Mendel Bluming | Blogger

  Amidst this unpredictable, confusing and worrisome Covid crisis, do you ever feel like just saying, “I GIVE UP!” ? Let’s notice the words: the word UP. Where does that term come from in the colloquialism ‘I give UP’? Grab onto the ray of light inherent in the word UP. In Hebrew to give up is called “liharim yadaim”, literally to LIFT UP YOUR HANDS. A further flash of light. Even more uplifting. Giving UP is indeed the BEST way to go! Raising hands reminded me of the battle of the Jewish people against the Amalekites described in the portion of Beshalach just after the Jews were redeemed from Egypt (Exodus, 17:11 see Rashi’s commentary) Joshua did as Moses had told him, to fight against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and their nephew Hur went up to the top of the hill and stood in prayer… Whenever Moses RAISED HIS HANDS and the people were thereby inspired to submit themselves to G-d, G-d came to their aid and Israel prevailed. But whenever he lowered his hand, and they...

  “Place guards at all of your personal entryways!” Commands the Torah in Deuteronomy. Don’t let anything into your sacred space, mind and heart without questioning it. One of the challenges with the coronavirus is that it is invisible. It is harder for person to be disciplined to protect against something that they do not see. So too the insidious effects of those influences that we take in from another’s breath and words impact us very deeply even though the onslaught seems subtle and innocuous. Before allowing another’s thoughts and words to into your space pause, just pause. Consider if you are being uplifted by something virtuous or infected by something potentially dangerous. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

There is a Talmudic quote that is traditionally said when looking for a lost object:   Rabbi Binyomin said: Everyone is blind until G-d illuminates their eyes, as it states (Genesis 21:19), "And G-d opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." The tradition is to recite this formula when you can't find something, and there are countless stories of people immediately finding whatever they lost after saying these words. Try it! Rabbi Binyomin was giving an example of someone who couldn't see the obvious until G-d intervened. The Book of Genesis tells of the maidservant Hagar, who was wandering through the desert without water. In fact, there was a well nearby, she simply didn't see it.  This is more than just a magical incantation. It reminds us of a profound truth. We are so often blind to the things around us. What you are looking for may be right in front of you, but you don't have eyes to see it. There are amazing opportunities staring you in the fa...

  This is what Rabbi Akiva Eiger, one of the greatest Jewish leaders of all time, suggested for High Holiday services in the late 1700s during a cholera epidemic: In every synagogue, in both the men’s and the women’s sections, it is only permitted to fill half of the seats on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, such that next to every person there will be an empty seat. Therefore, a police officer will be assigned to oversee the organization of the synagogue. Those who couldn’t go to synagogue will pray in private house minyanim, but they will have to keep the same spacing precautions there.  Regarding prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur they should be shortened, some of the piyyutim should not be said at all, and the chazzanim should not extend the prayers with their melodies. There should be two doctors in the synagogue, and they must be consulted immediately if any participant shows possible symptoms of the illness. They should listen to whatever the doctors say about ...