SIMCHAS TORAH WAS GREAT!

Yes it was. I loved it from the minute it started. My shul has the most spirit of any other shul I know of. Yes there are other great shuls to be at but this one kicks. The night had it all with singing, dancing, drinks and even though I just couldn't go any further I felt like I owed it to everyone to keep on going. We had the screwing of the light bulb dances going on, the good old jumping up and down and stomping of the feet. Drunk guys yes, Chabad guys no. I did want some of the lubavs to come in and fill up the place. Our place was short on people but we made with what we had and it was awesome. 2 hours of this and we all decided to finish up.

So we get up to Hagbah (the part where you lift up the Torah) and everyone starts making a big deal about it. "Its all on one side" was the big fuss who can do Hagbah its just so heavy. To tell you the truth the Torah wasn't so heavy even with it all on one side. Now if you ask me I say everyone overreacts when it comes to Hagbah. People make it seem like its the heavy weight championship and only the strongest of Jews can do it. So they look for the lone sober guy in shul to do Hagba. When lone sober guy is in middle of picking it up everyone leaps forward to make sure he doesn't drop it and grabbing on to any part they can to protect it.

So we finished at 8:00. I desired some more dancing and I had heard Chaim Berlin was going to go late into the night. I headed over there at Eleven fighting a strong wind. Yeah it was real windy out there. To my disappointment it was a dead place. Nothing compared to what I had a few hours before. The dancing in Chaim Berlin was slow to not moving and the singing was..... there was no singing just a little more than a hum that's all.

The morning I headed out towards my shul and once again we rocked Simchas Torah. Much more people were there than at night. We ended at 1:30 and then After Mincha again we had something. Many kids wanted to get in on the fun. I feel bad for the young ones they always get hurt or squashed in between people.

Now my legs are sore and I can hardly walk straight. Ive got to admit this has been one of the best Simchas Torahs yet.

DONT USE THESE TERMS ON ME

You should know by now that I don't understand your mixed language, so please don't start using it when we learn. Words like Epis and shtickle don't help you in an interview (unless done with a chassidish employer). When I learn with you, use just the English language. I cant stand it, it bugs the heck out of me. I am not from a Yiddish speaking background I don't understand what point you are trying to make when you refer to things with these phrases.

After a while you used the word shtultz on me. I had no clue what you meant. At first I thought of it as if it meant a diss (a verbal offensive). Then you start hocking me up trying to explain what you really meant by it. It turns out it means to ignore someone. Now I ask couldn't you just say "ignore" instead of making me waste a few minutes to figure it out.

Words like lechaira and mashme are terms used in Meforshim like Tosfos not to tell to me about Sarah Palin's view on Israel and if its going to rain. Talking to me about politics and using these terms does not make me think you are a reliable source. Terms like Shanda, Mamish, Gevaldig, Shtim and many more like that get me thinking did you Drop out of high school and not learn the English language.

To my chavrusa just stop it. It doesn't make you a better person by using these terms.

WEATHER OR NOT

You walk outside your house on a cloudy shabbos day. You take a look up in the sky and its pretty dark. You think, do I need a raincoat or not. Probably no since its been like this all day long its going to hold off and its just to hot to wear one. The last answer is not a great one since you rather boil then be sopping wet. You anyway convince yourself not to bring one even though you might regret it. If only you could turn on the radio to find out the weather for that night. (the weather is usually not how they predict).

So you march on out to shul in the humidity, with your hat and jacket. As you are walking you hear a sound in the air. Is it thunder or just an airplane flying above? You then are looking around for any sign of rain. You sniff the air and smell the fragrance that comes before the rain. Instantly you feel a drop on your hand. No it cant rain, I just bought this new hat. Great now its gonna get ruined, is your reaction.

You walk in a brisk pace hoping to beat out the harder rain to come. The rain is more consistent now. A huge flash of lightning STRIKES in to the sky, within seconds there is a great rumble. You try to saying the bracha on the lightning and thunder but you just cant remember it. The wind is picking up threatening to topple all the trees. The rain is now at its hardest. You are running very quickly. Fighting verses the heavy wind and bullets of rain, your new and expensive hat blows away. You chase after it, splashing your way through giant puddles your hat went through already. Another flash of lightning streaks across the sky. You grab your now "shmattah" and place it on your head.

Three kids are screaming as they pass you by and are running for shelter. Across the street is someone with an umbrella blown with its inside out. Another person is running with a newspaper over there head. You are running just to make it to shul with absolutely nothing on you're back besides your suit jacket. Its good, at least your jacket is getting wet not you or Shoots you're jacket is getting wet. (Thanks Child Ish for clearing that one up).

You finally make it into the shul drenched. You are not too happy with your brilliant decision to not bring a jacket. Your friend walks in also pretty wet and says to you "lucky for me I was about to just step outside and it started pouring So I brought a jacket". This only further enrages yourself. With every step you take you feel the water in your shoes squeezing into your socks. (awful feeling I know).

You have just went through Gehenom on earth. Your last hope is that you dont have to run back in the same weather. Hopefully you dont have to,better pray well by mincha.

Yes, this past Shabbos I experienced some of this. If I did not pass my friend and ask to come inside, it could have been this case. (lucky me). I knew it was going to rain but I left my jacket in shul from shavous the first night so I guess I was not so lucky. May we all be Zocheh not to be stuck in the rain in that situation.