More Conversations

Oddly school breaks lead to us having fewer meals together.  Actually, we have fewer meals.  Everyone seems to eat as they choose.  Sean and I have actually gone out with friends a number of nights.  We even went to the movies.

Instead, we spend different time around the table.  Last night and tonight we introduced the kids to a new (old) TV show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway."  It's the show "where everything's made up, and the points don't matter."  Sean and I discovered it when we were first married.  We watched the BBC version on a tiny TV in our Jerusalem apartment.  We continued to watch when the show came to the US, and, last night, rediscovered it.  We started with bloopers (not G rated) then moved on to full episodes.  It's both amazingly intelligent and wonderfully juvenile all at once. It led to conversations about the Rat Pack and Sammy Davis Junior, about what's appropriate on television, censorship, and lots and lots of laughter.

Not every time around the table needs to be erudite, but it's great when it combines with lots of fun.

Weathering the Storm

It has been a week plus since we spent a day without power.  The city is still getting itself back to normal.  Sean has been continuously preparing for the storm we just had.  He's put flashlights and batteries away.  We've stocked up on some foods.  Today I finally was able to buy salt for the driveway.

The funny thing is, the things that Sean has prepared were things on which we did okay.  The most glaring example: flashlights.  We have tons of flashlights.  Not all work, but most are fine.  Saturday night prior to the storm, I told the kids to make sure they had flashlights by their beds.  This was an easy task since they have multiple flashlights from camp.  Sean had a flashlight on his bedside table.  I have a reading light.  We had two more in our dresser.  One large one, which can also be a lantern, lives on the porch with our camping lantern.  Another lives outside the kitchen.  There's one more on my keys, easily found.  Batteries have a home in the basement, also easily found.  We always have lots of AA and AAA.  Suddenly, we needed five flashlights in the dresser, with a second set of batteries for each.  The kids began to complain they no longer had flashlights.  I said something to Sean.  He returned them.  We didn't need to put them aside.  They're already findable.

Much more helpful was his regular calling of Home Depot to see when their salt came in.  I finally bought some today, three 20 lb bags, plus one to return (we borrowed one).  Oddly, I usually have 3-4 bags in the garage.  I tend to over-salt.  I don't like to slip.  Sean's been doing the salting when he leaves for work.  Unfortunately he wasn't as neurotic as I in buying the salt, and didn't tell me when we ran out.  That's unlikely to happen again.  I'll probably buy more next week.

What we haven't done- we still haven't really prepared food.  We do have lots of water and some canned foods.  For years we've talked about having a couple of cases of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat, created for the military).  There's a pretty good kosher version made by My Own Meals.  You can eat the cold, or even get heaters.  You just prop them up on "a rock or something," and you're good to go.  It's a chemical heater.  After, you can put the heater in your pockets to keep you warm.  Hopefully Sean will work on that.  It's the one area we've allowed to really slip over the years.  Otherwise, as long as Gavi and Jesse keep dancing (see Unplugged), we'll all be fine.

Our Family Unplugged

It's been a rough week in the GTA. Many are still without power.  We were part of the lucky ones. We lost power for only 20 hours. While cold, it was a day I would not have wanted to do without.

First, it made us sit up and realize that while we thought we were prepared, we were not as prepared as we thought. We allowed our ice-melt supply to run very low. Normally I keep about 30 pounds in the garage, plus special stuff for our steps. We were left only with the specialty ice-melt. Our battery supply was not what it should have been. We had plenty of batteries for flashlights, and a plethora of flashlights that worked (the seem to accumulate like wire hangers or single socks). We had told the kids to have flashlights by their beds in case of power loss. We have a CD/radio, but it uses 6 "C" batteries. We had 4. Thanks to Steve who brought us some. We realized how dependent on the internet we are. Neither of us has data available on our phones, so that was simply lost to us. There is no plan to change that in the future. It's also not enough to have canned stuff in the house, if it's not food you want to eat on its own. Our tuna supply was low. Water, taco shells, pureed tomatoes, and Israeli pickles is not an emergency plan. We talked for years bout getting MRE's. It's now time we do it.

