I was walking around the VF Outlet this week in search of a Cast Iron Skillet in which to make some yummy breakfast potatoes (breakfast for dinner is the THING to do) when I stumbled into the deeply discounted book section. I always take a gander at the "Religion" section, which contains a lot of Christian classics, self help books, and guides to being a better Buddhist, but the Judaica is typically lacking.
So imagine my delight when I spotted not only ONE Judaica book but TWO! So, at $4.99 a pop, I purchased them both. One is a book whose name escapes me as I am currently in Tuvia's Jeep, flying down the highway to our Poconos getaway. The other, cradled in my lap, is "Judaism for Everyone" by the illustrious Shmuely Boteach, who, might I add is going to appear (again...) on Today with Kathy Lee and Hoda next week.
I don't know a lick about this book, whether its miserable, fluff, brilliant, or life altering, but I took the bait. The font on the cover was appealing and the subtitle suggests that the book will help me renew my life through vibrant lessons of the Jewish faith. Either way, I am enjoying the talking points so far in the chapter on the Sabbath.
So as Shabbos approaches, I will leave you with the following thought from Shmuely.
"Social commentators could read much into the modern obsession with squeezing the most out of life and the lust for professional success. ... The Jewish diagnosis would be that this is the age-old misguided scenario of the earth's inhabitants sacrificing time in the acquisition of area, expending precious moments in the conquest of space, squandering their lives to gain possessions. One of the principle objectives of Judaism, however, is to teach people to value time far more than space, indeed, to dedicate space toward the acquisition of time."
And with that in mind, I bid all a Shabbat shalom and a Happy Memorial Day weekend! Relax, and value your time of peace, no matter how fleeting.
May 22, 2009
3:40 PM
Chaviva Gordon-Bennett
2 comments:
2 things...
1
Oh my gosh...my daughter loved thoses dolls...I would never buy one for her, $95 a doll! But her father's mother (Jewish) did but would complain to me "why isn't there a Jewish one!" My daughter ended up with Molly, because according to my ex-mother-in-law "if you don't read the book, she could be Jewish"
2 Branson, Missouri
you must have been young when you went there....but it was just about the oddest, almost creepiest place I have ever been....
ok I know I'm a cultural Eastern snob, but wow!...My ex and I went there to check it out after having to attend a wedding about 1 hour or so north of there. Well we happened to go on "Right to Life" weekend....and the entire main road was ligned with blond families, ok maybe not all blond, dressed in white holding your typical "right to life" type posters.....
then it became clear this was a "wholesome" "Christian" place after a number of encounters at resutaunts, and when trying to find something to go see.
i remember my ex saying to me, we were the only Jew and Buddhist in the entire county! (pre conversion)
just thought I would share.....
Oh the stories I could tell you about Branson, Missouri. You see, my grandparents (my grandfather, may his name be for a blessing) live just outside Branson, and I grew up in Southern Missouri down in Joplin, so we'd go to Branson *AT LEAST* once a month. I'm very, very familiar with the place -- Shepard's Valley, Silver Dollar City, you name it. I even saw the Osmands perform once. My mother's living room is adorned with tin-type photos of us throughout the years, and I have dozens of hand-dipped candles I made in Silver Dollar City over the years.
I keep telling Tuvia I want to take him down there to visit, just because I haven't been there since 1996 and I want to see if it's as grand as I remember it being as a child. I remember floating down the strip in Branson at about 2 miles an hour during the summer, with our minivan door open; there were so many people.
The interesting thing is, at that point in my life, a very "G-d's country" bent wasn't screaming out at me. When I think about it now? It makes total sense. It's probably why my time in the Poconos often reminds me of Branson.
Man. I should write a blog post about my time down there. What a fascinating place. I probably won't be back down there until my grandmother passes.
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