Author Archives: Dan

Cats! And another Internet law.

My friend Greg pointed out that I’m doing a lousy job marketing the cats – I should be posting cute pics of them. Fair enough!

This leads me to an observation about the Internet: All blogs eventually become catblogs.

I don’t know if it is 100% true, but it’s the kind of blanket statement that the Internet loves. I’m deeming it Shmikler’s Surmise.

Now, on to the fuzzy:

 

Logistics!

With most of the big things settled, we’re down to the nitty-gritty, which is not such great blog material. We got got Mordechai’s passport application in – by the way, how silly is it that he has his picture in there? Can people really tell babies apart? And a week later, he already looks different. By the time we leave, the pic will already be totally useless, not to mention the remainder of the 5-year life of the passport. I can already anticipate the scene in the airport where I have to convince a skeptical TSA agent that babies grow.

I had a very nice visit to the Israeli consulate to apply for our visas (which we’ll need since we’re staying more than 6 months). We were a diverse bunch waiting to get in – a late-teens/early-20s woman getting a student visa; an extremely chiloni-looking Israeli with his hair slicked back and his shirt unbuttoned to his belly button, wearing a sweet and sheepish look; and me, the religious fanatic – but there remained this unspoken camaraderie among us because, well, you know. Security was beyond tight, as you’d expect. The screening guy was another sweet young Israeli guy. I’ve come to really enjoy Israeli security screenings. They ask you so many questions, but it turns out you can ask your own if you’d like. I still haven’t succeeded in getting any of them to accept a Shabbos invite, but I’m going to keep trying.

We still have to decide whether it makes sense to ship anything. The apartment reportedly has linens & towels, so there’s not all that much we’d want to ship. For the relatively small quantity in question, it doesn’t seem to be any cheaper than just paying for a couple of extra suitcases.

Still need to line up cell phone service in Israel (assuming we’ll set up internet once we get there), figure out what we’re doing about our mail, and pack up the house for our renters.

Oh, yeah, and find a home for the cats.

Welcome Mordechai Leib Shmikler

Okay, now we’re ready for the passport application. Mordechai Leib entered the bris of Avraham Avinu this morning, and received his name. No one is happier than Yitzi, who took great offense at our joke that we were going to name his baby brother “Honey Peanut.”

Mordechai is named for Debbie’s paternal grandfather. He was famous for his ahavas Yisrael (love for his fellow Jew), which we hope his namesake will also enjoy.

We are still deciding on a nickname. “Mordy” is the obvious, but I can’t seem to say it without putting on my Old Jewish Man voice: “Mordy, pass the herring!”

In other news, we found an apartment

Lost in the hubbub over the newest, tiniest Shmikler, there’s other good news. It looks like we have an apartment in the Old City lined up. In fact, I was emailing with the landlord from the hospital last night (“Push!” “I am pushing, but he won’t budge off of his rent demand…”).

It is a 3BR, near Batei Mahse Square. By American standards, not so big (we really don’t appreciate just how much space we’ve got in this country) but it is well-suited for our needs.

There’s so much else to think about right now that it hasn’t sunk in what it means that we’ll be living in the Old City of Jerusalem. Right after we were married, Debbie & I went on a trip to Israel and stayed with friends of friends for Shabbos in the Old City. It struck us then how crazy it was that people could live there. Debbie described it as like living in the fairy castle in the middle of Disneyland.

Those “friends of friends” are now our friends as well, and soon will be our neighbors. The apartment is right near their place. Crazy.

Cat setback

Well, we’re back to looking for a temporary home for both cats. Nemo went on a trial run to the vet’s assistant over Shabbos, and it didn’t go well. There was an incident, which was not his fault.

Again, for the benefit of those considering hosting him, it was not his fault.

Anyway, she has a cat and two dogs of her own. So, she kept Nemo in a separate room for starters (this is a key part of gradually introducing a new cat to existing pets). She went to go check on Nemo in the middle of the night (he was lonely, and crying), and her own cat zipped into the room before she could stop him. Her cat then attacked Nemo.

Apparently, a full-on, roadhouse-style brouhaha ensued, complete with Nemo trying to climb the blinds to escape his attacker. One of her dogs interceded on Nemo’s behalf (!), resulting in a fight between her cat and the dog. The room is reportedly much worse for the wear, although Nemo’s wounds are, B”H, purely emotional.

She apologetically explained to us tonight that Nemo is very sweet and – I can’t emphasize this enough – totally not at fault for what happened, but this doesn’t look like a good match.

If anyone has any ideas, we’d love some leads.

Shavua Tov!

Spambots step up their game

Seems the spambots have found this blog, and are trying furiously to comment. The first strange thing is that many of them don’t seem to have links embedded. Not sure what benefit they get, then… maybe they’re dedicated to spam lishmah.

The other strange thing is how quasi-substantive the spam is, and how topical. These bots must latch on to key words to be able to tell this is a Jewish blog, with Torah ideas, and post “appropriately.” For example, here’s one attempted spam comment (wait, am I doing their will by posting it here?):

before I consider Rabash not only the fowlloer of his father Baal HaSulam, but I see him as one of the greatest Kabbalaists, who explained to us how to use all the knowledge given by Baal haSulam in our inner work, and Rav Tzvi, as well as all the rest of contemporary kabbalists here in Israel and abroud, have first to study Rabash and his comments on TES, before they have, if the Creator will wish, something additional to say on Zohar and Ar’i Za’l.     But Rav Tzvi as well as all the others have a right to present his work and comments in the form of books and websites and if there are people who may use his work for their spiritual correction, I will be the last to say to them not to do it.     Today is the day of the correction of Gevurah of Malkhut=Discipline in Nobility, and that is what Rav Simon Jacobson has to say about it:      There is another factor in the discipline of sovereignty: determining the area in which you have jurisdiction and authority. And some of the questions that he gives as to answer is: Do I recognaize when I am not an authority and Do I respect the authority of others?    For me Rabash is the highest authority on Baal haSulam’s teaching and as you know you may not clame your PhD, if you haven’t studies all the literature on the topic, and only then you are allowed to say what you personally have to say on this topic.    And for those who try to comment on Baal haSulam without studing Rabash, there is a good advice given by Rav Simon Jacobson: Before taking an authoritative position on any given issue, pause and reflect if you have the right and the ability to exersice authority in this situation.     And as I said the authority of the Rabash is not only  of the one of the fowlloers of Baal haSulam, but it is a complete method of inner spiritual work, which is the final purpose of studing Torah, Gemmrah, Zohar, TES and all the comments of our Sages.

Weird, no?

A worthwhile read

Our friend Moshe Krakowski sent me a link to this famous 1977 Rolling Stone article by a woman whose brother had become a ba’al teshuvah back in the early days of Aish HaTorah. I’d read it before, but couldn’t help reading it again. Such an amazingly honest and open piece.

Anyway, it isn’t directly about our present trip – we’re well past the point of deciding to commit to an observant Jewish lifestyle – but since it is about another journey to Jerusalem, it seems to make sense to share it here.