Berale's blog

Tofu im beitza

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:12:14 GMT

Every man and woman has some contribution to human culture. Some have greater contributions, others have smaller. Today I want to post one of my contributions - a recipe that I invented. drklaymen likes it.

Ingredients: Tofu, egg, onion, oil, shug, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
Directions: cut onion. Cut tofu very thin (each slice should be 1cmx1cmx1mm). fry onion with shug. When onion is yellow, add tofu, and let sit for some time. stir, and let sit for some time again. repeat a few times. Then add soy sauce, and stir frantically until soy sauce disappears. Take off fire for two minutes, and then and an egg. mix well, then put back on fire and continue to stir until ready. Serve while hot.
It goes well with tomatoes and with yogurt.

A hassidic story for Yom Kipur

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:59:51 GMT

I don't know why I remembered it now, but here is a Yom Kipur story that I heard a few years ago from a rabbi, and decided to post it on my blog.

During the 19th century in Russia, the army used to recruit 15 year olds,
have them serve for 25 years, then release them at 40. This was done by
force, and randomly. Every boy of fifteen years, Jewish, Christian or
Muslim, could be taken to the army. Most of them never came back.
Our story begins in July of 1875. An old man of forty years in an army
uniform was approaching a Jewish village in the west of Russia. He was sick
and his right leg was wooden. He barely spoke any Yiddish. Only few of the
elders of the village recognized him. Hershel. He was fifteen when they
last saw him.
Hershel inquired about his family, but he learned that he had no family
left. During the years that he had been gone, his father had died and his
mother had left the village. No one knew where to. So he rented a
little room and stayed in the village.

This was in July. In September, three weeks before Yom Kipur, the rabbi
called him. Hershel, the rabbi said, I want you to deliver the Neila
prayer this coming Yom Kipur. Hershel was taken aback. Me? The Neila
prayer? the most important prayer of the whole year? look Rabbi, said
Hershel, I barely know the text, and my voice has not been so nice
ever since I got that bullet in my chest. And besides, the Neila prayer is
to be delivered by a righteous man, by someone who had never sinned. And I
sinned Rabbi. Believe me Rabbi, I sinned way more than you can possibly
imagine.

The rabbi stayed silent for a second, and then replied. Hershel, he said,
you shall do it. And by the time you go up there, in front of the entire
community, and pray, you will understand why I chose you of all people.

The days went by, and the great day had arrived. And after 22 hours of
fasting, it was time for the Neila prayer. Hershel heavily made his way to
the stand, and started praying. Very slowly, forgetting some words,
mispronouncing others, and his voice. What a terrible voice. Absolutely
the worst Neila prayer ever. The audience sat uncomfortably in their
seats, waiting for the nightmare to end.
Two pages before the end of the prayer, Hershel paused and started
speaking to the crowd.
You must be wondering, Hershel said, why the rabbi chose me for the most
important prayer of the year. I wondered about it too. And now I finally
know the answer. I am leading you through Neila because my prayer is the
purest in this synagogue. My prayer is purer than the prayer of any of
you.

The audience was about to erupt. Not for the first time, Hershel was in a
serious danger of violent death. But very calmly he continued.
What do you pray for? he asked rhetorically. And immediately he answered:
You pray for atonement and forgiveness. Well you know, some of the thing
that I did on the battlefield ... there is no forgiveness for those. So I
don't even bother pray for forgiveness.
You pray for your children, that they will marry well, that they will have
good lives. I don't have children, and I will never have.
You pray for health and long life. I don't. My health is ruined beyond
repair, and if I die at this instant - well it doesn't matter much.
Whenever god wants to take me, I'll gladly go.
You pray that you can make your living, that you will make enough money to
live - I am a veteran soldier, I get a monthly stipend from the government
and have all the money that I need.
So you see, I don't ask god to do anything for me. I am just telling him
this: you see god, you are there and I am here, you created the universe
and I live in it and that's the way it is. And this is the purest possible
prayer.

And then Hershel continued to lead the service until the end of that Yom
Kipur. And this is also the end of the story.

Poem

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:24:25 GMT

Here is a poem that I wrote (a little over) 10 years ago. I posted it here, then removed it, now posting it again (you know, we're all a little shy when it comes to our own poetry).

It is my plan to gradually copy my entire poem-book into this blog.

חרבה עירי - מאת ברלה

חרבה עירי, אבדה לבלי שוב
היתה לשממה, לשדה קטל עזוב
החליט המולך ונשלח הבלדר
והיתה עיר שלמה לאבק ועפר

ואני שידעתי את דבר הגזירה
לא עמד לי כוחי, לא היתה בי גבורה
לא נמצא בי העוז את שכני להזהיר
שהמוות עושה את דרכו אל העיר

ורק הסתלקתי ברוב חיפזון
היחיד היודע על בוא האסון
ובראשי העייף ממשיכה להדהד
המלה האחת, החודרת, בוגד

והמשכתי לצעוד ולטפס בהרים
מסתבך ומועד בנקיקים נסתרים
עד הרגע ההוא בו נותר רק לגעור
מדוע הפנית מבטך לאחור

חרבה עירי, אבדה בתהום
האמנם לא אשוב לראותך עוד, סדום

Niagara falls

Tue, 23 May 2006 02:54:02 GMT

I spent last week in Toronto. I had one free day so I decided to go and see the Niagara falls.
I learned a few things.
First and foremost, I now understand why in certain languages the word Niagara refers to the toilet
bowl.
Other than that, I was a little disappointed to see how comercialized the falls are.
I expected the province of Ontario to show some respect to nature, but instead they
built an amusement park.

ניאגרה ניאגרה, בה המים כה שוצפים
את הג'יפה לאוקינוס הם בכוח דוחפים

Yossi Banai Passed away

Thu, 11 May 2006 15:35:58 GMT

I read in the newspaper that Yossi Banai passed away yesterday.
Yossi Banai was one of my favorite actors. he was also a singer, and wrote
many of the better Gashash skits.

Yehi zichro baruch.

First LJ post

Wed, 10 May 2006 04:45:12 GMT

Hello friends,

I just joined the LJ community.
Nothing to say right now.

- Berale