HOME & FAMILY

"Why are your faces so sad today?"

"Do you know what those words mean?" asks the man sitting next to me at a bar mitzva.

Ticket for Life

Who says that only troubles are tests? Who still thinks that only unusual problems are challenges to cope with?

What happened to family D is an example that even happy events which are prefaced with much anticipation are trying and require restraint and emotional strength.

Urei Betuv Yerushalayim
The Rich Beggar
by Yonina Hall

The streets of Yerushalayim, normally bursting with life and activity, were strangely still. Giant, freshly-plastered notices glared from stone walls while darkened shop windows gazed at the reflection of thousands upon thousands of people standing in every available space in the street and sidewalk.

Imagination and the Soul

By Risa Rotman

When I was a child, it was called being imaginative. I made up lots of songs and stories as the mood hit me. I had lots of make-believe friends, including the "hundreds of froggies" that accompanied me wherever I went, a twin sister who lived under the bed, and a pet shmatte that was as real as any bunny rabbit could have been.

ASK THE SHADCHAN
Negotiables And Non-Negotiables
By Nomi Travis

Question: " . . . Shadchonim complain that what I'm looking for is extremely difficult to find. They say that I'm picky and that I rule out suggestions for no good reason . . . I do admit that I'm looking for someone with very specific qualities, background, nationality, looks, situation, etc. But who isn't?"

REVIEW
NE'IMOT YITEINU
The Kohns' Sweet Melodies
By Rochel Davidson

My married daughter came into my house one day and, as she usually does, flitted over to the tape recorder to see if we had any new tapes or CDs.

The Car that Kept Shabbos
By Chasi G.

Once upon a time there was a litte car named Fiat. It was meant to seat five adults but like the famous circus car, it carried many more (before safety belts, car seats and boosters, of course).

Firstborn
By A. Ross

They call it the `Plague of the Firstborn.' Frequently, people complain about their oldest and add with a sigh, "Well, it's makkas bechoros." What do these firstborn have in common?

P.S.
by Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein

I've decided that I am a "P.S." type of person.

What do I mean by that? Invariably, whether it is a phone call or a conversation, when I've finished talking with someone and I've already hung up or walked away, I constantly, consistently, and inevitably think of something else that I should have said, or that most definitely needed to be clarified.

SET IN STONE: The Meaning of Mitzvah Observance
By Osher Chaim Levene
Reviewed by Yated Ne'eman Staff

The Jewish book market is awash with English titles. Torah works broadly fall into two categories: Halachic works make the laws of Jewish living accessible to the masses while works of hashkofoh probe the philosophical meaning of life.

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

One of our correspondents asks: How much sleep is required? This varies according to the individual. Some people can function on very little and others need more. The average is seven hours, but babies and teenage girls are the ones who sleep the most. Sleep quality goes down as one ages, so many elderly people need help going to sleep or they sleep in the middle of the day to make up for losses at night. POET'S CORNER

Right hand, Left hand
By Raizel Foner

Before we married,

Your rav said

After a while

Husband and wife

Become like two parts

Of a whole.

Right hand, left hand,

Similar, but different

Both of value,

Especially when working

Together.

Sometimes I feel

You're the head and I'm the hands

You plan

And I carry out.

You're the Torah, the blueprint,

And I'm the mortar.

Together we build

An everlasting structure.

A formidable task

Almost impossible

To undertake alone.

Right hand, left hand,

One whole.