First time in my life...

So, apparently there is some sort of hurricane on the way. There are 5 categories to hurricanes. Category 1 is light hurricane and category 5 is total and utter destruction.

We don't exactly have a 5 on the way. But we do have a category 4 hurricane that's supposed to arrive on Tuesday.
The weather here is horrible to say the least. After this past week of absolute humidity and insanely hot weather (I'm talking fainting heat), I was sort of praying for a hurricane to come and cool things off. But now, in total honesty, I'm getting kind of nervous.

Here is what we need to do in order to be adequately prepared for the hurricane.

Stock up on:

water.

Batteries for flashlight.

batteries for radio.

Enough non perishable foods for a couple of days.

ice and a cooler.

Fill up the car with gas.

We need to move into the most safe room of the house. That means that we need to find the room with the least windows and move all the food and survival gear inside.

We need to shutter our windows with wooden planks that were outside in the back of the house when we arrived. They are there for this very purpose. We need to secure that nothing gets hurdled into the windows breaking them.

The city will turn off all electricity until the hurricane is gone. Water will most probably also be turned off. Once the hurricane begins, we are left stuck inside a small, humid room of the house for who knows how long.

Someone told me that about 3 years ago there was a hurricane in Cancun that lasted for five full days. I hope we're not stuck here for that long.

But all our connection will be off for at least a day or two.

We also need to bring in anything outside that can be blown away. Barbecue grill, chairs, tables, shelves... Everything that is not tied down outside.

I am nervous. Myself, Sonia and Kovi will be crammed into a small room for the hurricane with no way to be in touch with the world.

Hope to blog after the 'cane.

In the meantime, I also put on our shopping list a bunch of books and board games. We will spend our days wisely... As long as Kovi can hang in there and undestand.

In other news, this past Shabbos was absolutely amazing. We've never had such a tremendous crowd. A good 50 or more people showed up. There wasn't a single seat in the Shul available. In fact, some people didn't even stay for the meal, because there was simply no space. I felt so bad, but they told me that they were supposed to anyways eat by some other person from the community's place.

It was packed. Lots of Jewish kids came. But the scary thing is that this was packed and for RH and YK we are expecting this plus about 20 more people. I have no idea how they will all fit in.

We are thinking about renting a place for the high holidays that has more space. I don't know. We need to see. It's so late to start planning and figuring this stuff out... But, these are the consequences of being on Shlichus so short a time. We still need to get to know this city and how it works etc...

In other news, today was the first time that I actually got into bribery mode in Mexico.

I dropped Sonia and Kovi off at the beach and was on my way back home. Since it was a quick ride to the beach, I failed to pack my wallet and cash with me. I figured if worst comes to worst, I'll go to the house and show the police officer my license at home... It shouldn't be a problem.

Well it was.

I got stopped at one of these random checkpoints on the road (they started doing these during the past month or so).

Two policemen stopped me and ask me for my license. I told them that I had it at home and would go and get it for them.

They were not happy.

One of them told me that he would give me a ticket for not having a license while driving and he would need to remove the rear license plate in order to ensure that I pay up the fine.

What was I supposed to do? I said okay. The tickets here are only about 200 pesos, which equals to about $17US.

All this time I made as if I speak a horrible Spanish, thus the cop needed to repeat everything he told me. I made as if I couldn't understand.

Finally I told him that he could take the license plate, but that I was leaving Cabo for home in a few days and the car wasn't mine.

When I said that, the police realized that he wouldn't gain too much from it. So he told me that if I were to buy him and his buddy cop a cold drink, then he would put the license plate back on the car no problem and I could go free without a ticket or anything.

I made as if I didn't understand. I couldn't do anything else. I was so shocked to actually hear him saying this to me so clearly.

The cop started laughing at my lack of Spanish understanding, and seeing that he would need to speak clearer and slower with me. So he asked me straight out to give him $20US and he would let me go.

I told him that I didn't have my license or any sort of cash with me at the time, which was true.

The cop eventually put my license plate back on the car and asked me to come back later with $20US. I told him that upon my return to pick up my wife from the beach, I would leave 200 pesos for him. About $17US. He agreed and I left.

When I picked up Sonia, I passed by and gave the policeman only 150 pesos... That's how things work here in Mexico. But this is the first time that I experience such a lifestyle. Corruption is a way of life.

