Rain, Kineret and Weather in Jerusalem

It has been a few weeks since we posted about the weather in Israel and Jerusalem in particular. We are happy to say there has been much rain. Windy days too. At this moment on Friday morning the rain has subsided and the wind is still active. There are predictions for rain to continue this afternoon and for snow for Jerusalem tonight and tomorrow, ie over Shabbos.

So if you are visiting Jerusalem and walking to friends, family or kind and caring hosts for your Shabbos meals do make sure to bundle up. If you live in Jerusalem, you can bundele up too, :). You just may be walking in the snow either to or from Shul or your meals. If it falls later on, take care when going to Shul in the morning. 

There are a few Hallachos for snow on Shabbos. If snow falls on your clothing, you can gently shake off unmolten snow. If it falls on a waterproof raincoat, you can shake off the snow more vigorously. It is not permitted to make snow balls or a snow man if the snow settles sufficiently. Snow itself is not Muktze, however we can not mould it into any shape on Shabbos. Remember, no photographing on Shabbos either, even if the snow flakes are beautiful or fun or the white on the roof tops or at the Kotel is impressive and a picture. The snow comes from Hashem and He requests us to observe the Shabbat.

So if there is snow fall this Shabbos, enjoy the beauty and the clean white snowflakes, but remember to follow the laws for Shabbos. 

The last few weeks of rain has had a positive effect on the level of the Kinert. In the last few days there has been a rise of 5 cm. The level of the Kineret is currently -212.83m and 82cm above what it was this time last year. 

Keep up the davening and good deeds. We want the Kineret to be full to the appropriate level that there is no flooding but we have the quanitiy of water required to take us out of danger zone.

Shabbat Shalom, Good Shabbos, Gut Shabbos - all acceptable ways to greet your fellow Jew for Shabbat

 

Shabbat Shalom from Eretz Yisrael

It looks like winter has arrived. The weather is colder, in Jerusalem it was raining today. Yes, the Kineret's water level is important. Actually, I dont know the latest measurement, but the last I found states that the water level of the Kinert is - 213.67m, -67cm below the lower red line.

If one considers that a ruler is 30 cm, the amount of water below the red line is over two rulers worth. Multiply that my the full surface area of the Kineret and that is quite a lot of water required.

You got it, keep up the davening, we want that water level rising this year.

Weather reports state thunder storms are expected for Shabbos, so make sure to have your Siddur with you with the Brachah for thunder and recite the Brachah when hearing the thunder.

Well, it's Thursday again so time to begin Shabbos preparations if you have not already begun.

We hope you have had a good and blessed week and are feeling settled in this precious Land.

Remember candle lighting is earlier again this week. In Jerusalem, candle lighting times will be:

Friday, November 18, 2011	Light Candles at: 3:59 pm
Shabbat, November 19, 2011	Shabbat Ends: 5:17 pm

If you are in another area of Eretz Yisrael, please make sure you have the correct time to light your Shabbat Candles. For other areas of the world, you need the correct time for there too.

Shabbat Times can be found on Chabad.org  follow the link and select the city for where you will be.

Shabbat Shalom

It's Raining!!

It's been a beautiful few days in Eretz Yirsael. Warm winter sun, not too bright, lovely for getting out and about, seeing the country and completing necessary tasks, chores or errands. But winter in Israel is a time for much needed rain and today we are blessed with rain. Yay!!!

Am I becoming a weather bureaux? NO, but weather and more importantly adequate rainfall in the correct season is part and parcel of life in Israel.

So what's doing with the Kineret. Well the level has fallen over the last few days. It had reached -213. 65 m a few days ago. Today it measures at -213.67 m. The level is higher than it was this time last year by 24 cm, but we need lots more rain. We don''t want the level to fall, we want it to rise, up to the water level that is safe for us here in Israel.

I hope you dont get bored with our weather report. What else is there to life in Eretz Yisrael?

Well I asked some friends what they liked most about Eretz Yisrael. 

The answer was:

"The kedusha. You can feel it in the air- before you even land at Ben Gurion."