Second, it made us realize how prepared mentally we were. We knew Saturday night we'd likely lose power, so there was no surprise. We have plenty of candles, flashlights, and matches. We have a cache of wood for the fireplace. It's kept in the garage, but we can open it with a key in case of lost power. There were food places open. We had bagels for breakfast and laffa for dinner. We moved food from the fridge to the deck. We remained calm, and planned as we needed to.

Finally, we're good at being unplugged. Not knowing how long the outage would last, we suggested to the kids they not use laptops, etc, but save them for when they got really stir crazy. Keren wasn't feeling great, but a comfy bed of blankets in front of a fire, and parents to cuddle with works out well. Our children are all readers, and we have a large library to keep them busy. We worked on a puzzle (finished on Tuesday). When the boys got a little stir crazy they decided to listed to music on the CD player. This led to an amazing air guitar show. They leaped about while Jesse played their invisible harmonica. Gavi was in charge of guitar. A hockey stick was his electric guitar; our old hobby horse the acoustic. Sean videoed a set so we can show it at their weddings.

As the light faded, the kids got a taste of what darkness really is. Even at camp or out camping there is always ambient light. They agreed it was eerie to listen to the quiet in the quickly approaching darkness. We threw another log on the fire, and cuddled up together with our books. Towards evening's end, the kids decided to watch a movie we'd all enjoy. They picked Night at the Museum with nary an argument. Then we all headed up to the masted bedroom to huddle up together to sleep. It was at this point the lights came on and, more importantly, the heat. The kids decided we should go ahead with the sleeping plans. After all, what's more fun than a sleep-over, and it wasn't warm yet.

The next day we were all grateful for the power and the heat, but they lamented a little bit over the loss of the opportunity. Insightful for them. Interesting for us.

I hope you are all safe and warm.

Parashat Vayera- Many Out of One

...hinei Anokhi nogeif et kol g’vul’cha batzfar’d’im. V’sharatz ha’y’or tzfar’d’im v’alu u’va’u b’veitecha uvakhadar mishka’v’cha v’al mitatecha u’v’veit a’vadecha u’v’amecha u’v’tanurecha u’v’mish’a’rotecha…. Vayeit Aharon et-yado al meimei Mitzraiyim vataal Ha’tz’fardei’a va’t’khas et-eretz Mitzraiyim

…Behold, I will strike all your borders with frogs. And the rivers will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into your servants’ home, and upon your people, and into your ovens and in your kneading troughs…. And Aaron stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frog came up and covered the land of Egypt. (Shmot 7:27-28, 8:2)

Pirkei Avot (5:9) lists 10+ miraculous items created during the very last moments of creation.  Among them are the mouth of Bilaam’s donkey, Aaron’s staff (that transforms). The inscription of the 10 Commandments and the tablets, and the first pair of tongs (since you need tongs to make tongs).  As a result of this mishnah, Rambam asserts that all miracles must be part of the natural world. Exceptions to this must have been built into creation, and therefore into nature.

Throughout history there have been many explanations as to the natural series of events that may have created the plagues. One particular piece is more difficult to explain.  The frogs are to be a widespread plague, but when Aaron holds out his hand, only one frog appears. Rationalist, such as Ibn Ezra, state this is merely referring to the genus, but that there were actually thousands of frogs at that moment. Rabbi Akiva taught there was one frog. The Egyptians beat the frog, and others flew from it. Midrash teaches the thousands emerged from the mouth of the one.