As I left the cop and continued home, I wondered aloud whether I'm being an honest man, by keeping my word and bringing the police the money I had pledged. I could have easily taken a different route home and avoided paying the police who so nicely let me go on my way without any problems... Or am I adding to the corruption and dishonesty, by supporting this policeman's selfishly demanded bribe?? Hmmmm... While I try figuring that out, I'm sure there are two more policemen in Cabo who will help me out in the future if I ever should need... They are also enjoying an extra 150 pesos (about $12US)

And that's all folks.

Will be in touch when electricity goes back on. Hopefully I will also have pictures.

By the way, the hurricane can be followed at this website! Hurricane Jimena!

Check it out.

Truth... For weal!

So I was thinking last night. Late last night.

You know the way people always ask the famous question against Judaism; "If Torah is truth, then how can it be that two opposing opinions and laws are established on the exact same subject by two different authoritative Rabbi's?"
Truth by definition needs to be absolute. There can be no two directions to truth. There can only be one, all clear and apparent truth. One way.
As soon as there are different opinions on something, it cannot be truth anymore...
Or so it may seem to the shallow thinker.

If that is so, that real and absolute truth can be one way and one way only, then by their very definition, all of humanity is untrue.
If every single human being is knows to think and understand things differently, then 6 billion people in this world means 6 billion ways of thinking and defining everything around us... That would mean that us human beings are not true creations. We are not where truth lies. We are false.
How can that be?

Well, this brought me to conclude that perhaps truth does not need to be absolute, individual and the negation of any other possible way. Perhaps real truth is the harmonizing of opposing directions.
In fact, if we were to look at the world around us, we would see just that. Our entire physical world is comprised and made up of billions and billions of opposing elements which combine together and form each individual thing on our planet. Depending on the amount and volume of each of these opposing combination's, that determines the outcome, shape and function of the physical particle in the world.

If truth were to be one thing only, then our entire world would be false. (Maybe, just maybe our entire world indeed is false and only G-dliness is truth... Hmmmm)

I thus conclude that absolute truth is not necessarily one way. Real truth is the ability for one Rabbi to say that this is Kosher, because for him and his way of understanding it really must be Kosher. Yet another Rabbi at the same moment can argue with him, call him a Meshugene and deem the questionable object as NOT Kosher, because according to his way of thinking, it in no way is near the possibility of being Kosher... Yet they are both going in the same direction. By both studying Torah, they are both dealing with different levels of G-d's intellect and administering judgment based on where they are holding. They are both going on the path to truth.

I conclude, that the path of truth is not a thin tightrope one must balance on, with the ever dangerous chance of losing one's foothold and plummeting into the oblivion of falsehood.
Rather, the path of truth is a well paved and wide path. Some might walk on the left side of the path, gazing out onto their left at the slippery slopes and cliffs that challenge them. Others might choose to walk along the right side of the path, enjoying the scenic views and lush gardens which dance around their right side of the pathway. Still some may walk safely in the middle of the road, focusing straight ahead and moving swiftly towards their goal.
They are all going the same direction. They will all end up at the same blissful goal. But each one experiences their path of truth in a totally different way.

The point that one always needs to be certain of is to be going up the path. If one is heaven forbid walking down the path or off the side of the path and over the cliffs, then they have lost direction and are no more on the road to absolute truth.

Studying Torah may have many different opinions and intellectual outcomes, but as long as they're all on the path of bettering themselves, purifying the world around them and making this world into a dwelling for Hashem, then they have found truth. They must keep blazing forward and not fall off the sides.

Yeah.
Okay.
Alright.
I'm done now.

Elul is upon you!! Do the right thing!!

May G-d bless you tenfold.

I am in love with this man!

I must be honest. I never really liked Matisyahu that much. I thought one out of every ten songs he made was cool.
But this album absolutely blows me away. He is amazing. I melt when I hear this stuff.

The musical arrangement is so incredible. I think it is at least three times as good as Yossi Green's 8th note, which in my opinion is the best musically arranged Jewish album out there.

Check out song #3 "One day"

Who is rich??

Jonathan with his 'wahoo' fish catch. It's a very hard fish to catch. They don't have too many of them. It's supposed to also be one of the tastiest fish around. But I wouldn't know. They're not Kosher.

With my third dorado catch, which we kept. The first two we threw back into the ocean. This one was the biggest though. This one is also Kosher and we're keeping it for Shabbos.


