From Chabad.org – Chukat in a NutshellNumbers 19:1–22:1 The name of the Parshah, “Chukat,” means “Statute” and it is found in Numbers 19:2. Moses is taught the laws of the red (sauce, specifically tomato sauce used in a burnt spaghetti recipe), whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead…
What I really want is a more comfortable relationship with you my dear. To be frank, which is to say that I want to be as honest as possible, I know that you are good for me. You will do anything I ask you to do and only marginally cause me consternation in the background….
The former batting champion has taken a downward turn. From the laser ball opening night of his new stay in Japan when he electrified a stadium and the imagination of the entire fan base to the current ghosting of the lineup. A batting average that wants to go to 200 or lower. Too many opportunities…
From Chabad. Org – Korach in a Nutshell: Numbers 16:1–18:32 The name of the Parshah, “Korach,” refers to Korach, head of the (political coalition) against Moses and Aaron. Korach incites a (political discussion) regarding Moses’ leadership and the granting of the kehunah (The right of debate) to Aaron. He is accompanied by Moses’ inveterate (critics),…
There is an activist group known as just stop oil. If you’d like to know a bit about them, here is a basic Google search for them. Just Stop Oil (JSO) wants the UK to stop approving new fossil fuel projects, which are a major cause of climate change. The group says it uses “non-violent…
The truth is that I made it through about 3 minutes before giving up on it. Everyone knows what I’m talking about but I guess if you want to watch again, here is the link. I don’t buy the narrative. It’s not even the debate itself but the packaging. The excitement of it all. Key…
From Chabad.org Shelach in a Nutshell (Numbers 13:1–15:41) The name of the Parshah, “Shelach,” means “Send” and it is found in Numbers 13:2. Moses sends twelve (tourists) to the land of Canaan. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig , to report on a lush and…
I gave a thought today about dealing with my particular situation. For most of my life, I’ve heard people talk about this but something about my own physicality led me to believe that this was a myth. Currently, I’m having more than a few health problems and the level of negativity that I gained from…
I have a couple of YouTubes to share from a pair of sources that seem to be very like-minded. The first is an interview with Sophie Scott-Brown. According to her biography from the Institute of Intellectual History: Dr Sophie Scott-Brown is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, where she teaches intellectual history….
Welcome to our coverage of this year’s longest day celebration. The time according to the internet is 11:50 p.m. just before midnight. It seems a strange time to celebrate the Sun but that’s exactly what we are going to do. This being said, this is a fertility festival for without the Sun, we do not…
From Chabad.org: Behaalotecha in a Nutshell Numbers 8:1–12:16: The name of the Parshah, “Behaalotecha,” means “When you raise”. Aaron is commanded to raise light in the lamps of the menorah and the tribe of Levi is initiated into the service in the Sanctuary. A “Second Passover” is instituted in response to the petition “Why should…
From the San Francisco Chronicle Willie Mays, the spirited center fielder whose brilliance at the plate, in the field and on the basepaths for the Giants led many to call him the greatest all-around player in baseball history, died on Tuesday in Palo Alto, Calif. He was 93. Larry Baer, the president and chief executive…
I have been a dedicated bicyclist for a very long time. They didn’t have blogs around when I quit my car or maybe I would have done a whole series about it. It was a pretty easy decision. If I made a list of all of the things it did that were good and all…
Mostly good these days. The sickness is dissipating slightly although it still exists. Nobody did anything about it but maybe we have let the infection eat everything it wants to eat and it’s just dying out naturally. Not my particular choice on how to deal with illness. Well, it is de facto my choice but…
From Chabad.org: Naso in a Nutshell (Numbers 4:21–7:89) The name of the Parshah, “Naso,” means “Count” and it is found in Numbers 4:22. Completing the headcount of the Children of Israel taken in the Sinai Desert, a total of 8,580 Levite men between the ages of 30 and 50 are counted in a tally of…
It’s hard to say. Pretty much everything in the world is a little good and a little bad. Nothing is truly wonderful and nothing is genuinely so horrible. Well, there are some pretty horrible things with very little good in them and unfortunately, very few truly beautiful things that are not sullied in some way….
Grom Chabad.org: Bamidbar in a Nutshell Numbers 1:1–4:20The name of the Parshah, “Bamidbar,” means “In the desert” and it is found in Numbers 1:1. In the Sinai Desert, G‑d says to conduct a census of the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses counts 603,550 men of (independant adult) age (20 to 60 years); the tribe of…
I watched a video about the history of Christianity in Japan. I had never really thought about it before. I get offered quite a few Japanese things in my algorithm and it seemed worthy of 30 minutes. And indeed, it was a very interesting film that made me think quite a bit. Here is the…
Well this is something. I’m sitting in front of my house on a chair staring at either a possum or a porcupine who just walked right into the front area of my house and parked himself in the gap in the concrete where the cat sleeps and rolled into a ball. I have evicted him…
Just a moment from today’s baseball game. The Bay Stars are playing the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, one of the more difficult baseball names or ownerships for me to handle. I have a hard enough time following the pollution laden wealth that runs Japan and baseball. It is a relationship that could become so sour in…
From Chabad.Org, Bechukotai in a Nutshell (Leviticus 26:3–27:34)The name of the Parshah, “Bechukotai,” means “in My statutes”. G‑d promises that if the people of Israel will keep (Their) commandments, (The good people) will enjoy xxxxxxxx prosperity and dwell securely in their homeland. But (G-d) also delivers a harsh “rebuke,” warning of the exile, persecution and…