STOP THE MADNESS

 Well, I just had a madness of my own - an almost complete posting disappeared from my screen, unable to be resurrected, and hence -madness!!!! Nothing to do but start all over again - as if my memory contains it whole! Not these days! 

   In any case, the world today seems permeated with madness, bizarre and otherwise. It is bizarre that a 12 year old boy fights a battle that would defeat an adult. Why? Because in this day and age there is still no cure for his cancer. It rests on Hail Mary attempts via chemo and radiation to defeat this insidious  enemy. It relies on the prayers of thousands of good souls who daily, repeatedly, pray special, for the healing of Yitzy, that ever so sweet and courageous grandson of mine. A newly minted uncle, so proud of his new responsibilities as an uncle to his little nephew.

          He is the repository of so much goodwill, a blessing we so profoundly are grateful for. We believe it is helping, so please, until we hear those magic words, pray on. Please.

   There is a madness intertwined in the fabric of this world. It is a world which apparently values the ability to kill each other many times over, ever more efficiently, rather than spend those monies on positive, constructive projects. From sticks and stones to nuclear and laser, to germ warfare on crack - where do we go next to improve our weaponry, even as we ignore the madness ever growing, ever more consuming of our world.

   How can we ever expect to defeat this madness when our governmental leaders appear to be suffering from the same ailment, of permeated, ever boiling madness within their own selves. When leaders forget to lead or lead their constituents into swamps of deadly portent. When leaders speak ever so kindly of White Power and other extremists. When legislators speak openly and supportingly of rebellion and insurrectionists. When a Senator speaks of a governmental conspiracy to take over our washing machines. Madness!!

  However, the madness which consumes me today is that which is going on in Israel. A homeland lost for millennia. A land bought back with the blood of centuries, of millions murdered less than a century ago. A land which is now tearing itself, consuming itself, even as President Herzog cries out, pleads and warns we must "Stop the madness." 

 "The last few weeks have been tearing us apart,” the president began. “They are harming Israel’s economy, security, political ties and especially Israeli cohesion. The family Shabbat meals have become an arena of struggle, friends and neighbors have become rivals. The conflicts are getting worse; The worries, the fears, the anxieties – they are all more tangible than ever,”

Note the descriptions that he gives, the situation he describes. Now think. Where have you heard this before? In fact, where have you lived this? In more existential thought- you are living exactly that same scenario. Right here in the supposed home of democracy. Where inclusion has morphed into exclusion. Where censorship of books and thoughts, of loss of freedom of choice and right to vote is growing apace. Where privilege has conquered, even obliterated obligations to state, and nation. Where selfishness and greed, where mad desire for advantage over others are driving factors. Where families and friends are rendered asunder. Where a nation falls apart, dashing hopes and dreams, from the past, the present and the future.

   I hold out little hope for us, as an evergrowing fascism spreads its poison into the lifeblood of our nation, and then what? With Israel following as they fulfill the fear of the two spies, that this was a land which consumes, feeds upon its inhabitants!

Madness indeed. 

An overwhelming self consuming madness. A madness that must be stopped in its tracks, the sooner the better. I sincerely fear that the time grows short, the window closing. If we do not take advantage of the time now, the window ajar, to reach a solution - we will defeat ourselves and welcome to the new version of a manifestly not human friendly world.

Turn to a sanity we can focus on today, for many todays, until the good news is heard, hopefully in a land with a future for Yitzy and all our children.

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID, A SPECIAL KIND OF HERO

Interesting phrase is it not? A phrase used so appropriately to describe Lauren Boebert, how true it is, sadly, dangerously, so. However, at the same time, I am not so sure she is stupid. She joins her compatriot, that poisonous woman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, blurting outrageous statements and suggestions, and what happens? They both gain followers, influence, and quite frankly, Greene is the shadow behind the throne, a noisy shadow, behind Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House and overall creep of spineless construction. 

Not so stupid, is she, is it, for her actions and outrageous hate filled remarks, her blatant ignorance of anything worthwhile, have gained her prominence and power. Not so stupid. And attached to her rocket trail is Boebert. I shudder to think, to realize that these "stupid', malignant women are influential members of the ruling Party, are setting a pace for the more blatant hate filled, ignorant, populace of the country, spokeswomen for many, too many.

This kind of 'stupid' sends chills down my spine. The danger is imminent, growing in numbers and power, and 'stupid' statements of the like of red and blue separation into two countries, with a massive population exchange, was once thought ridiculous. Today, in these weird times, it is actually discussed and analyzed by the talking heads of our society!

So, I ask - who is stupid now? Last laugh, anyone?

I wonder why we have ceded so much power to those who use it to disempower and disenfranchise us. I wonder, marvel in worry how our supposed leaders have deteriorated, 'leading' only when there are benefits for them, too often, generally, at great cost to the rest of us.

How sad it is when they and their compadres and backers are compared with leaders such as Jan Karski, a bold man who asked only for all to realize that "We have to do something. But what to do?" During his lifetime, at great personal risk, he knew the answer and acted upon it. He served as a 'tape recorder, a camera,' for the sake of humanity. He recorded the destruction of the Jewish people in   Poland, especially in Warsaw. He 'recorded' what he saw - the ugliness and deadliness of its ghetto, entering it stealthily. He knew that if unstopped, there would be no more Jews in Poland and then the world, cried out to the world, to the heads of western countries, the Allies, to indeed, Do Something. And got nowhere.

He was, remains a hero, for all time. Worthy of emulation, he spoke out where no one spoke. He empowered those who needed help, did not abandon them. The minority of members of the Polish Resistance who understood and cared, sent him on his mission, too little, too late, as no one wanted to hear nor see the truth. Claiming ignorance as the truth was splashed in the papers after the end of WWII, the truth is- they knew, they certainly did.

However, they were all willing ostriches. Churchill spoke pompously how they were going to destroy the enemy, and the Jews, well, collateral costs and all that. Tsk, tsk. Roosevelt discussed the agrarian nature of Poland and their consequential need for horses. Obviously, naturally, horses were of more interest and value than the planned successful program of extinction of the Jewish race. Of course. Naturally. Despite his prediction that by 1943 there would be no more Jews to rescue.

Humanity abdicated its role and responsibilities - to protect all, to prevent harm, to move forward in the pursuit of justice for all. The cooperation of so many, the willful deaf and dumb and blind attitudes of the populaces, the too few who dared to 'do something' set the bloody standard. Bonnie Tyler sang out with the question, the plea - "Where are all the white knights" for even in her time, my time, your time, there remained too few heroes.

