Wedding, War, Walking and WHOA

 As the war wears on, here are a few experiences I've been thinking about:

Went to our first wedding since the war started. Actually, it was the first I've been to since Penina and Menashe's wedding in September. So all the nice memories of *their* wedding were mixed up with the at-times overwhelming emotions going through me for *this* wedding. Seeing the father of the bride emotionally lead us in tehilim (psalms) as the chuppah started while fighter jets roared overhead......I don't really have words to convey what that was like.....And again feeling SO much thanks to Eitan the wedding planner who convinced Penina and Menashe not to wait until the Holidays were over in October to get married (and a heartfelt 'thank you' to Eitan for his service to our country. He was called up almost immediately and spent 73 days defending our country before, now, going back to wedding planning. He's a very well-rounded guy ;)).

And then singing "Acheinu" while the couple was under the chuppah to use the incredible energy of this time to help our hostages......

Wishing Yoni and Racheli a heartfelt Mazal tov.

I'm still trying to do my bit to help soldiers and their families. I'm making dinner once a week for one or two local families where the father has been called up (last week I also made for friends who had their first baby and also made some parts of Shabbat dinner for someone who used to work for Shalom Shachne and was sitting shiva for his father. That's the crazy thing--all the "normal" chesed needs are still there). 

My 8 year-old friend Bella now comes to shul with me on Shabbat, since she misses going with her father. It's about a ten-minute walk from my house to hers, so not too bad. Ilana, who generally makes her extra money by working as a math tutor, has started to babysit for Bella's family, which definitely counts as a chesed since she doesn't usually accept babysitting jobs ;).

The Homefront Command is suggesting that people prepare for a "multiple day blackout due to the situation up north, which may escalate into war at any given moment" (according to the "Beit Shemesh News"). Please join me in praying for permanent peace and security for our beautiful, holy land.