Happy New Year, Shammai!!!

As I sit witnessing a beautiful red Jerusalem sunset (one of the first cloudless days where I have actually seen the sun, we descend upon a new month, Rosh Chodesh Shevat, which, according to the House of Shammai, is the New Year of the Trees (Beit Hillel holds that the birthday of the trees is on the 15th of this month, and everyone knows who wins every argument between these two... these Tu. Tu Bishvat!). As I have mentioned many a time, "Poor Shammai, he is the Goofus to Hillel's Gallant" is a ne'er-do-well no matter how hard he tries to be right. That Goofus sure was a slob, though. Wistful memories of Highlights Magazine for Children aside, it is also the midst of the rainy season in Israel and nothing has grown yet. However, the Shkeydiah, the Almond Tree is almost in bloom and we will celebrate the produce of the land of Israel... in Israel! w00t!

As for this past Shabbat, I didn't make any plans for meals so I could catch-up on sleep, an amenity in which I was severely lacking. After davening at Shir Chadash friday night, having some grape juice, and challah with chummus-tehina and turkey-prosciutto (I love Israel! You can't get that stuff Kosher in America. As someone who has never had actual prosciutto, I must say that it was quite weird). I then proceeded to sleep for about 12 hours until I got up for davening at Shira Chadasha, a Modern Orthodox minyan where women can lead Psukei Dzimra, Torah Service, and read Torah, with a very thin and transluscent mechitza that was retractible for the Torah reader. After having done the service thing, once again with the Priestly Blessing performed at Shacharit and Musaf, I went back to the apartment, did the nosh-and-shluff thing, and slept for a couple of hours. I am so refreshed, though I still needed my Turkish Mocha, a product I think I may have invented, though what I learned about Kilayim today, I may have transgressed something forbidden in the Torah.

That's it. Still looking for an apartment.

My collection of pictures is on facebook. You need to be my friend to see the album. It's nothing really impressive as I tend to not take pictures of or with people, but of places and things.

That's it. Happy New Year, B.S.! (oh, I just found another reason not to trust the house of Shammai. Or should I say BullSh---...

Chodesh Tov,
Moshe