Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Cloudy weather and too cold for the season. This is the weather forecast for this upcoming Shabbat.

Sometimes I am in my great spiritual mood and start running to any kind of chassidic event. At other times I am just the complete opposite and I guess that so far, I am somewhere in between today.

It is wrong to judge an entire society when you hear about negative issues going on. However, this week I read about certain Takanot in a book and I was a kind of devastated. How can I, at least for the moment, look into some people's eyes knowing what they do ? 

Or to define it properly: You hear about the internal group laws and suddenly you realize how people act.

People can do whatever they like and anyone has to decide for himself if he wants to stay in a chassidic group and listen to a Rebbe or not. Nevertheless, there are times when I just need a break and get a clear mind.

But, as I said, I am not yet sure about this Shabbat.

At the moment, I am still in Tel Aviv where it is quite cold. Later on, I am going to return to Jerusalem. Pessach is right ahead of us and there is a definitely more intense holiday feeling in Jerusalem than in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, I am going to spend most of the Pessach holiday in Tel Aviv, at the coast and I may go to Safed and Tiberias for a day or two. It is an Ashkenazi custom not to visit any cemeteries during Chol HaMoed Pessach and Sukkot (the intermediate holidays). However, I would like to go to the Rambam's grave in Tiberias and maybe to the Arizal's in Safed (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria).

I can't wait until Pessach because then it is time to relax. Freedom without running to work.

Just a short remark: I have received a few e - mails I still need to answer. This way, I am just letting those people know that I haven't forgotten about them answering their questions.

"Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes" to all of you !