We need to find our own heroes and they are around. There are those who risk defamation of character, persecution, imprisonment and execution, torture and actual carried out threats to families. Yet they continue, quiet, determined, strong, heroic beings; would that we could be them - would that I had their courage.

However, I have found a new hero, one whom I love desperately. It is a little boy, 12, who should be arguing if he was safe or not as he ran the bases. He should be involved in his remarkable passion for bird watching, the growth of his already formidable knowledge of birds, and their feeding from his hands. He should be annoying his siblings, a spoiled 'baby' of the family. He should be bearing up under the barrage of hugs and kisses from his adoring grandparents. He should be anticipating his bar mitzvah and high school. But he is not.

He is, instead, fighting a battle of life and death. He is the battleground of horrific combat between toxicities - the chemo and the damned tumor. He needs to 'man up' at the age of12. When so many adults have not 'manned up' as of yet. He is the hero who goes to chemo even as he knows the awfulness of the ensuing horrific nausea.

He bears up, remaining the sweet child he is and has been from the day he was born. 

He is a hero. My hero.

And so many others round the globe are praying for this small hero. The power of their prayers push the chemo to shrink that tumor, to allow for a full and complete healing, gone, never to return. And for Yitzy to grow up and be the hero for others as he lives his life. So...

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

SORRY AGAIN

 Running late. Doctor day. Will try to post later. If not see you tomorrow

GOOD MORNING - OR IS IT?

  Perhaps the better question is: are there any truly good mornings anymore? What is the chance of them returning on a permanent basis? No, I am not actually referring to personal lives, though in many cases, too many, there is a growing resemblance to the broken pieces of the world today. 

How is it possible that the news gets worse day after day, no end in sight? Can we deal with the climate change of human behavior, as temperatures within either rise to freezing or plummet to torrid tropical range? Tempers and tenor of words ramp up, true vision grows dim, and ears become deaf to words of conciliation and sense. 

When or how do we, can we, ever hope to rebuild some kind of a shared commonality, a recognition that we share more than we differ, and that we are all in the same leaky overloaded lifeboat, with no other ships in sight. Do we retain a working memory of times and ability to talk with, rather than shout so loud that no one actually hears anything? A time when we both see and recognize the truth, like it or not. I forget who said this, but the question is definitely relevant to our times. "Who do you believe - your own eyes or my words?" 

Too frequently these days we have forfeited truth for lies, allowed ourselves to be deluded, into extremes, into a petrified state of inability, or worse, lack of desire, to compromise and cooperate. Separate as we are, the end of the road is one we will all reach, and it is not a good end. No construction signs promising improvement. In lieu of that, we find a sign in deadly stark ominous red and black lettering: Dead End. It will be only by dint of hard work, strong, unceasing efforts and the reopening of functioning brains that we can alleviate this situation before the SNAFU goes viral, universal and irreversible.

Of course, we need leaders who can see this through. Who can put aside partisanship and get behind recognition of the commonalities of humanity - shared concerns, shared dreams, shared needs, and shared physicality, denying any relevance of color, ethnicity, religion, origin or gender to inherent rights and equality. 

Pollyanish? Maybe? Probably? Need to grow up already? I would rather not if that means I must give up on idealism, on hopes and dreams. Of a day when my healed Yitzy and all children will be able to live a good life, a fair life. Where wars will indeed be no more. Where armies will not smash each other and the infrastructure to pieces, the killing endless and useless in the short and long run. Why is it that we ask children to resolve their differences with talk and compromise when we set a contrary example of negating the values of talk. compromise, and shared decisions. 

Chaotic and dangerous existential threat to Israel as a consequence of war between brothers, between refusal to compromise, a learned behavior of ignoring lessons of history. A United States torn by and growing inner rot of its core, led by and incited by faulty leaders who insult that word. Where open rebellion has been deemed 'tourism" - and never mind the deaths resultant. 

When desperate people flee their homelands in last remaining choice - to leave or certainly die. With the countries of the world so deep in their own needs that they cannot see the forest - we are all one on this earth. Its destiny is the destiny of all who live upon it. 

The question remaining is simple. What do envision as the future of our children? Do we leave then a viable world, a possible, good future, or one of desperation and hopelessness? Do we rend the fabric of society so severely that repair is nigh unto impossible? Whatever world we design via our actions or lack thereof will be the world of all the children of the world.

Take a good long look at the leading stories of the day and think, try to remember a time when there was at least one good thing on the front page. Long time, long time.

Yet I know the goodness of people. They have reached out, shared our concerns re Yitzy. The good can outweigh and defeat the bad. We only need to trust ourselves more, trust others more, seek a commonality rather than a difference, and be our own heroes. It is possible, if we care enough, work hard enough, open up enough. 

As we share prayers to heal Yitzy, let us all pray to heal ourselves.

Heal the world and all within.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

NIE MOJ CRYK, NIE MOJE MALPY

  What? Think your eyes have gone wacky? Think my typos have jumped the shark? Not to worry; all is right with the world. -Actually, that last statement is so wrong - well, anyway, it is Polish and translates to "Not my circus, not my monkeys". Personally, as I thought about this Polish saying, its truth and relevancy hit me. Take a look around at our supposed leaders and their followers. Are not monkeys and related primates so much brighter than too many supposedly thinking beings called humans? There are exceptions, where followers are deluded and mistaken in their thinking right now, but for the most part, I ask - why and how does one continue to be enamored of clear fascists, their thin disguises manifestly failing.

Even as ten of them lie together in bed, as the song goes, one falls off - or most likely pushed off by his supposed brethren and another climbs on in his place. No empty spaces here, no lack of more monkeys to get on that bed, not in this case. Power and riches are the goals and anyone in the way, gets steam rolled. May I indulge in another Polish idiom - "Don't call the wolf from the forest." Simply put - do not ask for trouble to find you, or stand there looking, seeking, calling for trouble. It will accept that invitation. For sure.

I look around and wonder at the number of monkeys and their packages we have invited in, having a wide-open door. No, not the immigrants awaiting entry into the land where they can dream and fulfill those dreams, just as our ancestors did. Rather it is those who want to enter the country - its very fabric and tear it, rend it impossible to continue its existence. Slowly, with gathering speed they are doing so, edging ahead, speeding up ahead, momentum gaining.

