When there was strife or an impasse in the Torah between the people and Moses and/or Aaron, the Israelites at times managed to come to a reconciliation . . . when the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah struggled with each other, internally, the true writing of the nation was ‘on the wall . . .’
and for us, standing and sobbing at a mere retaining Wall, ever since . . .
the Yiddish phrase comes to mind: “mine tuchus aun deyn punim etsvay machatunim” (i.e. are two machatunim (in-laws).
Plus this Shabbat: “The real Jewish New Year as a time of freedom (Nisan and the Passover) is almost upon us . . . should the Jewish community ‘turn the page’ or — continue to struggle with the past until we exhaust each other with continued infighting until we fall into a state of — wandering without a homeland and worse, — heading off to nowhere.
- Shakespeare has ‘his own take’ on when things deteriorate to a level which are intolerable for good friends and family members to stand by and watch (and experience) . . .
- This is an exclamation of exasperation with, disgust for, or rejection of both opposing people or internal dynamics. A direct misquotation of the line “a plague on both your houses” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; is used especially in reference to politics. This expression comes from Act III, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1592).
- It is said by Mercutio who, despite being Romeo’s best friend, has avoided taking sides in the ancient feud between the two families, and yet has remained good-natured and optimistic.
- Personally, I am heartened that Mercutio is optimistic . . . I remain less so.
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Every year, the Shabbat which precedes the new moon of Nisan is used to ‘announce the New Month (although in the Torah’s Hebrew, this month is referred to as AVIV — it was renamed by the Jewish community in Exile in Babylonia somewhere between 586 and 500 BCE) — As a result, this coming Shabbat is called Shabbat HaChodesh as a way to further publicize the change in time . . . .
Shabbat HaChodesh 2023 / שַׁבָּת הַחֹדֶשׁ 5783
Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh (the New Monmth of) Nisan
Shabbat HaChodesh for Hebrew Year 5783 begins at sundown on Friday, 17 March 2023, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 18 March 2023. The Shabbat Parashah (reading) this corresponds to this year is Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei.
Shabbat HaChodesh (“Sabbath of the Month” שבת החודש) precedes the first of the Hebrew month of Nisan during which Passover is celebrated. The story in the Torah is found in Exodus 12:1-20 along with the (then) laws of Passover.
On the first day of Aviv, Gd set out the first commandment of how to “sanctify the new moon” (Kiddush ha Chodesh) for the beginning of the new moon or Rosh Chodesh — and as a result, Nisan became the first month of the Jewish year.
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Recent usage of the Yiddish expression used in today’s email:
Linguistic and Diplomatic lightning round: Having nothing to do with the calendar or the Biblical Parashah — yet here is an apt phrase in these rather uncertain times . . .
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog:
Favorite Yiddish word or phrase? — “Before I came here, a friend of mine told me, ‘There will be moments when you will be very upset, people will enrage you, and since you’re a diplomat, you’re supposed to keep a poker face,’ but then when you are really upset with someone, a Yiddish phrase comes to mind, which I was taught as a young person, by a family member, that saying is, ‘mine tuchus aun deyn punim etsvay machatunim, my ass and your face are two machatunim (in-laws).’”
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Friends, Passover is less than a month away — the Springtime is coming — wondering, can freedom be not far behind . . . . uncertain times ahead.
