He’s a devoted Ronaldo fan, but Menny is also loves watching Messi, Mbappé, Haaland and so many other great players. He’s addicted to soccer, playing and following, and as a result I know more about soccer than any other sport. When the Knicks were playing a few weeks back, I recalled my childhood classmates Dovid and Willy who were Knicks fans and would talk about basketball a lot. To me, who doesn’t follow sports, the Knicks were still the team of Patrick Ewing though he retired in 2000. I find it fascinating that though a player may be excelling on a certain team, when it comes to the World Cup, they re-join their home country, representing their roots not their current employer.

In this week’s Torah portion, Devarim, the first in Deuteronomy, Moses begins his thirty- six-day farewell speech to the Jewish people. They will be heading into Israel with Joshua and Moses spends his final days giving them a loving pep talk. He reminds them subtly of their past mistakes, forewarns them not to assimilate into idolatrous cultures, he beseeches them to follow the Torah and be kind to each other, and he reminds them of the holiness of Israel. In short, Moses is seeking to ascertain that the Jew never forgets the truth of all truths that no matter where he or she may roam, wherever they may dabble or experience “soul searching”, they will always be a Jew and must act like one. The Jew may choose to play a little for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr but they will also remain connected to Portugal and be with them for the games that really matter.

Jews dabble.

This one meditates with a bit of Buddhism, this was dances with Hare Krishnas, another decides to pray with the Sikhs or believe in Taoism, but no matter how meaningful it may feel, the Jew will always remain connected to their Jewish roots and yearn for the light and depth that G-d gave them at Sinai. Yes, your Hebrew School teacher may have a been nasty, your Jewish education may have been abysmal, your parents may have been spiritual hypocrites, and your childhood rabbi may have been out to lunch; all valid stories, but never an excuse to deny yourself the opportunity to experience your heritage. If FIFA taught me one thing it’s that you can travel far away from your roots, but you will always, always, come back home.

Come home!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

I love biking.

Growing up, my brother Yanky and I would bike all over our Brooklyn neighborhood. With Menny home from camp, I finally made the move; I went over to Round House, picked up a Cannondale Trail, and I’ve been having a blast. It’s like my childhood has come back to life. Biked to the library with Menny through Lindley, around the neighborhood with Chana Laya and even biked myself through the “bird” streets on the east side of town near Bozeman Trail Road. I am enjoying it in so many ways, and I am excited to keep it going until the first foot of snow hits the pavement.

In this week’s double Torah portion, Matos-Massei, we read about the journeys that the Jewish people experienced between leaving Egypt with Moses and arriving to Israel’s border where Joshua would lead them into the Holy Land. Of the forty-two locations where they encamped, twenty-two of them were in year one and year forty, and at one locale they were encamped for nineteen years. So, it really didn’t matter the amount of time they were encamped, they treated each location as somewhat permanent, because they never knew in advance what would come next and when it would come. Bill Ackman shared a longish post this week from Sahil Bloom that is summed up with these words “Be in the season you’re in. Don’t romanticize the past, don’t fantasize the future. Be here. Be now. Be in this. All of its texture, depth and struggle. All of its joy, tension, and pain. Sit with the uncertainty. Become friends with it. Fall in love with it”.

Biking is freeing. It’s good for my physical health, but also for my mental and emotional health. Doing it with the kids adds a bonus that I really enjoy and can’t wait for Zeesy to get back from Camp Simcha Special to join me on the trails. Unlike walking, where I could still use my phone, biking needs both my hands, so it really is a break from the noise, the busyness and the distractions that exist. I can look at Bridgers and Mount Ellis, I can smell the flowers and see them blossom, I can meet nice neighbors and fellow bikers, and I can breathe in the clean, pure and delicious air of Big Sky Country.

Bicycle freedom!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

‍