There is some hope, struggling to breathe free, to encourage the rest of us to pay attention, be careful, and resist the fascistmization of America. Yes, I just coined that term, awkward, but its meaning is clear. This once beautiful, open, rich, welcoming, country has undergone huge change, ugly changes, and we must allow that weakened hope to breathe freely once again. We must be able to look into that magic mirror once again and hear the correct response to "What is the name of the best nation of the world?" At present we are out of the running.

Why has this state of affairs taken place? How has it come to this? To use a term I recently read in an article, it is the phenomenon of ostrichmization - hiding one's head in the sand, not seeing or hearing what is there, right in the open. They carry on, in neutral - but there is no neutral here. Yup, anther idiom - you are for it - or agin' it. Active engagement with what is fast coming down that track, those who follow scorched earth policies, is a must. 

Never mind the names the defenders of democracy are called. Never mind the ridiculous, reality defying and denying in which the opponents wallow. Those kids are dead in Sandy Hook. The Jews did not bring down the Towers nor do they control an evil outer space laser. The mockery, the conspiracy theories, the words of hatred - all must be faced, overpowered and consigned to the perdition they so hugely deserve. The adherents of fascism, those who are vocal or active in its pursuit or belong to the class of ostriches must be educated. 

One cannot be a fence sitter here. The growing censorship in media or the open false reports, mis and dis information blared forth. The banning of books which do not please one and all, so head for the lowest common denominator- a bad, very bad policy. Or enlarge the almost private armed force which a governor controls, no federal oversight at all - in the hot little hands of DeSantis, the fascist poised to run and win the race for President. Then, kiss democracy goodbye. 

Thankfully, there are others finally waking to the DeSantis truth- what he is under that proverbial lizard skin. Florida an ideal state? I live here. No way. No how. Not now. Oh, for sure it is a leader, but of what? Loss of rights for all. Denial of personal control over one's own self. Where registration and approval must be requested by bloggers? Where the last remaining acres of trees, fresh air, beauty, are being paved over for office, manufacturing, or huge homes for the elite who can gin up the huge out of sight purchase price, who support him. Where manifestly bad, even evil plans have enabled the unbelievable traffic here, almost to the point where I can close my eyes and think I am back in Manhattan once more, in rush hour traffic. NO, ideal, not. Could it be - yes - when DeSantis is out of office, out of power, as are his followers.

This man is the tip of the huge iceberg beneath. We, the Titanic equivalent have no chance against the harm it can and will do, unless we face reality. We must acknowledge the size of that which is hidden beneath the surface. We must understand history. Use its wisdom, its experiences and absorb the lessons it holds forth. If we do not, well, the answer to these existential questions are clear, too clear for a restful sleep. Too clear to remain indefinite.

I would rather be the same old foolish(?) idealist who envisions a world of trust, of love, of understanding. A world where issues do matter, where people do matter, where the betterment of all has primacy. Where we are not waiting for the hammer of doom to fall, but actively stop it dead in its track. As we used some idioms today, here is a good old American one. Where we are told "The hail is smaller on the other side of the mountain."

A realistic, ever striving for perfection world, where there is always hope even if there is hail at times. That hail can be smaller, less pervasive - if only.

There can be no avoiding the hail in the world of Yitzy. Yes, there are times when the chemo effect is not as toxic, or when scans send an image of a bit of shrinkage of the tumor. But the hail remains, always overhead. Umbrellas as protection are also there. In the email from a childhood friend. In the beautiful gesture of a classmate of an aunt who takes the time to send Yitzy a package for Purim and reassures him that it was purchased in a known store, kosher - so enjoy the candy! The umbrella expands with the enlarged family and the growing numbers of friends and supporters, all raising voices in pleas, in prayers. 

We believe it is working. Keep up the pressure on the Big Dude up there. Politely but firmly. Keep Yitzy's shield wall intact and powerful.

And we thank you, again. Every time we get a piece of good news, of encouragement. That once again, G-d willing, soon, Yitzy will be a little boy able to be a little boy, on the cusp of bar mitzvah.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

  At least that is what we try to believe and use as a comforting sentence to one who has undergone some major difficulty. Lovely as that sentiment is, the major things count as well. The trick is to balance them somehow, at times easy and at other times quite difficult. There are times when one will outweigh the other and times when we need to know that as difficult or harmful as one thing is, perhaps there is a time limit after which things will improve. Maybe. But not always.

This morning I decided to take a bit of a tour down the little things and big things in my life. Here goes. It might be interesting to do a similar tour down your life as well and let us hope that the little, good things, far outweigh the less welcome disturbing things, big or little. So, here goes. Deep breathe, and we're off.

Little things. A kiss from a husband of almost 56 years. Now how we ever got here - wow! A shared look at a concert or taking a walk. A little thing in the form of a little being whose parents are kind enough to know great grandparents must be fed a daily, many times daily, servings of love via pictures and videos. A beautiful day. A hope for a better world as seen through a helpful stranger's aid. A good book. A fun movie. Calls from grandchildren, yes and even the kids- adults though they are now, they remain 'the kids'.

Thus, as I page through the album of my life, there are many 'little' things which have accumulated even as the stockpile grows through more sweet 'little things.

Now the 'big things' that are supposedly of lesser importance and effect on one's life. Hmmm. Maybe, but as I peruse my life again, this time with an eye for other things, well, not so simple nor clear.

The first big thing - the hopes and dreams and wishes and efforts to keep all our little ones, from every generation, healthy, educated, hopeful, prosperous and at peace with themselves, each other, the world, and of course, with us - and their own inner selves. That would be big and little things together, would it not? Quite difficult to separate and evaluate as distinct entities.

Moving on, we, or rather, I, turn to the world at large and oy vey, but here there is a very narrow space for wiggling, and fewer and fewer opportunities to find the good things, big or little, in the mess we call earth and its inhabitants. That would be us. I needed help here, so I turned to the pages and sites of news of the world. Wish I hadn't done that. Here are some quotes or descriptions of little things along with the big things that caught my notice today. Uh-oh categories galore. Note that while some 'things' might appear to be small, in reality, if we look into the road they are on, well, their import for us is quite large. The title adage takes a beating. Final evaluation to follow after the words of sponsors. No order or ranking.

  A mess in the trial of five key top Proud Boys.