"I LOVE the old city - I LOVE tzefat, I love the ramat hagolan I love chevron , I LOVE THE KOTEL, I LOVE THE HOLY LAND !!!

"I LOVE SDEREOT I LOVE ITAMAR , I love maale adumim I love nachalot, shall I keep going ??? My love is unending !!"

"I become highly aware of my neshoma, when I have the zechut to be in E"Y. I feel a deeper bond with HKB"HU when I am there"  

We'd like to hear from you, our fellow Jew and fellow Oleh or Olah. What do YOU like most about Eretz Yisrael? How are YOUR Aliyah plans coming along? If YOU are already here, how are YOU settling in?

 

It's Raining in Israel.

Just15 hours after posting the previous post about "Thinking Positively and Praying for rain", we found some wonderful posts on Face Book.

4am... And it''s POURING with rain. B''H.

IT'S RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) lets hope it lasts more than 5 minutes!!! :-)

We got inspired to take a few photos ...

rain drops on our Sorgim (burglar bars)

Reflection of a tree in a puddle from the rain.

It's all misty....

The rain is out and the kids are all ready.

Reflection of a building in the stages of being built, in our beautiful Israeli rain.

it's raining again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

It's.... it's.... it's... pouring rain! Thank You, Thank You!!!!!

IT'S RAINING IN ISRAEL!!!!! BARUCH HASHEM.

Amen!!! It is amazing because of all the praying we all did for rain B"H

The rain has reached the south...
  
RAIN, BLESSED RAIN!!!

Isru Chag - An Adjustment

We showed the beautiful images of Sukkot, now to turn to a different adjustment for our Isru Chag falls on a different day to those outside of Israel.

I dont remember being aware of Isru Chag outside of Israel, even though it does occur. However, using a diary that includes all the days, Chagim etc, suddenly I became aware of Isru Chag. As "Ask Moses" defines it; Isru Chag is the day after a chag (holiday). Isru means to bind. The day after the chag enjoys an afterglow of the chag and is therefore "bound" in some sense to the chag.

The term comes from a verse in Psalms 118 which refers to the festival offering as a chag and mentions that it was bound to the altar. The words that are used in that verse are Isru Chag.

We have just completed the Yom Tov of Sukkot, finishing with Shmini Atzeret and Simchas Torah. That is for those of us in Israel. For those outside of Israel, today is still a Yom Tov, Simchas Torah.

For many it takes some getting used to that the 8 day festivals shorten by a day. Therefore Pesach and Sukkot are 7 days in Israel. Some enjoy this, other miss that extra day of Chag.

For some who make aliya and then visit their family outside of Israel during Yom Tov, the question arises as to what to do on the day that is Chag in Chul and regular day in Israel. On the other hand, for those whose family comes to visit them, what does one do to accommodate the extra day of Chag that they need to observe.

There are different customs as to how to handle those in Israel on "Isru Chag" and Olim - now Israelis, outside of Israel during the extra day of Yom Tov. I would recommend talking to your rabbi about this.

For those who talk, skype, Face Book or Twitter to / with family in Chul, another consideration comes into play. Although Israel now enjoys Isru Chag and those in Australia probably are too by now, for those in South Africa, America, England Europe and other parts of the diaspora, they still have Yom Tov and we need to respect this. It takes a little getting used to and a bit of discipline to refrain from making Havdala and reaching for the phone to greet ones family. Whether or not they observe the mitzvos, we still have a responsibility not to cause them to stumble, and it is therefore advisable to use the international clocks to make sure when their Chag comes out.

Aside from this, the question arises as to what one does on Isru Chag. Do we return to work? Do we clean our home and get everything back in order and then return to work the following day? Again there are differences. Some places of work have a half day work on Isru Chag. Schools typically return the following day. For some places of work, Isru Chag is work as usual.

For all of us, both in Israel and outside of it, an important change occurs during the Musaf prayers of yesterday. We now change our focus to praying for rain in the right season, as we turn from summer to autumn and winter. This focus one will come across often, for the Land of Israel, rain is very much intertwined with our prayers.

Enjoy your day of Isru Chag and remember to pray hard for a winter with plenty of rain.