I Think You Just Want a Warm Hug!

The story is told of Rabbi Aaron Paperman, a US Army chaplain visiting a DP Camp after the Holocaust. (Unverified and going off memory.)

There was a long row of emaciated children who barely survived the death camps standing in a soup line (with little soup). Rabbi Paperman wanted to help somehow, so he went to the last child on the line and offered to hug them. He figured the last kid wouldn’t lose his place anyhow. But when the others saw this, they abandoned the soup line en masse and created a new line, asking him for hugs, instead.

What these young, lonely souls missed more than food was a loving hug…

(Excuse me, I need to go wash my face.)

And now, to divert the narrative.

I have readers who subscribed to our free daily newsletter a long time ago, and then never interacted with the sender.

And then they suddenly unsubscribe, choosing the reason for unsubscribing as the newsletter being “Offensive, strongly disagree or disapprove“. And still… no email. I ask, individually, and no answer.

I aim to offend those who deserve it whenever possible, of course, but do you mind telling me what exactly offended you (so I know what works)?

I think they (subconsciously) just want a big hug!

היום: קבל תענית במנחה והצטרף אלינו! – זימון אישי מהרב ברנד לתפילות כ”ד ברכות

ציטוט הרב ברנד שליט”א מתוך פורום אוהבי ציון:

אם כבר מדברים בתקשורת על מי שבדרך רוחני עושה פעולות להצלחת המלחמה, יש לפרסם בתקשורת זה מה שעושים כבר מיום שני אחרי שמחת תורה עד עצם היום הזה כל שני וחמישי לכל הפחות עשרה מתענים, (חוץ מראש חודש וחנוכה) תפילת נעילה בכותל מערבי, עם תפילת כ”ד ברכות, ותקיעות בחצוצרות וקריאת התורה ויחל

התפילות הם מרשימים מאוד, והכל מבוסס על ש”ע ס’ תקע”ט וטור שם וזה ע”פ המשנה וגמרא בתענית

…

מתחלים כעת עשר דקות לפני ארבע בסליחות וי”ג מידות עם שופרות ואח”כ קריאת התורה ואח”כ תפילת נעילה (תפילה רגילה) ואח”כ חזרת הש”ץ עם כ”ד ברכות ותקיעות בחצוצרות, נגמר עם השקיעה

The Goyim Are Forever Plagiarizing R’ Nachman’s Stories…

I gave one example here. Here’s another, from Kahlil Gibran’s book, “The Madman: His Parables and Poems“:

The Wise King

Once there ruled in the distant city of Wirani a king who was both mighty and wise. And he was feared for his might and loved for his wisdom.

Now, in the heart of that city was a well, whose water was cool and crystalline, from which all the inhabitants drank, even the king and his courtiers; for there was no other well.

One night when all were asleep, a witch entered the city, and poured seven drops of strange liquid into the well, and said, “From this hour he who drinks this water shall become mad.”

Next morning all the inhabitants, save the king and his lord chamberlain, drank from the well and became mad, even as the witch had foretold.

And during that day the people in the narrow streets and in the market places did naught but whisper to one another, “The king is mad. Our king and his lord chamberlain have lost their reason. Surely we cannot be ruled by a mad king. We must dethrone him.”

That evening the king ordered a golden goblet to be filled from the well. And when it was brought to him he drank deeply, and gave it to his lord chamberlain to drink.

And there was great rejoicing in that distant city of Wirani, because its king and its lord chamberlain had regained their reason.

Note: I do not recommend that book (vulgar, evil, foolish, and so on and so forth). I was rifling through it half-asleep (yes, really), and I stopped once I realized.