No matter how many years I've done it - fasting is horrible, excruciating, painful, awful, depressing, etc. There. I've said it with no guilt feelings. Everyone asks me the next day - "Nu, so how was your fast?" "Oh it was great, loved every minute of it, I hate food and would rather live without it. Wish I could do this every day!" Before the fast, I walked into a pharmacy and they were selling all kinds of herbal pills to alleviate the discomfort of fasting. I bought one new kind of pill, "Made according to the Rambam's (Maimonides) receipe". That intrigued me. Hubby fasts lousy and my second oldest daughter gets migraines while fasting so I bought it for those two in mind. As for myself, I cut out all caffeine several days before so I wouldn't have to suffer too badly. I don't know how Moslems do Ramadan for 30 days. It's coming up in mid-October and every Moslem I speak to love it. I understand the meaning behind it and the spirituality of it all, but if it comes out in the summer and you have to work 8+ hours or so, HOW? And for 30 days! Granted you can eat in the morning before it gets light and in the evening once it gets dark, but it's not easy. Yom Kippur began the night before. It's one of the two 25 hour fasts we have a year. My son actually managed not to eat. He wanted to bow out of fasting by 3:00 pm but we bribed him with ice cream for afterwards and it worked. We figured he lasted this long he could surely suffer along with the rest of the family and last until 6:00 pm. Israeli kids are all out on the streets in their bicycles riding in the middle of the road because 99% you won't see any car on the road, unless it's an ambulance or police car or army patrol. My son went riding with the pack last year, but didn't want to this year because he was nervous he'd become thirsty and have to break his fast. Not even 13 yet and he did great! Most Israelis go to the synagogue, but we all are made of the same thread and find all the local ones b-o-r-i-n-g. I can't pray out of a prayer book these days. I don't like being told how to talk to God. I like talking to Him in my own words. I meditated alot that day, I read alot, we all played puzzles and then it was over.
Monday, September 27, 2004
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4 comments:
Shana Tova. Happy you had a Tzom Kal. Sorry that you do not have a prayer group or synagogue that pleases you. How about forming a Chavurah with other people who find synagogue b-o-r-i-n-g like you? The act of praying in a group is so important. I speak to my class about this idea all the time. SO many people are apt to say "I can pray on my own". This is not the point of a minyan at all:)
OK - as your average gentile, I read what people write, but I do not understand this fasting thing. Nobody ever explains why, because you are all talking to each other and understand!
I know that the Yom Kippur fast is a commandment from the Old testament that on such and such a day, no drink, nor food shall be eaten. I'm terrible with sources, so I don't know exactly where it's written, but it's definitely from my Higher Power
Leah,
I agree with you about the fasting.. I am not as excited as I should be about Ramadan coming up. I love food but going all day without water is most difficult for me, I'm used to having about 2-3 litres a day. All I can say is I'm glad the days are still relatively short but it is creeping towards the summer months. A lot of people cheat by sleeping most of the day, and eating all night but that defeats the purpose. Not to say I haven't done it.
Haven't been on here in awhile it seems, but enjoyed catching up. Hope you are enjoying many blessings.
Amna
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