The little Jew said, “I think I can, I think I can”

-If you need to exercise, don’t bother. I will excercise for you for only $18 an hour
-Don’t really have time to talk to Hashem? I will do this for you for just $50 an hour.
-Need fuel in your auto? No problem! I will drive your car to the station for just $10
-Have something you need to shop for? I will shop for you online for just $15 an hour. Will get you the lowest price!
-Something wrong with your computer? I will take it over live through msn’s auto remote assistance for just $30 an hour
-Have a book you want to read. I will read it to you. No reason to strain your yes. Just $15 an hour
-Slow connection speed to the web? I will dictate Reb Moshe’s blog to you daily via phone. This is a free service!

Tzfat is known as the windy city in Israel. Tonight while I was inside writing to all my holy friends on myspace when a succah from 30 feet above me flew in the air and crashed missing my succah by inches. If I was in the succah and it hit it, I would have been hurt. Now I have learned an important lesson, “check your friends succah, lest you Die!”

The baby is a great great kid. He is 2.5 years old and no matter what happens, he finds a way not only to make us happy but total strangers. There is still much healing that has to take place with new skin growing in or otherwise, he is headed for another surgery this coming week or next. So please have him in mind in your prayers.

Yesterday, I decided to setout on the impossible mission of finding the Tzaddik, Rash Lakish. I started out going under an underpass and onto the first dirt road I saw. On the way, I was excited to see another Jew with payis driving the other direction so I asked him for directions. He said, “Raish Lakish”, excitingly! I have been trying to find that grave for 2 years now. It isn’t up here. Next thing we knew it, we had joined forces to fufil our dream together and find the Tzaddik. I followed him and then he followed me at times. No road was a challenge to us both. Through army shooting ranges and 4×4 roads, we took our cars for the rides of the lives….

Finally, we realized that we could go no further in our non jeep rides and we set forth on foot. For 2 hours we walked and then returned in the dark. We had not found Raish Lakish! This was not my first attempt either. I have spent hours before driving through the dirt and rocky roads looking for the famious Rabbi. His grave is known to be one of the most difficult ones to be found in the north. I guess there is always tomarrow to try again. At the end of our journey, we exchanged numbers and were happy to have had the opportunity meet. Today, I rest my legs from the long journey and hope that my car doesn’t have a flat this morning.

Tonight is the Yirtzite of the Ari HaKodesh. There is a video about him on the TorahVideo site. Thousands of tourist will be visiting Tzfat during this time and Shabbos. Usually, our phones are off the hook with people wanting a place to stay and the noise outside my house lasts all night with shofer blowing and people talking. Since we know it is for a good cause, we bite the bullet and close our ears, sometimes even joining them. At times it is a blessing and other times, it isn’t the most easy thing to live in a tourist town.

I am getting over some form of a flu these past few days. Not a big deal, don’t worry about me;)

I thought I would start this blog with an opening for you folks to maybe share with us a little miracle that happened to you or someone you know. This is the month of Nison after-all, which is known to be a time of miracles and redemption.

Today is my fathers Yertizte, Memorial. It has been about 8 years since he passed away. For me it seems like yesterday but my memory of him is mostly picturing him hooked up to tubes and when I think of him without, I break down. You would think after 8 years, one would cope better then this but I guess it depends on how special the person really was too you. In my case, my father was my inspiration, teacher, guide, friend and so much more. The Rabbi’s tell us to learn Torah special in the merit of the departed soul but I literally can barely open my lips on this day so please if you could learn some Torah for me. Shlomo Zavel Ben Yaakov Z’L    (He really is the true inspiration behind all of my teaching work)

Really, the great post you could make for my blog is to write me that you learned something in honor of him today

I can’t believe I am still seeing news that Jonathan Pollard is in jail. To be honest, I never took this situation so serious because I always assumed someone would pull the right strings and get him out any day but this case keeps dragging and dragging on. Jonathan, ilovetorah.com and all of us stand with you, hoping for your salvation!!!!!!!!

So, why is this holy man still locked up?

