As the stars of Orion glimmer in the Western horizon, saying, "spring has come to Saskatchewan!", the absence of the sun also suggests that היום חמשה ימים לעומר, it's the fifth day of the Omer.

A story: Once upon a time, there was a little boy who loved to read. He read the encyclopedia for fun, and everything else he could get his hands on. One day his mother told him that he had to take a day off from reading, because she was afraid he would hurt his eyes from all the reading he did. The little boy tried as hard as he could not to read, but that evening they went swimming with some friends, and then they went to the public library. The library of all places! So the poor little boy had to sit glumly in the middle of the room, trying his hardest not read the myriad thousand words encamped about him. He accidentally made eye contact with a sign on the wall, and felt guilty about reading it. What a trying day it was. He eagerly awaited tomorrow.

היום יום ארבעה ימים לעומר

Omer count, day 4.

In the last few weeks I've read two short novels by Madeleine L'Engle; 'The Young Unicorns', and 'The Moon by Night'. I highly recommend these books. They're incredible.

Whew, Mobius wrote a thought-provoking article which contrasts the spirits of Amalek and Israel. This is worthwhile read.

I guess today's entry will just be reviews of stuff other folks wrote. I'm signing out now.

There's no war in Israel, because Yeshua is with us, and everything is beautiful.

-Naomi

Canon Tallis pushed his empty coffee cup across the counter. "How many people can you trust here in New York?"

Dr. Austin looked about him at the unknown people seated at the counter, at the little tables crowded along the wall. "I believe that people become trustworthy only by being trusted."

The priest gave a startled smile at hearing his own words come back at him from this gentle doctor so completely different from himself.

Dr. Austin continued, "I know that I'm infinitely more trustworthy because of my wife's faith in me. I know that there are all kinds of things I'll never do or say because she trusts me, and so do my children. But how sure am I of myself, really? Haven't you ever spoken when you should have kept your mouth shut, or not spoken when you should have stood up to be counted?"

The Canon looked somberly into the dark dregs remaining in his cup. "I am constantly being reminded by my own behavior that I am a fallen human in a fallen world."

The Doctor smiled. "You sound like my father-in-law, who is not far from being a saint-"

"I am," the Canon put in.

"He would add that when we fall, as we always do, we pick ourselves up and start again. And when our trust is betrayed the only response that is not destructive is to trust again. Not stupidly, you understand, but fully aware of the facts, we still have to trust." He turned on his stool to look at the priest. "You're not sure you trust me."

Canon Tallis returned the look. "Nor you me."

-Madeleine L'Engle, The Young Unicorns

I went out wandering.

To the Frostad farm and Sedley, Saskatchewan I went, for the Eddie Chumney show at Beit-Or congregation.

Today in my house in Saskatoon, with the snow descending thickly from HaShamayim, I feel refreshed and renewed. The God of Israel has not abandoned His people, and I'm one of them. Shavua Tov, ya'll.

Two quotes on freedom, from two books I'm currently reading:

"Both Jews and Greeks claimed and thought they believed in freedom, but whereas with the Greeks it was an end in itself, realized in the free, self-governing community, choosing its own laws and gods, for the Jews it was no more than a means, preventing interference with religious duties divinely ordained and unalterable by man." -Paul Johnson A History of the Jews

"...Structure can liberate as well as imprison...freedom doesn't necessarily mean disobedience. It can also mean freedom to obey." -Madeleine L'Engle The Young Unicorns

The Aviv barley in Israel. Borrowed from www.Karaite-Korner.org 

Happy new year to anyone that keeps the Biblical calendar!

From www.karaite-korner.org:

"New Moon of the Aviv Sighted!On March 11, 2005 the New Moon marking the 1st day of the new biblical year was sighted from Jerusalem. The moon was first sighted at 18:00 by Karl Bloodworth followed by Ruthanne Koch and Glen Cain. The moon was also seen by Nehemia Gordon, Devorah Gordon, Ferenc Illesy, Melekh Ben Ya'aqov, Rivka Michaeli, and Avi Marcus all of whom saw the moon by 18:01. A photo of the New Moon of the Aviv is posted at: http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib/2005/images/new_moon_of_aviv_2005.jpg Further details of the Aviv Search will be posted early next week. Rosh Hashannah Sameach! (Happy New Year!) -Nehemia Gordon, Jerusalem, Israel"


Today is a special day indeed! It is Rosh Chadashim, the beginning of months. Moses first set up the Mishkan (tabernacle) on this day, thousands of years ago. Read about it in Exodus 40. Also, the feast of Passover starts in fourteen days, so the next two weeks will be a time of cleaning and preparation.

