I remarked to my family doctor when I went for a flu shot, that I missed not having seasons here. He said, "We have climate, no seasons." Last week it was 105 degrees. Today it is 52 degrees. However, the landscape looks exactly the same - brilliant, blinding sunlight (try driving into that after 4 pm) clear blue skies and lush tropical greenery. So I bought a miniature pumpkin, propped it on my laptop, where I spend a lot of time, to remind me what season this is.
You may notice on my laptop screen, a clip of Leonard Cohen doing his Birkat Kohanim at his concert in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv on September 24. It was thrilling to watch him do this. Here are some links you may enjoy.
*Birkat Kohanim*
* Birkat Kohanim * large screen closeup.
cued to start at 8.0
Address to Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families (Baruch HaShem at 1,20)
On the Leonard Cohen forum,where, yes, I do spend a lot of time, someone asked if we are also blessed not being there in person, but viewing it online. Here is my response.
I have been thinking about your very important question for a number of days. I wanted to check this out with a Rabbi. As it happened -beshert, destiny -after Sukkot sevices, I was standing next to the Senior Rabbi in line at an outdoors Sukkot buffet lunch. He knew about Leonard Cohen's concert in Tel Aviv, and I asked him your question. Taking a typical Rabbinic approach, first he tells me a true story - but I could see his thoughts percolating as he told the story.
A Jewish man in the military was stationed way up in the isolated northern most region. He needed 10 Jewish men to say Kaddish for his father's Yahrzeit. He went online and asked a Chabad Rabbi if he could gather 10 Jewish men in a chat room would that be legal for a Minyan. The Chabad Rabbi answered, YES. But the question arises, what is a nice Jewish boy like you doing in the military in the isolated far north.
The Rabbi's answer to your question was, YES.
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment