jerusalem. Daniela successfully passed her interview for a job with a foundation which assists agunot -- women who for various reasons are still considered married under Jewish law and so cannot remarry (the usual case being a recalcitrant husband who refuses to give the divorce document to her). So she starts that job soon, but her job will be writing grant applications for the organization so they can continue to function.

This coming Tuesday we've got friends making aliyah on the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight. We're planning on being part of the crowd of well-wishers at the airport cheering on our new compatriots. Don't you wish you were there, too? You know you do!

Techie corner:

• It never gets old: the 'cloud' is not reliable
• And if you do use the 'cloud', please encrypt early, encrypt often
• Then, when you do so, please also consider whether you can remember your password. Here's a guide to help you pick a good one.

And a smattering of politics:

• How the smartest President ever managed to make history this week
• Political Correctness 1942

B"H this shabbat will be a quiet one here at chez Aaron. The menu is scheduled to include: baked chicken with yams, BBQ chicken wings, red lentil soup, tabouleh, roasted eggplant, the usual salatim, chocolate chip cookies, Esther's excellent ḥallah and probably other things as well...

Until next week,
shabbat shalom!

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