            "A mass shooting at a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Hamburg, Germany, has left multiple people dead and injured,"                                                                                              

"Video shows a rioter — who has pleaded guilty to driving a stun gun into a police officer's neck, nearly killing him — smashing out Risch's window overlooking the Washington Monument and the national mall in an attempt to let more rioters into the building,"- and still the denials of truth.            

"Three injured in Tel Aviv attack:"

"The pharmacy mega chain (Walgreens) said it would dispense abortion pills and then quickly caved to anti-abortion protests."

 

     "Jordan issued subpoenas in connection with investigations into the Justice Department and the FBI, noting that Jordan himself last year defied a congressional subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee."

 "Manhattan prosecutors under Alvin Bragg are taking steps consistent with an imminent indictment of former President Donald Trump, for brokering hush payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels." (-Finally!!!)

    “Fox News doesn’t believe a word they say ― and neither should you,” - and thank you, Stephen Colbert.

Marjorie Taylor Greene - 'nuff said!

And now one more big thing combined with little things.

Yitzy - a grin on his face, a good day from the toxicity of chemo, a shrinking of the tumor a bit - and a hopeful doctor.

Weigh them all.

I vote for Yitzy. I hope you all do the same. Thank you for all your prayers and good thoughts.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

                                                                                                                                                         

                   

 

SAY WHAT?

 Yesterday's blog was about pictures, visual representations of events and people. It was about the joy a picture of my grandson with his unique and signature grin gave so any of us, not the least of which was me! At this point in time and for the foreseeable future, until we hear a "Fully cured", my focus is on Yitzy.

Generally, I am a news fiend. I like to know what is happening. I like to know what my oh so bad politicians, especially in this benighted state of Florida mean to inflict upon us. Hence my disgust with the present Florida legislature and that goes to infinity and beyond regarding DeSantis. The Devil's Spawn. He is that frightening to me. 

He is a man who wishes to run for President, worse than Trump because this man has a working mind, albeit a twisted one. I am concerned that this country is on a wicked path to hell, to the collapse of this nation as a democracy, perhaps even to the point of dissolution of the united states, morphing into tiny baronies, weaker than the nations of the Third World and just as unworkable or worse. United no longer. The death of an experiment which failed with a pfft! undignified as all get go!

I am worried that so far, everything of which I posted or spoke of has come true. These are not good things either. So yes, while my heart and my energies are focused laser like on Yitzy, I do occasionally pay attention to the news and even write about it. As I did yesterday. 

I think it was pretty mild, no name calling, no voiced anger, simply a despair about current circumstance and the perversions we have allowed to take place and influence people. I did not name any person nor get personal with anyone. It was a generic, very mild though truthful posting. Thus, color me surprised when a person I consider a friend, one of the brightest and kindest people it has been my privilege to know, never ever discussed politics because in polite society it is now verboten. Such is the current status; therefore, I knew nothing of his political beliefs.

It now boggles my mind that this person felt I was "calling out" those who believe that the J6 Committee was lying, that the cherry picking pictures of Carlson portray the truth. I watched that day and witnessed the brutal assaults perpetrated upon officers, a man screaming in agony as his head was being crushed between two doors by rebels, as a creep put his feet up on a desk. As a mob rampaged, shouting for blood, as Trump instigated the mob, now in sure insurrection mode, encouraged, incited, instigated by Trump, a traitor to this country and a common criminal.

 I cringed and cried. I gasped. I felt sure that now, maybe, hopefully, the nation comes to its senses. Sees the truth of those live videos. Hears the truth in the painful testimony of victims of that day. They are as real as the murdered kids of Sandy Hook, though deny it too many also do.

I was wrong.

 Disappointed once again!

Foolish me.

Frightened me.

A blogger, free, as of yet, to voice her opinion under the First Amendment, not yet repealed, though DeSantis might have that in his to do list.

Unfortunately, the trend today is towards cutting voting rights and ease of voting. It is moving towards a lesser social safety net. Rick Scott would love to see the old and the infirm die in droves even as he wallows in his wealth.  Crazed antisemite Greene gathers reins of power. And antisemitism is growing on crack! All of this from the same people who feed the public lies against all proof otherwise. I am astounded at how many fall into their arms, but I guess their libraries nearby are also being denuded, deshelved - or is it 'only' school libraries at this point. Only a matter of time here in sunny DeSantis GOP Florida.

I have my opinion. you have yours. 

Till now we have the right to have differing opinions and beliefs. Whether this right will shrink more, with more attacks on it, following in the path of right of choice, health rights decisions in all areas, and yes, including women and members of LGBTQ+ community and so much more. Our cup does indeed runneth over.

Frankly, the entire world is a depression inducing place as so many countries veer right, including Israel whose plan for judiciary change is a terrible plan - bad for women, bad for those do not walk lockstep with the religious bosses of the charedi community, and bad for the economy as capital and brains walk out the door. Change, yes but please..... Before we do it yet again, and lose our homeland yet again. 

My blog was not meant to insult, nor I do not feel it did, nor was it addressed to an individual but to the public. However, if you were offended, my apologies, though I maintain that the right of free speech denial should be limited to words of hate and violence, not other opinions and suggestions.

In the meanwhile, folks - please do not forget -

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

PICTURES AND WORDS AND TRUTHS

  - Oh my! Oh boy! 

Don't we all love to find old family picture albums, page through, and dredge up stories from the past, understand a bit better who we are and where we originated. We learn of role models, of brave people, and recall memories of good - or sad - times. As an aside, phone picture retention is simply not the same as that pictorial hard copy album. Check that with your kids!

Yesterday we received, via phone, and now in hard copy form as well, a picture of Yitzy. Till now, we have heard his voice, seen him from the sides, or back or shoulders down. Naturally we wanted to see him, afraid why the picture was not forthcoming. To protect aged grandparents? Perhaps, but wrongfully so, for what we do not know, do not see for ourselves, is worse at times than reality. We know, logically that there was a good reason, the thoughts, good intentions but oh, my did we need a picture. And there it was! Circulated immediately through the phones of family and friends.

On the skinny side, wearing a winter jacket and a pull-on beanie hat, with his standard big grin on his face, sitting beside one of his sisters, there he was. Our hearts began to pump once again. We dared to smile and take in another breathe of hope and optimism. There he was, our Yitzy, having a good week, strong in mind, soul, and body. I cannot begin to find words adequate enough to fully convey our feelings at sight of that blessed picture. 

