Telling Time the Jewish Way

Shavuot begins at sundown and lasts until Tuesday night. Ergo, the blog must go out this afternoon so I can beat the sundown deadline. With kiddies coming for dinner, there is still much to do. And yes, there is cheesecake involved. 

Those who know me in real life know that this is not my favorite holiday. It used to be, but Ziggy's death 10 days after the holiday has relegated it to least favorite because instead of creamed herring, cheesecake, and picnics at shul, I only associate it with death. 

Traditionally, Shavuot marks the time when, in our 40 year desert shvatzir, we arrived at Mount Sinai. According to the Torah, this is zeman Toratenu, the time when we were given the Torah.

In case you are not familiar with the Torah as opposed to the Bible, it's really quite simple: the Torah consists of  the 5 books of Moses:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That's it. The canon of  the Bible includes the 5 books along with the Prophets and the Writings. The Torah, for all intents and purposes, is the law. It's the guidebook on how to be a Jew. There are 613 positive commandments contained in Torah, and those are the basis for our moral and legal code. 

In other words, the Torah is a Jewish document. Period. End of discussion. 

One of the most important and crucial elements in Torah is the establishment  of the Jewish calendar. There are distinct references to Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot. The communal calendar is what makes a people a people. Common celebrations and observances unite a population. You don't find Christmas, Easter, or Ramadan mentioned anywhere. That's because those holy days are not part of our observances. We have a boatload more holidays after the big 5 scattered throughout the year. Big observances like Hannukah as well as little ones like Tu B'shevat. They are remarkably different, commemorate different events, but I don't mind. Some are seriously colorful. Others just make  you remember.

My life runs according to the Jewish calendar. I cannot tell you the English date of Ziggy's death, but I can tell you (without missing a beat) he died after sundown 10 days after Shavuot. Grandma Bessie thought she was born on the first day of  Shavuot, but we know she passed away on the second day of Sukkot. And Young Sir was born the day before Purim. And Ziggy and I were married the day before the 9 days to Tisha B'Av commenced. 

I don't mind telling time that way; it anchors me. Linking provides context. Not a bad thing. 

Being Jewish in these times is interesting at  best, and that's not in a good way. It's open season on Jews all over the globe. Not that this is news. But sometimes, I really wonder why. If Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands started lobbing missiles at, oh, say, Florida, what would be the US response? Would we stand by and watch, hands in pockets, as houses and schools are blown up? And for the record, being Jewish does not mean you agree with Israel's politics.

Yeah, well everyone has to hate someone, I suppose. It just really bugs the hell outta me when people  who are reputed to be smart cannot figure out our ties to the land ancient, and that all we really want is to be left alone. That we in the statement is about being Jewish. You don't like Jews? That's your problem, not ours. Don't be Jewish. Don't marry one of us. Just leave  us the hell alone to live our own lives. 

And on that happy note, Chag Same'ach to those who are observing Shavuot. And a guteh voch....a good week...to everyone. Time to light candles.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you're worried about the amount of fat in cheesecake,

use half cream cheese, half Neufchâtel (cream cheese "light.")

The best ones have the fewest ingredients.