While the modern mainstream follows the rational thought of Ibn Ezra on this occurrence, there are fascinating natural phenomena that may inform us. The Northern Gastric Brooding Frog, native to Australia, swallows her eggs, allowing them to develop in her stomach. Fully developed frogs emerge from the mother’s mouth. In Darwin’s Frog of South America, the male swallows the eggs, storing them in specialized sacks until they are fully developed. Three species seem to shed babies from their backs. The male Marsupial Frog holds tadpoles in pouches on his hips until they are developed. The male Midwife Toad, of Europe and northern Africa, carries its eggs until they are ready to hatch. He then deposits the tadpoles into water. Finally, the Surinam Toad flips during mating so the eggs are caught between the male and female, and become embedded in the female’s spongy skin. More skin grows over the eggs, allowing them to gestate in protected pockets. When developed, the frogs emerge from their mother’s back, although flexing can also forcibly eject them.

We cannot know if the Rabbis knew of any species that displayed such interesting reproductive oddities. Likely, the rationalists were correct, and this is just a case of life imitating Torah.

Shabbat shalom.

Conversations From the Rabbis' Table

Meals at our house are interesting things. In this world of crazy schedules and too many gadgets, we still manage to eat most of our breakfasts and lunches together. Conversation flows (well, not always at breakfast) like a daf of Talmud. One word reminds someone of another story and another and another, until the tangent is more important than the start. 

Our conversation is sometimes immensely normal, and at other times just what a stereotype of a two rabbi family might entail. Breakfasts are a fascinating study in the human condition. Keren and I are most certainly NOT morning people. We are barely capable of speech, let alone thought. Gavi and Sean are decided morning people. Their morning begins with wrestling and dive bombing stuffed animals. They are loud and boisterous. They are happy. Jesse is somewhere in the middle, miserable until awake, then amazingly annoying (at least to my non-morning brain).

Breakfast conversation cannot usually be classified as conversation. "Conversation (noun)- The informal exchange of ideas by spoken words." (Thank you apple dictionary.) Like most parents, Sean and I spend a lot of time rushing the kids along. There are t'fillot to say, shoes to don, and backpacks to pack. Keren is incapable of speech, and usually communicates in short dissatisfied grunts, nose in a book. Jesse is either argumentative or nudgey. Being a teen and the older brother, he feels it is his right and responsibility to correct, discipline, and generally annoy his younger siblings. This is punctuated by exasperated exhalations when something does not run smoothly, such as his contact lens not leaping into his eye by its own volition. There are reminders of how everyone is getting where after school, and things that need to happen. I imagine it's a typical household. Of course, there are the times when Jesse is excited about something at school. Then conversation turns to quadratic equations, history, and talmud. Gavi will jump into any discussion of military history. If there is discussion of mythology, Keren perks up and may even leap in. Regardless, Gavi usually has something to say, often about meteorology. He will glance out the window, and begin to explain the clouds, their nomenclature, and what the weather for the day will be. I usually have to stop him at this point. "Gavi," I say, "You know my brain isn't awake. Please repeat what you said, slow, and with small words." He smiles and runs through it all again. If I'm lucky it'll only take three to four times to get it.

Sunday breakfasts make more sense. Sean isn't home, but by 11-ish we're all up and ready to eat. The kids usually ask for pancakes, although popovers or waffles aren't unheard of. There is fruit and there is chocolate. Then the conversation turns to memories. Jesse likes banana, strawberry, chocolate pancakes. The trippers at Ramah make them on the camping trips. Jesse will wax on about the sights he's seen and the canoes he has carried. This may lead to other camp reminiscences or memories from family camping trips. I will tell stories of their antics when they were smaller. It's a leisurely meal without the grogginess and rush.

Dinners have their ups and downs. We have dinner together at least four nights a week. Two other nights there are at least three of us. Saturday night tends to be a night of foraging for all. The conversation is more erudite. There is lots of laughter (and some annoyance). This is the time when our children really show they're the children of two rabbis, at least when they're not poking each other in the ribs and chasing the cat.

This is a topic I've long wondered on. How are our conversations different from others. I have long wanted to somehow record them. We've tried some nights, with varied success. I may still try. But for now, I shall content myself with trying to record some brief details here. I hope you enjoy.