Writing for this and that

I've been asked to pen a weekly column for the Limmud website in the lead up to the 2013 conference. I don't have too much time on my hands right now so wasn't able devote as much time to the writing as I usually would, but am quite happy with the result none the less.
Thought you might enjoy too so here it is:



Avraham’stop 10 tips for Home Hosting

When the Limmud Durban conference rolls around in August, my family will be playing host to presenter Simja Dujov.

While hosting a guest in our busy home  may mean a bit of re-arranging and probably some bribing of the kids to be on their best behavior at 5:45am, the positives far outweigh.

 
Firstly, I always enjoy meeting interesting people and this guest of ours, a trance musician from Buenos Aires, must certainly be. They say he brings “energy and cheerfulness into the party” so no doubt he’ll be infusing some of that cool vibe into Limmud and maybe even our kitchen, where the party happens in our home at about 5:45 every morning.

Secondly, Hachnasas Orchim, or the Mitzvah of inviting guest to our homes. Throughout the Torah we learn lessons of the beauty and value in this great Mitzvah. One of the best-known examples of this is Avraham – he would actively seek guests and then give them food and drink that was of better quality than they were used to receiving.

I did a quick wonder through the World Wide Web to see if I could find any home-hosting insights based on Torah wisdoms. At torahlab.org I found just the thing- lessons of the Chofetz Chaim (Ahavas Chesed 3:2) drawn from the story of Avraham.

So here we go, Avraham’s top tips on how to properly host guests:
1. Offer water to wash up
2. Before offering food, offer rest
3. If the guest is rushing, don’t delay them
4. Bring each dish as it is ready
5. Include your children
6. Walk the guest out
7. Greet your guests smilingly
8. Don’t tell them all your financial problems - portray yourself as financially secure so that they don’t feel badly about eating from your food.
9. Don’t watch them eat so as not to embarrass them.
10. Put your guests in your best beds.

Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber, decoder of the above list, also teaches that a woman has a better read on guests than a man. She’s probably the one doing most of that offering, bringing and smiling you mentioned as well, Rabbi.

So with all that in mind, my husband, our lively kids and I, look forward to once again hosting a Limmud delegate in our home, making a new friend and living the example of this beautiful mitzvah. 

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And here's a link to the online version of an article I wrote for a community magazine on the recent trip I went on to Israel. Connecting Souls and Sisters

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If you've made it this far, here's a confession: Maybe one day I'll write something and not be overly critical of it afterwards. For now, when I re-read whatever I've written, it's always with lots of "should have worded it this way" or "should have included/left out that bit".

Perhaps it's just that I'm not that great a writer but I do have the feeling that if I were to take the time to edit properly, to print out and read with a pen in hand, I'd be happier with the result when later reading it published.

Truth be told, even if it were to be revealed that I'm a pathetic writer, I'd still do it simply because that's what I've always done. I've written since I could. Diaries, pretend magazines, letters, then long emails, short stories, scripts professionally and for pleasure, and of course my blog. So, for better or for worse, I'm a writer. Albeit a self-critical one.