Exchange of Blessings

On Sunday we took a drive up to EquiTerra Farm in Clinton, LA to pick some blueberries and figs. This is really the end of the blueberries, but we did manage to get a nice big bowl-full before the effort involved and the heat sapped the kids’ enthusiasm for the outing. The fig trees scented the air with their perfume, which made it all the more disappointing that someone had beaten us to EquiTerra and had taken everything that was ripe.

Just before we got home we crossed paths with Cruz, my Harley driving Hasid. He followed us into the driveway on his bike. Cruz has been trying to give us something since my last service at Beth Shalom on 20th of June-- something he could not carry and drive the motorcycle. He asked me if I could meet him back to his apartment.

When I got there Cruz was waiting for me in the parking lot with his gift. He gave us a beautiful Mordechai Rosenstein print. Rosenstein builds his work around quotes from TaNaKH and other sifrei kodesh. This piece includes a quotation from the Zohar: Brich Shmei D’Marei Alma---Blessed is the Name of the Master of the Universe.

This is a touching gift, particularly as I know that Cruz bought this piece for himself when Mordechai Rosenstein visited Beth Shalom as Artist-in-Residence. I am sure it was not easy to part with.

We talked for a while, then Cruz asked me to bless him. I did, right there in the parking lot, among the discarded Modelo cans and with the traffic going by on Government Street.

I am going to miss this gentle soul, who calls me “Chacham“ instead of Rabbi. He is a true pilgrim. I expect to see him one day walking the streets of Jerusalem or coming down Castle Steps to come to shul in Hong Kong-- an Elijah in motorcycle boots.