K'Heref Ayin - In the Blink of an Eye

I started this blog post in March in order to publicly thank G-d for His apparent assistance in arranging Covid vaccinations for me and my dear husband. Just when it seemed like we would be waiting endlessly for our turn, we got our shots in the blink of an eye. 

Then I blinked and it was Pesach. Blinked again and joy turned to tragedy in Meron. Another blink and our long-awaited trip to Israel was planned. Blink. Trip postponed due to a war that seemed to come out of nowhere. Blink. Ceasefire. Blink And We Are Here. Home. In a peaceful and mostly mask-free Jerusalem. In our beloved and beautiful Har Nof. 

Our sages tell us that "yeshuas Hashem k'heref ayin" - G-d's salvation comes in the blink of an eye. Thank you, dear G-d, for every blink that reveals your kindness, compassion and perfect timing; may we soon merit to understand the blinks that have not cleared the blur of tragedy and loss, of terror and antisemitism...

Each blink draws attention

to G-d's personal intervention

in the details of our stay 

and in the lives of those we meet along the way.

Torah lectures and beautiful weather,

friends and relatives

with whom we've gotten together,

even the hit to our rental car 

showed G-d's presence, 

never too far.

To Remember Jerusalem 

while I am here

is to recall all her splendor 

as I watch her prepare

for what will be again

very soon, b'ezrat Hashem 

(with G-d's help).

I could go on but Shabbos will be here in the blink of an eye and I want to send this out in time to say Shabbat Shalom to you from the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Today is also the first day of the month of Tammuz. According to Kabbalah, the month of Tammuz is associated with the sense of sight. (I totally did not know this when I started this blog post in March, finishing it on the first day of Tammuz!)

According to chabad.org "the month of Tammuz is the best month of the year to learn to exercise our sight in the most positive way possible (which) involves both shying away from that which is negative and training ourselves to see things in a positive light". May Hashem help me during this visit - and always - to see His Land and His people - with clear vision. Wishing you a month full of blessing and clarity. Hoping to see you and all Am Yisrael (the Nation of Israel) here k'heref ayin - in the blink of an eye.

Photo credit: Elisheva. From the beautiful blog she writes from the holy city of Tzefat. 

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