I have a cold. I’m bummed. But just last week I experienced, while in the sukkah, that I can make the decision to be happy. Though I had heard that expression a thousand times, I never understood it.
Somehow, during Sukkot when it is a mitzvah to be joyful, I suddenly found the way. I remembered that God’s commandment is to be happy in the sukkah, and the resulting joy was bafflingly instantaneous.
What could be Jewish about a cold?
I may not be jumping for joy at the moment, but I also don’t have to wallow.
“…. happy is the man who… meditates on Torah day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in its season…”
** This is from my favorite psalm, chapter #1. To me this means that when we strive to see the world through the lens of Hashem, our needs are met, always. Again in my experience, this is astonishingly true.
So I googled “Jewish and sick“
The first thing I found was: pray/say psalms for others when they are sick.
The second was to visit the sick.
And the last was… you guessed it… Chicken soup!
Skipping straight to the chicken soup… here’s the obvious… but not always what I do. Drink lots of water, rest, vitamin C, you know… do what we can do, and let Hashem do the rest.
To that end, I’m going to eat a little of my favorite comfort food (pasta), drink some water, call a friend who needs an uplift, and prepare for an early night.
Laila Tov, good night, and love. The tree will bear fruit in its time.
💗 Vivi
** Thank you to Tehilla at Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies who is helping me find deep meaning in Psalms. You can find Tehilla’s Torah teachings right here in this link and also on the menu bar under “Tehilla’s Voice On Torah”. Tehilla tells “The Jewish Story” starting at the very beginning, Genesis. Join us and share your questions and comments!
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