The baby has only first degree burns now but they are showing scarring on his cheek, shoulder, arm, chest and back. Please Hashem! Have this young boy grow up without this embarrassment. It is too soon to know what will show or not but as a parent, this is very scary.

This motzei Shabbos we looked at the babies wounds and got concerned since the skin is bubbling. We got into the car and drove to Bnei Brak and back that evening. The doctor thinks its okay but today it looks even worse. Meanwhile, we have to meet with the other children’s school tomorrow as they can’t figure out why our other kids are not doing so well in class, well…

Now on the parnasa front, no time to really work.

The Car, well it has to go through the yearly bureaucratic test which costs 1600 shekels, no time to do that… I hope i don’t get stopped. Oh and I hit a high speed bump in Jerusalem so the middle of the muffler has a whole.

On the website front, I have one team of guys working on the new torahvideo but its taking a bit of time. I can’t really complain as its kinda my fault for not really knowing what I want.

The new design for my blog, well, the designer who did my wife’s cartoon is having trouble drawing me. Am I that bad looking, lol

The singles site, well, I am working for 3 weeks straight to blow your mind on  that one. Coming soon but then again, dealing with programmers is like dealing with the mafia sometimes.

Now back to the servers themselves, Torahvideo is up too 12gig of space. I love torah is up to 3-5gig and frumdate, a couple. In order to re-due torahvideo and frumdate correctly, I need a system called vps, Virtual Private Server. This gives me root access to install special flash software. Vps can run up too $100 a month especially since I use 200gig and by the start of next year 300 bandwidth. So since I don’t have this money, I am stalling and trying to find a cheap server that will most likely be my biggest nightmare. This looking costs me 5 hours a day for a week.

Since we live in a small town, its strange but teenagers aren’t so interested in babysitting so we are pretty much on our own most of the time. This being the case, ill child, worn out mother, money pressures, kids school, web design, well… Hashem should help

The baby still has scares and 3rd degree burn. His arm is very stiff since it has been bandaged up so long. He still has pain. While a lot is improving quickly, some areas are still not good. Please continue to have him in your teflilos, prayers. I also worry for our other children who have been somewhat tramatized by not having parents full time for the last couple of months. Please also think of them in your prayers.  

I go to sleep tonight worried for my children. Yeah, they will be okay but they have quite a road in front of them. My oldest went to bed with fever and ear pain. My youngest is rapped in bandages seeking the rest of his healing. I am comforted by one thought this moment as I close my eyes. It is the true meaning of Shema Yisrael that we say each night before retiring. What are we doing? We are giving over our soul back to Hashem entrusting Him to return it in the morning, that we may live another day. So, my last thought is quite simular. I have cared for Hashem’s children as he in-trusted me to do for Him, therefore, He shall take care of mine. I return this trust with the famous words of our people… Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad…

p.s. One of my most difficult memories as a young man was watching my father loose a limb from 3rd degree skin wounds and I have now just lived over 3rd degree skin problems with my son, B’H he is recovering nicely. This is one thing I can’t really express in words(sharing simular pain from my dad & now my son). It had brought back many memories I had previously wished to forget. I just want to protect my children from all mishaps but there really is only one way to do that, truth in Hashem.

The baby is doing better but its a long road for us to recover from 3rd degree burns. Our other children have been devoid of parents for weeks. I call to my friends out there if you know any girl with experience who could be a mothers helper. If there is someone in seminary interested, maybe we could ask for a two week leave so you would be able to assist us.

My wife and I are overwhelmed. So much is going on at once. We want to take care of our sick child but then the other children are neglected. The baby won’t sleep cause he is inchy and in pain. My second child has a fever. Then also my site is neglected and I am in the middle of mekariving thousands. Even if I had the time to pay my bills, I don’t have the money too. Things in the house need fixing but we are not here to do them. We are not returning again till Thursday after midnight. I have a laptop but no internet connection where I am staying in Bnei Brak. 

After helping My wife and Baby for almost a week, I have returned home for 2 days. We have relocated him to better Doctors and care. He is doing much better B”H.