I am finally home after a long schlep. I had my weekly Anatomy and Physiology class this morning at 8:15 in the city (the hebrew is killing me), so I slept over at my brother in-law’s apartment instead of going all the way home (north of the city, 45 minute bus ride). I made the class, but it’s a very tiring stretch, to say the least, as I got up at around 6:30ish on Wednesday, went to work and basically have been busy doing “stuff” until finally now, erev Shabbos, I can stop for awhile. Not being home it’s hard to let myself relax. I know I am overworked when I start to feel tension in my stomach and weak and depleted in general.

I have really had a good time however since posting last night, as the subject matter stayed and danced in my imagination. Today as I studied the Chok l’Yisrael (sefer comprised of selections from all areas of Torah, arranged by day according to the parsha) I saw so many connections with the topic in general. Maybe when I get the chance I’ll post some more about that. There was one comment of Rashi in particular, as well as the selection from the Zohar, that seems to be very connected with what I posted about.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that it’s very beneficial to come up with original ideas and insights in Torah, and to apply one’s imagination to it. This serves to purify the faculty of imagination, which is so easily subverted by the yetzer hara.

I’m looking forward to having time to spend with my wife and daughter, now that it’s almost Shabbos. I recently started a new job in Jerusalem that requires a longer commute than my old job did. It isn’t actually that far physically, but since I live at the very beginning of our local bus line, it takes time to wind through our yishuv and get into the city. I don’t have a car. I then need to take a second bus to get to where I work, downtown. The commute seems to average about an hour and twenty minutes. I usually put in at least 8 hours at work, as we need the money at this point, and also daven Mincha and Maariv, which adds another 45 minutes, so with the commute I usually don’t get home until pretty late. I feel terrible when I don’t see my daughter at night. I hear from my wife that she asks about me and I feel so bad. Usually I make it though just before she goes to sleep. I am hoping that going forward I can find a way to either set my hours creatively or arrange some work that I can do from home, in order that I can be home more hours of the day.

I am really looking forward now to Shabbos, in particular the songs that I hear (and sing) at the tish I usually go to on Friday nights. They are so soothing at the end of the week, and usually it’s the time when I’m able to finally feel myself just letting go of all the noise, movement and schlepping of the week. It’s such a wonderful feeling, when the tangible realization that “THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO DO, AND NO WHERE ELSE YOU HAVE TO GO” creeps over me. I’m a busy guy, and it’s so good just to sit and feel the rest of Shabbos.

I really have felt quite good since writing yesterday, and I think blogging might very well be good for my mental health. I don’t know if anyone is reading yet, but if you are, please leave comments! I am looking forward to finding my voice and interacting with people here. I hope that you find something for yourself as well. To any and all, Shabbat Shalom.