HOME & FAMILY

Rabbon Yochonon ben Zakkai teaches us in Pirkei Ovos that the best thing to cultivate in oneself is a good heart, since that encompasses everything else good.

The Dentist

"Hi everyone. I'm home!" Baruch called in a hearty voice as he slammed the door.

Devorah, Yanky and Leah came running down the steps.

"Senior Citizen or Regular?"
by Z.Greenwald

Yitzchak, a businessman in his fifties, parked his car in the parking lot at the city's outskirts and began walking to the bus stop.

ASK THE SHADCHAN
Daas Torah

by Rebbetzin Nomi Travis

Question:

You write repeatedly about the importance of asking shailas to poskim. I am in no way contesting their authority — their greatness is beyond our comprehension. I was just amazed by a gadol's unyielding reply that it was not my zivug to a shidduch I was considering.

Storming the Heavens
by Bayla Gimmel

At a recent family gathering, one of my daughters-in-law told us an inspiring true story that I must share with you.

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

I have a lot of medical articles sent to me by e-mail, and my comment in general is that the stuff that makes the news is usually not the breakthrough it seems. Rather, within six months, more scrutiny shows that it wasn't what it was expected to be.

For People With Wheat and Celiac Intolerance

To the Editor:

Following numerous requests I would like to inform the public gluten-free cookies are available at no charge through the generosity of Wiesel Bakery at the following distribution points:

POET'S CORNER

Lost and Found
by Leah Dirnfeld

I only get lost
When I am bossed
By my evil inclination.
When my Divine soul
Shuns hesitation
And Satan is on vacation,
Then I feel real elation,
The joy that comes
From being stationed
Near the Source of all creation.

Life

by Debbie Levy

We enter the world as an innocent soul,
Unworked clay, not yet in a mold,
Our task to remember as we go on our way
Is that our essence is good, as it was on that day.

We'll meet panic and blame, hatred and lies,
We'll be judged for the bad, in others' eyes,
Criticism and failure are on the agenda,
So don't forget Who is the real Sender.

Take heed of the message, examine your deeds,
Maybe this trouble is what your soul needs.
A gentle reminder of your purpose true —
To come as close to Hashem as you are able to.

Practice serenity, patience and calm,
Forgiveness, humility are a time-tested balm.
Integrity, tolerance and don't forget — love,
For those here below and the One up above.

Our passage through life is meant to be
Filled with tests and difficulty,
So please remember, as you face each test,
It was designed for your growth by the One Who knows best.

Lag B'Omer

by Sara Gutfreund

We walk towards the open field:
As the children jump around us
The bonfire's light sparkles in their eyes
And the flames climb gracefully into the black ink of the sky.

Today is our seventh anniversary
And an ancient melody begins to weave its way through the air.
We see the dancing shadows circling on the grass
And the wind carries the aromas of honeysuckle and smoke.
I can still remember the water that stretched beyond our chupa
How we stood at the edge and looked out at our dreams,
They were perfect dreams, wrapped up in pure, white silk.
Since then we have watched the silk unravel
And we have learned
How to forgive
How to overlook
How to laugh
When life is not perfect after all.
But there are perfect moments
Moments such as this
Standing in the glow of the bonfire
Holding our children in our arms
Knowing
When you are surrounded by darkness
You build a fire
Sing an ancient melody
And dance in circles of prayer
Until the light and the dark
Become one.