This is me reeling in my third dorado fish. The owner of the fishing company, John is standing behind me and coaching me on how to sport fish. It was cool.

...
So, my sister came up with this absolutely awesome line: "Who is rich? One who is happy with a lot!"
Frai, but good.

Went fishing on Sunday with a fellow community member who happens to have a friend who owns one of the sport fishing companies in Cabo.
The owner (not Jewish) asked the community member if he wanted to go out fishing on Sunday and the community member invited me out too.
It was cool. Lots to speak about on sport fishing... But I'm too tired and need to go to sleep.

Will be working extremely hard these next few weeks. So don't expect too much action from this blog too much. If I update this lots, it means that I'm not working hard enough on Shlichus.

Anyways... All the best. Good night.

My life this week.

Reaizy Polichenko has her second birthday party on the morning before the family leaves back for S. Diego. Sonia baked her a delicious cake and I had like seven pieces. I love when nieces come to Cabo and have their birthdays!

With Reuvein. We wanted to take a picture after the barbecue. We also were looking for some sort of thing to wear or hold to show that we're in Mexico... You know, some sort of Mexican attire or memorabilia. We couldn't find any, so we put on these wicker basket hats instead. It was a Mexican as we can find.

The barbecue crowd eating and enjoying themselves. Reuvein took the picture.

Several weeks ago, some wonderful family from Phoenix were here for awhile. When they went fishing, they brought me back this rooster fish from their exciting trip. We used it for that Shabbos. Thanks Allan and Sara Weisenfeld. The fish was dilicious and you guys were wonderful guests. I wish someone had their email address or contact info, so that I can send them the pictures and thank them personally... Anyways...

This is a picture of someone standing next to a marlin that was caught in Cabo. It's a big one. This marlin hanging thing-a-bob is right outside of the fish market where I go for Shabbos fish. Cool! On Sunday, you might just see a similar picture like this... But instead of this guy standing next to his prize, it'll be me!

This is a classic Cabo dorado fish, which is Kosher! I usually buy these for Shabbos from the fish market (though a bit smaller)... They are delicious. I hope to catch some of these myself and save them for Shabbos. We'll see.

...
So, the Lakein family is here. We've gotten to meet a second wonderful Los Angeles Lubavich couple while on their jetski. The Nissim's.
Several other tourists got in touch with us this past week and I invited all of them to a barbecue at our place last night, which they graciously accepted. Everyone showed up and it was a really nice, chilled time we all had.

In other news, last night one of the founding members of our community called me up and told me that he going fishing on Sunday morning with a friend of his and he's inviting me to join him at 6am Sunday morning.
Fishing here doesn't mean catching goldfish or silly catfish.
I'm finally going to catch my own marlin and perhaps some dorado or tuna for Shabbos... The pictures above are samples of the types of fish to be caught here in Cabo. It's a very expensive sport in Cabo, so I haven't yet gone. But it's really nice of Jonathan to offer me to go with them for this exciting sport. They say that it can take hours and hours to fight the fish onto the deck of the boat. Dunno!

...

Would someone please, PLEASE save my mental state and send us a new Uncle Moshe video. Kovi watches Uncle Moshe volume 10 four to five times a day and it is coming out of my brains already!!

...

Kovi has been having real difficulty going to sleep lately. If Tatty and Mammy aren't beside him, warmly cuddling him to bed, then he cries and cries. Nay! He shrieks and shrieks! Apparently, he's learned that shrieking at the top of his voice gets his parents attention. How right he is, and how frustrating it is too.
So we're finally trying to train him to go to sleep in his own crip. It isn't working so far. Tonight he cried and shrieked for over an hour. It's not just shrieking. They sound like he's absolutely terrified and when we come into the room, he's hyperventilating. It's scary and painful for me and Sonia, but it needs to be done.
It hurts him so much to all of a sudden not have his parents beside him when he is ready to go to sleep.
It hurts me so much to leave him and try and train him to be more independent when going to sleep. But I know that it's absolutely what must be done and I can't give in.

Anyways, I will write the community Shabbos email now... So cheerio.

ps. I may have found our RH and YK Chazzan. Will let you know if it's confirmed.

Gutte Nacht a todos!

For Shua... Real humor and very funny

Kayaking on the sea of Cortez

There is no place to hide.