Today is also the birthday of my wonderful mother!

Finally, it is the weekly Sabbath day.

There you have it: Three beautiful reasons to rejoice and praise the Creator of heaven and earth. Our Father in heaven, please bless your people Israel with a year of peace. May your kingdom come soon!

Welcome to What Amalek Did. We're now featuring pictures.

Rejoice!

My family in downtown Calgary. 

L-R: Christopher, Me (Joel), Colin, and Yaakov at the Saskatoon airport last week. 

"Here in the land of the Three Musketeers, the Gascony region of southwest France, goose and duck fat are slathered on bread instead of butter, the people snack on fried duck skin, and eat twice as much foie gras as other Frenchmen, and fifty times as much as Americans.

It was no surprise when Dr. Serge Renaud, in a 10-year epidemiological study that included surveys of eating habits, concluded that Gascons eat diet higher in saturated fat than any other group of people in the industrialized world....But scientists crinkled a collective brow over Dr. Renaud's related findings about this region, which produces much of the world's foie gras, the fattened livers of ducks and geese. "The fois gras eaters of the Gers and Lot Departments in Southwest France have the lowest rate of death from cardiovascular disease in the country," he said....The basic Gascon in his blue beret would not be surprised. Standing in his barnyard Mr. Saint-Pe listened to Dr. Renaud's findings as though he were being told the obvious. "The people in my family live to be ninety years old," he said. "We cook everything in duck fat. We have foie gras on Sunday. Everybody knows this is the long-life diet."

-Elisabeth Rosenthal New York Times

I made flatbread today. Y'know, tortillas, matzot. Flour, water, oil, and salt. It was amazingly easy. I don't want to eat any cardboard store-bought matzot this Pesach. I'd rather spend a little time making it myself.

Today was a day of reawakened memories. I was going through some of the 'stuff' I've collected over the past couple years, and attempting to throw away most of it.

I worked on a 'jigsaw' puzzle with my brother today.

I have a cold.

Shalom.

I want the whole world to know this about me: I love Yeshua (Jesus). I believe that he created the heavens and the earth. I believe that he's the Messiah of Israel. I believe that he came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the chief.

he was manifest in the flesh
justified in the spirit
seen of angels
preached unto the gentiles
believed on in the world
received up into glory


Yeshua, I want to know you.

Now I present an ancient Mayan folktale from Guatemala, recorded by Victor Dionicio Montejo, and translated into English by Wallace Kaufman.

Three mountain lions were dying of hunger, but they didn't want to go look for food. The rabbit came upon them and asked with great concern, "Why are you complaining so?"
"We are dying for something to eat," answered the lions.
"What of these great claws and fangs? What are they for if not to catch your food?"
"Yes," the lions said, "but we would have to go out looking for it."
"Then you would like someone to carry you out into the forest? Very good. Climb into this net."
When the lions had entered the net, the rabbit tied it shut and found a long, green guayabo stick. With the stick he beat the lions. "Take this!" he shouted. "You have all the talents of good hunters but you don't want to use them." He whacked them hard again. "This is what you deserve, you lazy beasts."
The rabbit left them lying there, and the lions learned that laziness is the origin of much misfortune.

Yaakov is gone, Israel will come.

This week thus far: I helped a friend move, I sent off an application for a higher-education experience next fall, I did my tax returns (for the last two years), I played noise on my bass guitar, I clanged through some Bach on piano, I hung out at John G. Diefenbaker International Airport, and I listened to Elton John songs from time gone by.

Now I've got this Chaim David melody running circles in my mind.

Only two days left now 'til Shabbat. Two days left to change the world...

Read: Mobius becomes Shomer Shabbat.
Danya finds a humorous story in Talmud about snakes and wine.