Yes, pictures do have a positive role to play.

Too often we forget that and pursue our own motives, never mind the truth, via pictures and videos.

It used to be that pictures were actual, permanent portrayers of truths, of reality, of things done and undone. There was a reassuring feeling about it. Today there are forces attacking the truths of pictures, videos, as it suits them, as they proffer their own false realities. Or they simply ignore the truth of pictorial reality in the name of self-serving and desperate attempts to change what actually was, or is, or can reliably be predicted.

Yesterday's shameful cherry picking of segments of video recordings of Jan. 6 belied a truth so obvious, so undeniable, yet there it is, front and center. No, those 'calm' walkers had broken in violently, and then took a breather as they walked, triumphant, past law personnel, before they exploded. Then they rampaged through the halls, shouting for blood, for lynching, spilled blood, defaced numerous places and encouraged the outside crowd in their violence, with well-planned efforts and order of invasion, to push, calling for the 'replacements' stationed nearby to take on the exhausting job of attacking police officers, of slamming them with poles and signs, stabbing with pointed flagstaffs, smacking and even killing. The pictorial truth is there, deny it, twist it, though they may. 

Camera recordings of violent arrests also have broken through lies of the blue line. However, we have gone too far, at times reinterpreting in forced words, the truths of these recordings. Accusations fly through the air, tampering, fraud, lies, accusations needing fact checking. In the interim the vitriol pollutes the air, poisoning any truths unveiled or proven. 

I wonder whether we will ever return to a time when there was less antagonism, a thick covering of which tamps down truth, the seekers and revealers of truth. Will we ever believe again what we see, what we know and understand? Do we want to? Or do too many of us enjoy wallowing in the oh so fun swamp of lies and negativity? No one pays attention to your stained clothing and soul, as they are in the same condition.

We once again share our gratitude to all of you regarding prayers and good wishes for our Yitzy. He has a long road to go ahead of him, with potholes, wrong turns, and hopefully ever increasing in numbers and distance, smooth pavement areas We are realistic, but also know that in addition to the medical side, we believe the good days, the tiny shrinking of the tumor are also results of the accumulated prayers. 

Please, keep it up - as long as it takes.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

RANDOM? MAYBE. MAYBE NOT

 Kids today have glommed onto the word random. Why? I do not to begin to understand the emergence of language trends nor the reasoning behind them, but there it is. Think how many terms have made their way into common everyday use. i.e. "My bad," and now we have the random growth of another word - random. Ask a young adult what that word means, and you will get a confused look, a shrug of the shoulder, and an answer similar to "I don't know; it was just random". Simply a random choice. 

However, random is not always random and thoughts and actions appearing to be unrelated actually are, with random having no skin in the game. And there one has another term that edged its way into everyday usage. Random? Maybe, though I think not. What follows is possibly a collection of random thoughts haunting the hallways of my mind and soul or perhaps not so random, come to think about it.

Today is the Jewish holiday of Purim, a holiday which hews closely to the funny, not so funny, trope of the theme of Jewish holidays. We were existentially threatened, repelled the attempt - usually at the cost of too many lives - and celebrated, with food, of course, playing a major role in said celebration. Random coincidence? Maybe, or maybe not.

Purim comes from the Hebrew term of the action of Haman. He 'cast a lot' to determine the day of death for Jews in the kingdom of Persia, agreed to by a fooled leader. The lot was for the day of planned extermination, one of so many attempts throughout the long and bloody history of the Jewish people. The day was the fourteenth day of the last month of the year - the fourteenth day of Adar. Today. And we celebrate with carnivals, with costumes galore, and rather than demanding treats, we bring them to others- to friends and family, and at least two to families in need. One can also donate to charitable organizations in lieu of food gifts, difficult in this world where so many are scattered.

Randomly, maybe, the thoughts crowded into my head. Why were we always facing these threats. For Purim, we were given official permission to fight back, to repel the attackers, the bloodthirsty crazed individuals who glommed onto any excuse to practice hate and drag others along with them. Does that mean that without permission to resist we were to stand there and accept death and mayhem? Perhaps, as for centuries Jews did not have the wherewithal to resist physically to any kind of meaningful degree but resisted in other ways. Keeping religion, tight families, organized communities with culture, with charity, with education. Even in the deepest days of darkness, even in the death camps, these qualities and traits were kept to the extent possible. And we survived yet another attempt at extermination.

And what now? These days celebrities are jumping onto the bandwagon of antisemitism with great glee and energy, while others send out messages of rejection of those celebrities. Random choices? I think not. The world today encourages hate, rewards those who spew violent, vitriolic words, who revel in the panic and spilled blood.  Schwarzenegger airs a video against antisemitism, conflating it, as usual, with other biases, so very wrong, and Bryan Allen reminds Black people that they owe much to the Jewish people, especially in the campaign for civil rights.

But the hate continues, all over the world. I believe Israel is wrong, very wrong in its planned judicial change, but it is not an entire nation - note the huge crowds and protests. Nor is it the only country with problematic judiciary systems - ahem - look in the mirror. Israel gets international condemnation by nations stained with their own corruption as double standards are denied. Israel defends itself against those who would see them all dead, destroy the State, even as myriad countries do far worse, and skate freely through international dealings. Their politicians are human - shame on them, yes, - but why are they worse, deserving of international attention and condemnations as others, manifestly far worse, are Teflon. Ahem - need that mirror again? 

Are we in the early stages of yet another Purim? Another holiday with days of blood and horror before us, before we feast? Are there more plotted "Day of Hate" days upon which one can be sure, we either resist one way or resist in another. Why must we always be hyperalert for these signs of growing antisemitism, of morphing from vague crazed rants of fringe groups to wide open ravings of supposed 'moderates', taking on the costumes of the fringe groups, either in open airing of internal hatreds once kept out of sight, and/or in the cynical perennial search for votes to retain power and gain wealth? Any which way is dangerous - not randomly either.

Today, a day of joy through the centuries, a day where life and the hand of G-d were celebrated, when wine and food flowed through the streets of Jewish towns and neighborhoods, when families and friends got together to share a Purim seudah- a Purim feast, most of my thoughts, not randomly so, will be of the lot cast by someone, which has beset Yitzy. Why a 12-year-old boy is afflicted in such a mortal manner is confusing. Was it random, bad luck, a case of randomness, a case of cancer cells taking a walk, seeking a new home and found one in him? Or is it not so random in ways which we cannot begin to fathom?

