Encountering Leviticus at the library

amother

OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 12:49 am

I don't know if it's just me, but I often find myself to be the recipient of reverse outreach. "Reverse outreach" is a term I just coined, but it's otherwise known as bageling. (For some reason, bageling may have a negative connotation to some, and I mean it in an endearing way. So instead, I am calling it "reverse outreach.") It's where a non-obvious Jew will randomly make a comment to me to indicate to me that they, too, are part of the tribe.

So a couple of weeks ago, it was late Friday afternoon, about two hours to Shabbos. The food was cooked and the house was actually clean. It was the type of clean that you knew lasts only 7 minutes before it becomes unclean. In a magical way, toys, books, cards and shoes materialize all over the floor, and on the couch, and you wonder- can Shabbos come already? Because I can't freeze this state of cleanliness for much longer.

So, in a stroke of pure brilliance (which happens to me once in a while, especially in desperate situations), I decided to take the kids to the library. This way the house can actually stay clean. I thought I may be a hidden genius for coming up with this plan, but then I met about 5 other frum families there.

It was as we were checking our books out that I heard someone behind me say, "Shabbat Shalom!"

I turned around to see a little old man wearing a white fedora with a feather in it, looking at me expectantly. His crinkly eyes and profuse mustache reminded me eerily of Albert Einstein.

"Shabbat Shalom!" I responded with a smile.

His eyes sparkled, and he seemed to barely suppress his excitement as he said, "I can't believe we are almost finished reading Leviticus!"

Of all the things I might have expected him to say, that was not it.

He looked at me knowingly, his eyebrows jumping, as if insinuating that we share a special secret, special insider information -that this was the last week of Leviticus!

I smiled back and said something like, "Yeah, the weeks sure fly by.."

The smile on his face stretched ever wider as he nodded and walked off, repeating, "Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom".

It's hard to explain how, especially in these crazy times, encounters such as these make me feel. Connected, and proud and responsible to my fellow jews all at the same time.

Since then, if you come to my house, you may randomly hear me, or one of the kids say, "I can't believe we are almost finished reading Leviticus!" We say this when we want to express our excitement for something, but can't find the words, or just because we think it's fun to say Leviticus.

And since then, I look out for Albert Einstein in the library, so we can shmooze a bit about Numbers.

amother

Azure

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 1:45 am

PKL?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 6:13 am

amother Azure wrote:

PKL?

amother

Seagreen

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 6:27 am

Are you a professional writer? I'd read more

dena613 ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 6:35 am

amother Seagreen wrote:

Are you a professional writer? I'd read more

I think PKL usually just writes here on ima, though she has been published.
We are privileged to get to read her well-written stories here!!!

And if you'd like who read more, she created an anthology here of most of her stories.
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....43200

↑ dena613

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 6:40 am

Speaking of which, PKL, you have more stories to add to your master list, like when the boys come home... And leave.
And is the crazy Friday night walk story there?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 7:46 am

amother Seagreen wrote:

Are you a professional writer? I'd read more

No, I'm not.
But I have a couple of stories on Ima you can read. Search for PKL anthology.

Eta. I see Dena613 beat me to it with the link.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 7:49 am

dena613 wrote:

Speaking of which, PKL, you have more stories to add to your master list, like when the boys come home... And leave.
And is the crazy Friday night walk story there?

Yes, you're right. I need to get to that one of these days.
I think the Friday night story is there.

amother

Brickred

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 8:00 am

Side note, and mildly off-topic, I take my kids to the library for at least 2 hours every Friday afternoon. My husband stays home and cleans the house for Shabbos while we are out.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 8:13 am

amother Brickred wrote:

Side note, and mildly off-topic, I take my kids to the library for at least 2 hours every Friday afternoon. My husband stays home and cleans the house for Shabbos while we are out.

Aderaba, it's very much on topic.
The library is a fantastic place to hang out, after the kids are all bathed and dressed for Shabbos. They can't get too dirty there and it's cool and relaxing. And you get to meet interesting people there.

Side note, but you are super lucky that your husband cleans the house!

zaq

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 11:50 am

You never know. MOT come in all sizes, shapes, colors, flavors and languages.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 12:30 pm

zaq wrote:

You never know. MOT come in all sizes, shapes, colors, flavors and languages.

MOT refers to Modern Orthodox?
If yes, I agree that they do, but the sense I had was that this gentleman was not Modern Orthodox. I live in a very mixed community, and are friendly with many MO people. I don't think they typically refer to Vayikra as Leviticus, nor do they reach out to other Orthodox people in the library to talk about it. But maybe I'm wrong.

daisy

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 12:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

MOT refers to Modern Orthodox?
If yes, I agree that they do, but the sense I had was that this gentleman was not Modern Orthodox. I live in a very mixed community, and are friendly with many MO people. I don't think they typically refer to Vayikra as Leviticus, nor do they reach out to other Otherodx people in the Library to talk about it. But maybe I'm wrong.

MOT=Member of the Tribe

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 1:22 pm

daisy wrote:

MOT=Member of the Tribe

Ahhhh...ok, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying.

singleagain

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 3:49 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes, you're right. I need to get to that one of these days.
I think the Friday night story is there.

PKL if you want to send me or just post here the links that need to be added, I'll he happy to help add those links to the anthology. 😁

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 4:00 pm

singleagain wrote:

PKL if you want to send me or just post here the links that need to be added, I'll he happy to help add those links to the anthology. 😁

Thanks! I'll probably take you up on it after Shabbos.

synthy

Fri, Jun 14 2024, 4:34 pm

I was just musing about this. I get approached so often by people who do not appear outwardly Jewish, just to tell me that they’re flying to New York to be with their nephew for Passover or whatever. It’s like, “hey, I’m Jewish too!” I wonder why they feel the need to be recognized by a 20 something year old chassidish veibel.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jun 15 2024, 8:17 pm

singleagain wrote:

PKL if you want to send me or just post here the links that need to be added, I'll he happy to help add those links to the anthology. 😁

Thanks again for your offer.
Here's the link to When the boys come home: https://www.imamother.com/foru.....3949c

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jun 15 2024, 8:18 pm

When they go back to Yeshiva:
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....59743

amother

↑ OP

Sat, Jun 15 2024, 8:20 pm

My Airport adventure
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....49565