The first two days of Sukkos were great! I ate by the Lists for the first two meals and then Neve for the third, and a couple named the Katzes (who I met at the Lists') for the last meal. Was I stuffed! One beautiful thing about Sukkos in Jerusalem is that you can hear all the zemiros (Singing) of all the families or yeshivas who are having their meals. It was really a moving experience.
So now most everyone is on vacation for the week. On Monday about a dozen girls went down south, near the dead sea and masada to go rappelling. We left at 5:30 in the morning, and many of us were a little sleep deprived, as some girls were still returning from where they had their meals for the yom tov (holiday). We had quite a hike to get to the place were we did our first "jump" or "drop" or whatever it's called. The hike was exhilarating, and the view from the top of the mountains (hills, or big rocks, if you wish) was breathtaking. The sky is this deep, vivid blue, the sea is in full view, framed by hazy mountains in the background. Gorgeous.
The hike itself was a nice challenge, as there were certain areas which required jumping or climbing, or being creative in general as to how one gets from point A to point B. That part I liked a lot. However, the part where I was leaning backwards off of a 70 foot cliff with only a rope and an Israeli to keep me from a disaster, well, that part was not to my taste. I realize that the adrenaline rush associated with this activity must be the fun of it, but for me, it was mainly terror!! So, now I know. Difficult hiking trails = yes. Dangling backwards off cliffs = NO.
After the trip (which got back around 5:30 in the evening), I cleaned up and met Avital at the main bus station to go to Vickie and Dovid Lecy's in Ramat Beit Shemesh. We went, with a friend of Vickie's, to an outdoor concert, put on especially for the Chag (holiday). Now, music is a very powerful force which can really tap into the kedusha (holiness) out there. This music did not do that. It felt like just a regular concert that I would have gone to in college, except everyone was Jewish. Not exactly the feeling I'm going for when I'm abroad for a year of heightened spirituality.
On a nicer note, today I went to a small meal in Rebbetzin Levitan's Sukkah, which was very pleasant. There were only a few girls there, which was quite a change following the very crowded concert the previous evening. Rebbetzin Levitan fed us very yummy food and gave a beautiful dvar Torah: She brought Tehillim 27 (Psalm 27), which is what we've been saying since Rosh Chodesh Elul at the end of Shacharis (the morning service). One of the verses is Dovid HaMelech (King David) asking G-d to let him "dwell in the House of G-d all the days of my life." Rebbetzin Levitan noted that normally this "House of G-d" would be understood to be the Beis HaMikdosh, the Temple, but then she pointed out the Dovid HaMelech never saw the Beis HaMikdosh (his son, Shlomo - Solomon - built the first Temple). So Rebbetzin Levitan explained to us that, in this case, "the House of G-d" really refers to us when we're in a state of balance, where we can relate to G-d and to people in an even, fair, healthy manner. This is the state that we've (hopefully) achieved after Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. And now the Sukkah that we are sitting in is the protection G-d gives us when we're in this centered state.
Of course, it was much better when she gave it over, but it gave me such chizzuk (encouragement) after a trying day!
Tomorrow, G-d willing, I'm going to go spend time with Rebbetzin Scheinberg, then go to work at the Klamins (Klamens?) in the old city, who are having a Sukkos party. I'm looking forward! Thursday I think I'm going horseback riding in Netanya and then maybe to the beach, and hopefully to Rabbi Chalkowski's Sukkah party. Looking forward!