Recently, I've had a close friend from Crown Heights come into Cabo. He's here for the entire week and so we've been hanging out a bit.
Obviously, being here in Cabo makes time very difficult to spend with the poor old Rabbi and his family. There are so many other things to do while here... Which is why I am very grateful that he took some time out of his busy schedule to go out with us.
The wives took the boat to 'lover's beach' which is only accessible by boat, while me and Reuvein rented a kayak for the day and went over to the beach via our kayak.
Oh, did I fail to mention that the name of my visitor is Reuvein? Yes! I did. Sorry.
Reuvein Lakein from Crown Heights, who is a former Yekatrinoslav buddy came here with his wife to visit Cabo. In fact, this coming Shabbos, we're going to be having a Yeka Bein Hashmoshos here in Cabo. I'm so excited for it.
Anyways, so we're two bearded, Yarlmuka wearing, soaked yello Tzitzis shlepping guys softly Kayaking down the sea of Cortez, when all of a sudden we see one of the jetski's whizzing by stop next to us and there are two people on the jetski. It was some Frum guy with a big bushy "salt watery" beard and sunglasses with his Tichel bearing wife on the jetski.
"Shalom Chabad!" they called out.
We couldn't believe it. It was some Los Angeles Frum couple who were visiting Cabo with their cousins and they were trying to get in touch with the Chabad house in Cabo, but they we're having a hard time... Yet, here we are right in the middle of the ocean, peacefully kayaking along the water and we run into them... So IY"H they will all be showing up for our Barbecue tonight. I'll take pictures and post them.

In other news, I am finally going to open a Mexican bank account with Sonia in a couple of minutes. Wish luck.

In other news, I'm looking for someone to do R"H and Y"K davvening here in Cabo. I don't have lots of money to give. In fact, as of now, I don't have any money I can give... But I will definitely pay for the flight and try to put together a few hundred extra dollars to shower the Chazzan with... any suggestions??

We'll be in touch lovely blog.

One more of Moshe

This is from a recent concert of his. I think this is his first big, advertised concert. He's incredible and his songs... Oy! Amazing.

My main man Mosh!!!

I'm very proud to be acquainted with this wonderful artist Moshe Hecht.

Two songs from Yossi

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Two songs from my dear brother in law Yossi Rodal. He recorded these Italian camp songs while studying in Israel this past year.
He makes me so jealous. I can't stand him (jk).
He's like 15 years old and musically talented like anything. I wish I could arrange and put together music like him.

Anyways, the songs sound amazing. I love the harmonies. But my favorite is Giorno dopo Giorno ("jorno dopo jorno")... A Chaim Fogelman tune.

Finally back on the bloggasphere

Sonia and Kovi at the beach

We had a Bar-b-q at our place for some of the Israeli locals. It was nice. We sang all night. They loved it.

Kovi watching Uncle Moshe with his cousins. Kovi is officially hooked on Uncle Moshe. I am worried about it, but I don't want to seem like too much of an obsessed father. Kovi watched uncle moshe twice this morning. (Note: the video they are watching in the picture is "Miracles: the story of Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa")


We went to the fish market last Friday for Shabbos fish... I took the extended Mishpocha along. It was fun. Especially the fact that there were two hammerhead sharks lying around. As you can see, the kids are terrified.

Kovi and Reizy. Two cousins that couldn't get along. But Kovi looks awesome in this shot.



So yes, the last two weeks have been very busy indeed.

1. The Israeli guy who showed up at our place for Shabbos finally decided to go back to Israel. Apparently, his brother in law was after him and he found out that everyone knows about his shady past. He begged me to get him a ticket back to Israel immediately. I did and he is gone. B"H.

2. Sonia's sister and her family came to spend time with us for two weeks. It was amazing. Kovi got quite close to them and we really enjoyed their company. It was amazing to finally be around other frum yidden for a bit.

3. The Bar Mitzvah last week was nice. It was extremely difficult though. I had pledged to Kosher the entire Kitchen for the Bar Mitzvah. The budget was already enormous and it was difficult to put out an extra $700 to bring down someone and Kosher the Kitchen.
The choice was left for me to make. Either I help them Kosher the hotel kitchen and then I can show up and participate in the event, or I don't Kosher the kitchen, the entire Bar Mitzvah is Traif and there is no Rabbi to officiate at the Simcha. It was an obvious decision. So I pledged to Kasher the whole kitchen.
I arrived at the kitchen on Wednesday at 12pm to begin the Koshering process. I left the hotel at 2am after intense clean'age and watching some of the food being prepared.
I crawled into bed at 2:15am and slept for 45 minutes.
Woke up at 3am and left quietly back to the hotel, where the main food preparations were beginning. I was at the hotel doing the regular Hashgocho from 3:30am until 9am, where I then led the prayer service and ate the breakfast with them.
I crashed at 1pm upon my arrival home. It was very tough. But this is all part of the Shlichus experience.



