Suggest Another World

“The only value of this world lay in its power - at certain times - to suggest another world.”
― Thomas Ligotti, Songs of a Dead Dreamer.

Jewish liturgy, all the begging. Would you have any respect for a person who does this self flagellation? God should be begging us for forgiveness. If he created this cruel mess.

Yesterday I met J., a retired doctor who plays an instrument as a hobby. He grew up in the Bronx and has a real Jewish gefil. A family from Kiev, escaped the Ukrainian pogroms. Our common goyesher friend, used to ask me why J, always speaks about the Holocaust. Because it never ends, I told him. He and his wife, had a late and only son. About a week ago, his son, who is in his thirties and had mental issues, after a conversion with his father, killed himself. While his mother and father were in the same house. How to comprehend this. Should God beg us for the forgiveness? Would it be possible to forgive?

Was there Alzheimer in the past, was dementia in the past, was there Parkinson’s in the past, was there autism in the past, was the psychosis in the past, was there even back pain in the past? Instead of all the nerd fluff, why we never hear about what really matters from any of Rishonim or Aharonim, from God himself?

Rebbe was supposedly smart, but he had (many) blind spots. You take any man who doesn’t move, add high in carbohydrates Jewish diet, it’s a certainty that he would have a metabolic disease, heart attack or stroke at some point. Surprise the Rebbe lasted that long. Why did he not teach movement? Siting in a room all day long is a point of shame not pride and a terrible example. Don’t get me started about the culture that worships sitting as in yeshiva. The death trap in more ways than one.

I just met a man and asked him about his sister who is in the hospital. I noticed that his answering was a little off. So I asked how he was feeling. His wife answered for him, Alzheimer… Seeing my reaction, she said: “Are you afraid to hear this?” I am numb, more than afraid.

Will all of that, I wish you all a good year! Sincere wishes are all that is left. L’chaim! I raise my champagne to you!