 Whatever we think, whatever choice we make, there is no randomness in the hurt, the pain, the confusion, the anger, the sadness, the hopes hinging on minuscule, blessed shrinking of a tumor.

And of course, there is no end to the tears.

No end to the continued need for the combined power of thoughts and prayers.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

WALKING THE WIRE

  Try walking on a narrow piece of wood placed on the floor. You would be surprised how many times you fall off or windmill your arms like crazy trying to remain in balance and on the board. Now imagine that same board, much narrower, the thickness of a standard wire, up in the air.  In addition, you are carrying clumsy bundles hung around you carelessly, unbalanced.  Now - Walk!! Do not fall. Careful!

Now that just begins to describe how I feel these days. Personally, my world is tipped, crazily, disastrously unbalanced, as we walk on that thin wire of hope over and through a miasma of fear and uncertainty. Everything becomes less important, urgency delayed, as we await with breath stalled, the news of the hour. Yes, daily is far too long an interval.  Hourly is much better for the family awaiting the news. Nausea, news of the state of the damned tumor, sleepiness or lack - whatever, all can change within that hourly interval. Texts fly back and forth "Hear anything? What? When?"

We try to occupy ourselves to deflect the concern, the intense need for news, good news, miraculous news.  So we work or try to read - I have been on the same page for a week. Anything and everything to pass the time, including prayers, chats with concerned friends from all over the world, including long lost ones. It gives us courage, strength, to go on as we wait for the next news break.

Some advise me to turn to the news as I formerly had great interest in what was happening. Well, all that induces is a growing anger and uncertainty. Why is the entire world changing, for the worse? Why are we losing democracy? Has no one noticed? Why have we become comfortable at the thought of heavy collateral damage? Why have we allowed total destruction of a country bombed into piles of rubble? Why are we once again on the brink of war, a global war, this time a nuclear war?  

Why? Because we are stupid? Uncaring? Rooting for nightmares to reformat into 'daymares' for too many? This turmoil has allowed, even encouraged, cruel hatreds and biases to flourish in our overgrown, weedy garden of life. Antisemitism has grown once again by leaps and bounds. Armed members stand guard now. Why? Again?  So I, along with many others, growing in number, worry re our future here, anywhere. Hate has a never dying appetite and will need to feed on increasing numbers of victims, yet why do people not understand this simple truth?

As for our America, well, spell it increasingly as Amerika, particularly within states controlled by DeSantis and wannabes, with his GOP dominated Legislature well on the way to passing a bill which would criminalize, cripple, free speech. In fact, I, and so many others, could, would, face punishment to the tune of heavy fines and/or imprisonment. For stating the truth. For criticizing politicians. For exercising our rights. For mourning the approaching loss of our nation and its collective soul. In so many ways, both domestic and international.

Hence, here I am, again, confused, concerned, worried, over yet another sickness, a diseased nation, an afflicted population.

 Hence, I turn off my outside mind for a while and concentrate on Yitzy. And I feel the better for it. Here, at least, is a hope for a future - once we get it back and give him his chance at that future again. So, please, continue praying with us to indeed, heal the world and, Yitzy.

HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

SORRY - THE MORNING JUST WENT BOOM!

  Just one of those days when nothing goes right from soup to nuts! Clothes disappear no good sleep - normal for the course, back aching -par for the course and now an eye that is demanding its share of attention. Hard to type and thank heavens for urgent cares!

Promise to be back tomorrow morning,

Meanwhile, I wish all a good day.

Yitzy had a good weekend, nausea leaving him for the moment, and we are grateful for that.

Always remember- 

HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

THE MORE ...WELL, YOU KNOW THE DRILL

However, sometimes things do change for the better. At times we realize that we have indeed advanced in certain areas, and are ever so grateful, thankful, appreciative. The field of medicine and treatments, the tools available to combat health woes, have indeed made progress. But not nearly enough. Not nearly soon enough. Monies and brains that should be funneled into this area have been sidetracked into fields of 'improved' weaponry, all the better and efficient to kill others, and the world of monetary gain and greed. It is a pity, but too many do not pay attention to this need, blessed to remain outside that awful bubble. 

Moreover, even when there are advances, too often these advances, treatments, and medications are out of reach as the costs are prohibitive or the medical facilities have shut down so as to fatten the profits of investors rather than heal the ill. Be honest and think. Too often those 'annoying' donation request letters are heaved, with an annoyed sigh, into the shredder or wastebasket. The cause is often distant from our lives, lucky in that, and anyway you already gave to so many. You are saving for a fancy new car, a posh vacation, so these donations will have to wait. 

Then, the bell tolls, the knells strike deep into the heart and soul. Suddenly these donations have become ever so important. The aid these groups give, so generously, to those engaging in these life-or-death wars is amazing. Beyond belief. The dedication of the volunteers, all the caring professionals of medicine and related fields is second to none. 

The next time there is a round of donation letters, look to your vacation plans. Can you not stay in a different hotel, not over the top yet enjoyable? Can you skip the leather seats in the car? Can you then include the kids in these decisions, set a good example, and repurpose those freed funds and send them elsewhere. 

Through the travails and heartaches of Yitzy's battle, from the first moment of horrified shock, to the present, we have come to know firsthand the extraordinary devotion, kindness and caring of so many. Differences evaporate in the face of this life-or-death battle, particularly when the warrior is a child who should be a child, not a warrior of this level.

Yes, good things can happen as a result of these battles. Priorities change, families pull together amazingly, even better than before. Friends, strangers, reach out. Nothing can make up for the horror, the fear, the pain and heartache. Nothing truly eases the helpless desire to 'do something, anything', to make deals with G-d. To take the pain on oneself and not the child or grandchild. 

Push comes to shove, the advances are what we need, what holds out that beautiful spoonful of hope. Chai Lifeline has gone above and beyond. All of these organizations are amazing. The caring of others can be overwhelming as we realize that there remains much goodness in people despite the recent turn for the worse in our world. Yes, there is hope, there is a desperate prayer for a miracle. Yes, there are tears, an ocean full, over and over again.

Always and forever, center to it all is the little boy Yitzy, fighting this battle, tired, nauseous, confused and anxious, wondering what has happened to his world. And always, there are our hearts and souls, surrounding him, breathing with him, loving him.