That is pretty much everything going on here in a nutshell.

The weather is hot like Gehinom. I can't go outside for more than a minute, otherwise I get headaches.
Kovi is really becoming a big boy Ka"h and it's so amazing to be witness to it all.

Finally, on a funnier note.
Here in Cabo, we have a certain creature that should be small, due to the fact that it is part of the insect family (I think). But for some reason - mostly probably the climate - they are huge. "As-big-as-my-thumb" huge!!
I'm talking about cockaroaches, or palmeto bugs... Whatever you want to call them. And I don't care if the ones in Miami fly. I'm still suffering HERE!
So anyways, whenever a cockaroach is spotted and screeching for help is followed up. The 'helper' always wants to know the size of the bug. Is it small, medium, large, extra large or 'oh-my-gosh-it's-going-to-swallow-me'.
So Sonia so geniusly came up with the idea to redefine their sizes according to human life cycles.
A small cockaroach is a 'baby'
A medium cockaroach is a 'teenager'
A large cockaroach is a 'mom' or 'dad'
and an old and frail cockaroach is a 'zeidy' or 'bubby'

The other day Sonia tells me that she found a cockaroach.
"What kind is it?" I asked.
"It's like a Kallah one"

...

Funny.

I love Texas man!!!

His compositions touch the very core of my soul. I sang this song to several people the other night. They went mad! They needed to know who the composer was and asked me to sing the song three times.
After telling this story to the video's composer, he graciously put this video online for the benefit of a better world.

And I am grateful! Modeh Ani Lo!

The way I feel!

A picture of a double family

You know, there's one of the Avraham Fried cd's where he sings Niggunim.
Anyways, one of his tapes has the song ey Tzomo Tzomo Tzomo,... Ech Ti Durin Marku.

So there this one part towards the end of the song, where the choir sings Ech Ti Duran Marku. Just after they finish those words, A high toned Avraham Fried put it a beautiful and lengthy 'Eeeeeeeeeeech, ech ti duran marku' harmony.
That's what I feel like now.
I am getting depressed.

Do I love Yidden? Do I love Yidden as much as the Rebbe loved Yidden?
I'm supposed to, no?
After all, I am a Shliach of the Rebbe.

Today I was challenged with this. My mind is killing me, trying to figure out if I did the right thing or not.

B'kitzur, Wednesday night is Tisha B'av. I am in the midst of reading Aicha, when in walks Chaim*. He has been here for two weeks already. He is thinking of living here. In fact, he has lots to gain by moving here to Cabo. His brother Moshe* is a very successful businessman here in Cabo and is really able to 'hook him up'.
So Chaim walks into Shul. But there's someone else behind him. Let us call him Shlomo*... Anyways, the funny thing that I notice about Shlomo is that he has a full beard, big Yarlmuka and seems to be the full on religious Jew from Israel.
"Yay!" I think. Now I will have observant Jewish company here in Cabo for awhile.
My surprise turned to even better news, once Aicha was finished.
I started speaking to Shlomo, and he tells me that he is related to Chaim and Moshe. He is married to their sister. Not only that, but he's also come to Cabo to see if he can make some money and live here for a few years.
I ask where his wife is.
He tells me that his wife and baby boy he left in Israel. He's here in Cabo for a month and a half trying to see if he can find a decent job and then if yes, he will bring his wife and child to live here.
I am delighted. Another Frum Jew might be living here in Cabo. There is another 'non-tatooed' bearded man with me here in this impure city of Cabo.
Shlomo then asks me if he would be able to stay with us for Shabbos. Since the Kashrus in his brother in law's home is not very good and they live too far to walk to Shul on Shabbos, can he stay with us only for Shabbos. I graciously and happily comply, trying to be as friendly and welcoming as possible.
Friday afternoon comes and he shows up. It was nice having a new face and another Frum Jew with us.
Moshe, the big businessman, who owns the house, and Chaim and Shlomo are staying by him, is in Mexico City for Shabbos, so I don't expect him.
Anyways, right from the beginning, I realized that we have a cookie with us. I started regretting the excitement that I had, when hearing that this Shlomo would move here with his family.
This Shlomo guy was Frum. But he had no Chassidus. He couldn't accept the fact that Jewish people, no matter their observance of religion are holy and as pure as anything. He kept giving over Mussar.
- You know those people who tell everyone off, as if they're perfect. But just by listening to them, you can tell that they themselves are far from it. Very far from it? - Well that's the aura that this guy gave off.
Several interesting and troublilng things came out of Shabbos.
- I found out that this guy Davvens Vasikin. He's up every morning at 4am and Davvens with the first ray of sunlight on the horizon.
- This guy tells me that he doesn't eat out in Israel. He doesn't trust anybody's Kashrus. He only eats the Badatz of the Badatz if you know what I mean...
- I also find out that this guys wife has just given birth to a baby boy. The baby is still in the hospital and Shlomo makes this one and a half month trip to Cabo... He claims that it's to see if he can do business.
Very strange. When I said that this guy sounded like a cookie, you get what I mean now.

Anyways, Motzaei Shabbos comes and nobody picks up Shlomo from our home to take him back to his normal home.
I overlook it and invite him to spend the night with us for one more night. It's probably late and Chaim is very busy with something, so he forgot.
Sunday morning comes and we begin wondering how to get Shlomo back to his 'normal' home with Chaim and Moshe (who is in Mexico until Thursday).
He vaguely remembers the way to Moshe's home and I get there. But nobody's home.
He tried the key. The door is unlocked. But there is a padlock at the top of the door and Shlomo doesn't have the key.
Shlomo goes around to the back of the house and somehow pries open a back sliding door and sneaks in. He is home. I pass him his bags and I leave... I am happy that I have helped someone with such a wonderful Shabbos and I'm looking forward to hosting him again this coming week.

Liitle did I know what I was in store for.

I arrive home and walk through the door. The phone rings.
It's Shoshana* (A girl who is close with Chaim - Are you still following all the names and info?? - ).
"Hi Benny" she asks, "Where is Shlomo?"
"I took him home" I reply.
"Home to where?"
"To Moshe's house?"
Shoshana sounded surprised. "How did he get in?"
"Well, there was a padlock on the front door, but he got in from the back."
"You know that whatever he told you over Shabbat is a lie."
I didn't know that. I was surprised.
Shoshana passes the phone to Chaim, who was standing next to her.
Chaim tells me "Listen Benny**, if I walk into the house and Shlomo is there, I will kill him. He's not my brother in law. On Friday I found out that besides for being married to my sister, he has another family in Israel with five kids. I'm asking you to take Shlomo from the house and send him back to Israel or put him in a hotel. If he's in the house when I arrive, I'm going to spill blood."
I was terrified. This man sounded dead serious.
Being uncertain that this was true. Especially due to the fact that Chaim is a slight hothead, I decided to call Moshe in Mexico and see if what he was saying was true.
I called Moshe and he confirmed it all... He told me that it wasn't as bad a situation as Chaim made it sound. But the points brought up were valid. This man had apparently led a double life, being married to another woman with 5 kids. He told me that on Thursday, when he returns from mexico, he will work it out. But he asked me if for the meantime, I can maybe take care of Shlomo.
Well, now that I see him as a horrible person, I'm most definitely not going to have him stay in my house. I told him that I would help Shlomo find a hotel for the next few days.

I went to the house.
Chaim had already arrived and gotten the guards of their gated community to kick Shlomo out of the house.
Shlomo was standing at the gate already all flustered when I arrived. He didn't speak the language at all and had no idea why the guards are kicking out of the home that he is staying in.
I calmly told him that Chaim is going to kill him if he stays together with him. I made as if I didn't know the whole second family deal. I told him that Chaim mentioned something about 'family issues' being the reason for his frustration.
Shlomo didn't know what I was talking about. I went to the house alone and picked up all of Shlomo's bags. Then I took Shlomo to our house.

He called Israel and spoke for about an hour.
He tried staying at someone else from the community who he had met over Shabbos.
I stopped that from happening, calmly explaining that I am the Rabbi of our peaceful and unified community and I will not allow him to bring innocent people into this family feud. I will not allow strife and hate to develop between community members. If this innocent community member takes in Shlomo, then Chaim and Moshe will be upset at him for siding with Shlomo. Obviously, when Shlomo asked to stay by this community members house, he casually forgot to mention that fact that he's homeless because Chaim and Moshe are ticked at him. Instead he made as if I wanted the community member to host him until Thursday... A lie!

At the end of everything, I took Shlomo to a small, cheap hotel. He paid his dues and went to sleep. It was 6pm.

Meanwhile, he has left his food and books in our place and wants to spend his days - until Thursday that is - hanging out at the Cabo Jewish Center, which happen to be our private home too and Sonia's sister is here with three kids, so the house is packed.
I am not happy. His food is here and he is going to come knocking on our door tomorrow.
I don't trust him. There is this rumor and remote possibility that this man is a cheat and a major sinner and I do not want him in our house.
Literally, the entire day I spent trying to help him out to the best of my ability. But he's not happy. I screamed at him that I don't want him staying at my house and he needs to find a hotel. I have nothing to do with his problems with his family. A Religious man has no business moving to Cabo, where there is absolutely no Kosher. He should go back to Israel I screamed.
He's angry at me. What business do I have mixing in with his life??!! On the other hand, he expects me to throw open my own home and allow him to hang out with us all day

Anyways, I'm going to sign off. I need to wake up at 6am and go watch the farmers milk cows, so we can have Cholov Yisroel again.
I will take pictures.
We found a farm 15 minutes away that will milk the cows for us. How exciting!!

Gutte Nacht

I wanted to say, that while my brother has all his inspiring Shlichus stories about bringing Yidden closer to Judaim, my Shlichus is helping people avoid getting killed and decapitated.
NuNu!
We all have our personal Shlichus jobs.

Again, good night.

Excersize in New York.

So I was on my family blog before and one of my sisters was writing how much energy it takes, when living a regular life in New York. She was saying how walking in the humid weather, taking busses, subways and climbing all the stairs for apartment buildings can really drain the energy from a person come days end.





I thought about it.





I realized something very ironic, but intresting:





One would innocently think, that when someone wishes to go to work and the workplace is too far to walk.


Walking would be incredible excersize... But it's inconvenient, boring and time consuming.


Driving might be a Shlep too. Gas is expensive, there is probably traffic and there may not be parking.


The genius solution that cities have come up with is to build... The Subway system. An efficient, smooth ride to downtown in a couple of minutes. No parking, no energy is used and everyone is happy.


Happy, that is, unless you live in New York.





I would like someone to make a chart by every Subway stop in New York. A chart that gives clear diagrams and explanations on how much calories a person will lose and how much energy the person will drain for each few minutes on the trains.





Here's my point more clearly. Starting from the beginning...

... Arrive at the entrance to the subway:

30 Calories burned, walking down the eighty three, steep New York Subway steps, while trying to keep from slipping on all the homeless oils and throwup from the last ninety years of uncleaned Subway service.

... Buy ticket and swipe card through machine:

27 calories burned, trying to push the 'broken' touch screen, in making your card purchase. Then trying to swipe your card to get through the turnstyle... ten times!!! All this done in a panic, because you hear an approaching train, but the machine keeps saying "Please swipe again"

Darn thing never works!

... Run down to steps to catch approaching train:

24 Calories burned frantically running and tripping down the 130 stairs. No use. You just missed the train.

...Waiting on the platform fifteen whole minutes:

13 calories burned standing and waiting. "Oh Oh!! I hear the train approaching!!... No! It's just a 'B' train. I need the 'W'..."

...Finally train arrives. Getting on the train:

76 Calories lost squeezing on to the crowded train and leaning back, to avoid the foreign illegal workers arpit in your face for twenty minutes... Also, the bumpy train ride and jerky startups really gets some good leg muscles in trying to balance from going flying into the woman next to you.

... Find a seat and grab it. Two stops to your destination:

18 Calories lost. You needed to grab that seat before anyone came close. Once you're seated, the bumpy ride really does some great vibration ab toning.

Arrive at destination:

46 Calories squeezing out of the Subway (just in time), filing through the hundred thousand people 'purposely' walking in your way and climbing up the two hundred and thirty steps to fresh air (Not really, but yeah!)

... And that was only the way to work.

Let's not get into the journey back home.

That's probably why people who work in lower manhattan are slightly less in shape then the ones who need to continue on to midtown, uptown and the bronx.

My poisonal opinion.

Someone should sell New York subways online, as an excersize machine. He would make a killing!