A Tough Few Days

So I had a tough week. First my grandma Anna passed away Wednesday night. My mom and my sister and brother flew in to bury her here in Jerusalem and then my mom sat shiva for a few days at my house. Then, the whole Mumbai horror began to unfold with one sick story after the next coming out. Then the IDF took up position against the Beit HaShalom in Hebron in order to evict Jews from their rightfully-purchased property in the holy city. Then, an elderly Jew called me in tears telling me that his father's tomb on the Mount of Olives has been desecrated. Then yesterday I went to the Mount of Olives to take part in four burials of the Mumbai massacre. Then, with all this on my head, I heard the weather report: sunny, hot, and dry with no rain in sight. Ouch. Some tough days for the good ole' Jews of Israel, and I myself shed more then a few tears.

Then I looked up in the sky and I saw Jupiter and Venus hugging the moon in a very special celestial formation. Wait a minute... I think the two bright planets and the Moon are forming a... a big heavenly smile! Well, it may be cheesy, but this is what I thought: Indeed this is a hard time and we feel as though we are on the verge of breaking. This is the period of the Third Jewish Commonwealth and many great rabbis of yore publicly stated that they did not want to live in this super-challenging time. But G-d has chosen us in this generation and He has given us the great merit to be here now to do His work. With all the awfulness around us, G-d is looking down upon us and telling us "Be strong, continue to spread the light, don't break, and don't be disheartened." The funny and unusual Moon-smile made me laugh through the tears. Thanks again Lord, for cheering me up.