Keep praying for him. Keep him in your thoughts always. There are some positive signs, and we pray for more and dear G-d, but how we do pray! We know it is a long hard road to recovery.

Hang in there with us. We thank you all.

HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

IPCHA MISTABRA

 No, not a typo, but actually an Aramaic term used in the Talmud to state that the whole of what was the current subject, question or concern under discussion was actually the direct opposite of what it seemed to be. It was used during WWII on forced postcards sent to relatives by inmates, told to describe the wonders of 'resettlement'. They did, but also included the phrase above to convey the ugly truth. The truth will aways out; the difficulty is getting people to understand, to know the truth and act upon it.

In Prague there is a bridge, the Charles Bridge, named for their King Charles.  One of the 30 statues of saints and religious scenes purports to portray the Calvary and Crucifixion. Upon it, in gold plated letters, wrapped around the head, in Hebrew, is this:  Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Adonai Tzva’ot (‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts’) from the Jewish prayer, the Kedushah. It mocked a basic belief of Jews, forced them to know the presence of antisemitism perpetuated by Church and State. In 1696, Elias Backoffen, a leader of the Jewish community was ordered to pay the cost of gold plating the letters, as payment for his "blasphemy". Only recently was a plaque placed there explaining its history. That plaque did not come about easily. 

The ugly truth is that Church and State conspired together, reinforced each other in vicious officially sanctioned displays of antisemitism up to and including extermination as policy. Period. However, uglier is the horrendous truth of internal, self-consuming antisemitism. There is internal, fierce, often seemingly incompatible beliefs and societal divisions and rather than use moderation to resolve differences, the outside world is brought in, cheering on the self-destruction as public hatred of brother against brother rages on.  As friends stand by, helpless against the internal vitriolic division.

Time and again Jews have contributed to their bad situations by allowing or engaging in hatred of brother against brother, in hatred born of nothing, for nothing. It merely enables enemies, strengthens and encourages vile antisemites who twist things around and take advantage where they can. We lost kingdoms and Temples. We were forced into millennia of exile, deprived of and denied a homeland.  

Nor have we learned a lesson apparently. Horrific were the pictures and news stories of Israeli police using tear gas and horses against fellow Jews protesting a proposed awful change to the judiciary system of Israel. Yes, I oppose these proposed changes. I also oppose a Supreme Court gone rogue as we see right here in America. A compromise, difficult, appearing impossible, must be made possible. This open violence only reinforces and reencourages our foes as they wait for our society to collapse from within, even as they plan their attacks from without.

A divided Israel in extreme public display is open invitation to a repetition of history, a Jewish state destroyed, no homeland, only Galut, Exile, once again. Our foes will rejoice as Jewish blood floods the lands once again and friends will be helpless as they watch this awful rerun of history. 

That is the ugly truth with no ipcha mistabra in sight. Why must we continue this way? Told by G-d to be a light unto nations of the world, we have forgotten that charge. We must remember who we are, one nation, one people, some who observe one way and some in other ways. No matter what - we are all in this together. We have forgotten that truth, much to our dismay and detriment. 

We have forgotten the lessons of a bloody painful history. Inner cracks, foundering foundations, dismissing similarities and emphasizing, exaggerating differences only gives comfort to the enemy and disaster for us, the Jewish people and the world at large. We must refute that future, cite ipcha mistabra as we reassure ourselves, the world, that we have not discarded our truths, our senses, our responsibilities. Nor our need to keep our homeland, defend and repel attacks on its people, on Jews throughout the world, despite the incessant violent hatred directed at it. That too, is a charge upon us.

In the ugliness of the situation, we must also remember that there is hope, unity, when we understand that we are all people, together, the same, with the same basic needs and hopes. 

One of those hopes, points of unity, are the prayers for the healing of Yitzy. Jews, Catholics, atheists, Moslems, Protestants, Christians, whatever - we have all joined together and there is hope.

 The tumor has shrunk some and we hope to see it continue, but the road is long and hard. We need all your help. In that way, may all our united prayers and voices go to 

  HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND ....

 ... as usual booted up the computer in order to check on the world. Were we still here, or had we gone further into Cuckooland whilst I slept most of the night away. I did this with great trepidation as in today's world, one never knows...!

Local news: As usual, a huge complex planned next door,  placing myriad units of the Village under peril of flooding.  Claiming a hero's position, he claimed to withstand temptation of cash for those rights.Till now. Uh-huh - now the truth. All he needed was a good enough offer, 3/4 of a million dollars to sell the rights.

However, these are not his to sell. They belong to the Delegates, to vote upon, in a timely manner, allowing for digesting the proposal, not rushed in a half hour total from presentation to distributing tiny, printed material to voting. We have been there, done that before with disastrous results. From the poor paving contract, which nearly bankrupted us and now has us doing constant piecemeal repair, to the very poor decision re canceling Xfinity and going with Breeze, to so much in-between, enough is enough.

Under enough pressure, an offer will be presented  eventually, the engineer's report. Only when fully informed can there be a proper vote.

Questions need to be asked and honest answers given. Why was an engineer not hired before, to be prepared, as we faced this pressure to cave in, much to our detriment? Why, once again, are we doing this ass backwards, always caught on one foot, which inevitably leads to poor results for the Village. We are now paying a huge, highway robbery amount to Levy et al, because we once again were too little, too late, and run around with last minute useless actions.

Time to think carefully when voting. Talk to your delegates, take a building vote. Think. There are good people in the administration. 

We need to be proactive, not merely and only reactive. Think. Pick carefully. Do not automatically check off the first listed or the faces and names vaguely ringing some faint bell in your head. Kind of like how most people choose to vote for judges! And we see the results of that!

Time for change. Time to start where we have a louder voice. Time to use that voice. 

As for the national news update - tomorrow is another day.

 Tomorow is also, thank G-d, another day for Yitzy, another day closer, we pray, to healing Yitzy. Remember him in your daily prayers and private conversations with the One Above.

 HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

250 - ALMOST, ANYWAY

 When talking in terms of centuries, at times even millennia, does it truly make any difference if we discount more or less, two or three years? Generally not, as for example, do two years more or less change history re the Fall of the Roman Empire? Or the Greeks or the Medes, etc. Perhaps to the ones alive then, yes, but to history, not really, at least as far as we know, particularly when discussing ancient times. However, as we near more recent times, our present times, our personal times, well those two or three years have a much deeper import for us. 

What would have happened if the US had entered WWI or WWII earlier? Would the invention of the automobile earlier, by as much as three years, have made a difference? What about labor laws, slavery, and on and on. Yet, in discussion and analysis of times we actually live in or are not very distant, those years do have an impact. Both in one's own history and life story and in the history of the world at large. 

Now, I think in terms of days and weeks. If the sore throat had been recognized as a tumor sooner, would it have made a difference? Would, could it even have been discovered before it was, before it made its cursed appearance on the scene? Could there have been an impact on his treatment and healing process? These questions can eat away at a person, and it is not a pretty thing at all. Nor can the brain order the heart to stop asking those questions because there are no answers. Certainly none that will overcome those awful questions, the powerful, yet useless, or worse, questions of the 'what if' category. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Useless, negative, but we are all humans and do not always nor easily follow logic. Does, will this history of one small boy and family, friends and strangers who pray for him, actually have an impact outside that limited circle?

"Develop your senses - especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else."  Leonardo DaVinci.

So states that brilliant man. A thought worthy of pondering. A thought which actually knits us together much more than we usually acknowledge.  It is an earlier version of the butterfly theory, where the flap of the wings of a butterfly on one side of the world will initiate a chain of events which will cause some important event on the other side of the world. And no one will ever know. I know I am hoping for the wings of a butterfly, which will flap in the form of a scientist who has discovered the cure for this rare tumor. I am hoping, but am I realistic? Will the scientist have been born on time to grow up, do research and make his/her great find? These are questions that torment the soul but how to get rid of them?! Impossible. I know; I tried.

Back to Leonardo. Time is of the essence for the future of the world. Indeed, if there will be a future, or will we find ourselves doing a 'hail mary' in the form of hastily built sci-fi space arks trying to save a remnant of humanity after it destroyed its own planet. Why say this? 

Simple.

 Once again what I have been saying ever since DeSantis came on the scene in what is now a much more widely bruited about theory as well. Theory nothing! This is fact. Simply observe, list, his damningly effective measurers to shut down Florida. Education. Censorship. Religion. Health care. Social safety net. Even Disney!!Trafficking humans all over this country. Nothing is beyond his finger pointing or his dangerous fascist behavior and policies. Yes, fascist spelled this way - Fascist. Way above and beyond even the most perverted and extreme form of the new conservative thinking, so inimical to democracy and its survival in this, our embattled under siege nation.

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of fascism.

 "a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition."

Here is the statement of an expert on fascism, who has written articles and books, speaks about it and is a professor of history.

"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would "destroy our democracy" if he is elected president,"

Folks, even as we pray for Yitzy, for his healing, we must also pray for the healing of this nation, for its rescue from damned dangerous fools such as Greene who would separate us, actually divide us into two nations. What an ass. Actually, she disgraces them, and Bilaam's ass who spoke words of wisdom and prophecy must be embarrassed. A dangerous one. 

 So pray for us, as a nation, as a leader of the world and pray, please, to see Yitzy heal.

 HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

IT'S NEVER GOING TO GO BACK

  Yes, I can believe that. Though I know better. I can still wish for a time before diagnosis, when a little boy lived a little boy's life. When his future had a gleam, a positivity about it, surrounding it, for all was possible here in this country, the golden nation, the "goldeneh medina". It was the place where hard work, a good infusion of luck, and a positive framework of society, one could go far. Certainly, children did not get sick with horrid disease, nor was hatred of others considered a positive trait. But yesterday was a welcome throwback to the past, a day out at Dave and Buster's after a good week. With proper precautions taken.

Please keep up those prayers, for we need their power, the unselfish altruistic power emanating from them. Selfishly, I was grateful for the energy and state of mind where once again, I could laugh and enjoy a bit of life, with hope regenerated, a hope that will buoy us for possible rough times ahead. We will turn back that tumor so that it will never come back.

So no, we should not hope for things to never change, for that means a stagnant society and for harmful ideas and actions to remain in place.   Stagnation inevitably leads to a society speeding, rumbling, down the most definitely wrong roads. It turns a society on end, the new organization following the statement of "French revolutionary  Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin: “There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader." When the supposed leaders cater to the worst of society, all in the name of retention of power, well, it will go back, it will return.

This statement, a conclusion about the future of the Republican party is correct. The once noble, respected GOP will never return. Far too much damage inflicted upon it by presumed leaders - who follow the mob they themselves ignited.

 Our world has changed. For the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Many of these changes have appealed to the very bottom of society, the dregs which should never have been allowed out of the glass! This bottom of society is defined by the perverted, regressive attitudes and justifications of a past better off dead. It cuts across all economic and other societal divisions. It has no shame, knows no bounds.

It is about the negation of our societal beliefs and principles deriving from a very simple phrase of the Declaration - "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Today, twisted so that it has become unrecognizable, that phrase is now used to justify restricting the rights of others, violence welcome and encouraged, the rights of 'others' seen as negligible, even unnecessary.

We have now made it acceptable to shout that "fire!!" in a crowded movie theater, the louder the better. The reassurance that "It's never to go back" has been trampled upon. It certainly has gone back to a time which should never be again. A time of great horror and it all began with a laxness of societal rules, the perversion of all that is good, and an encouraged streak of violence and hatred.

Why, in 2023, are we facing a potential Kristallnacht, a night of broken glass, of murder and mayhem, of hatred gone bionic. Blood spilled with more to come. Here in America. Not Nazi Germany. Not Spain of the Inquisition and torture, of restrictions incompatible with life. 

"Day of Hate". In 2023. In America.

The voices of the slaughtered cry out from their mass graves, their charred bones once again crumpled underfoot. Survivors see their past regenerated, reborn, something that should never have been in the first place.

There is no room in this world anymore, for this hatred, and murderous mantras. There is no sense behind those feelings. They provide shelter for the evil, for the cruel, for those wishing to be deluded, to feel they have some sayso over their own lives. Well, no they do not. Not at all, for they are the stooges of those fake leaders, doomed to their own self-inflicted deaths immediately after the first victims are gone.

Today, and indeed for always, pray for good to reign supreme, for evil to be defeated, never to return. Ever.

So today, when you pray for the healing of Yitzy, include the hope and prayer for the world to heal, for the scars to be covered over, the ugliness' defied and new hope sown. For a time when disease has been conquered, where hatred is verboten.

HEAL YITZY!

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer.