Friday, 15 May 2015

I slept well last night until about 2:30 a.m. I often wake up briefly sometime around that hour, but I'm usually able to get back to sleep fairly quickly. This time, however, it just didn't quite work, and I got essentially no real sleep after that. I didn't get up, though, until nearly quarter to 6:00. I felt tired, so I didn't go out for a morning walk, except the short one down to the bakery to buy challah, just before breakfast.

I spent the day fairly quietly. I jotted notes to myself about stories of David that I could write, and I even wrote a couple of them.

For lunch, I had my traditional Friday fare at Il Pentolino.

I got my first shiva visitor this afternoon, a woman from apartment 16 on the 3rd floor of our building named Shalhevet. I actually don't recall even seeing her before, but she was so nice. She couldn't stay long, but she brought some food (which I haven't tried yet but will tomorrow) and told me her family is Moroccan. She also spoke fluent English! It just confirmed for me the wonderfulness of Israelis.

This evening, my friends, Moshe and Barak, had invited me and another friend, Isobel, to their place for Shabbat dinner. So, for the first time in quite a few weeks, I made Shabbat with other people instead of all by myself. That was nice! And, of course, the company and the conversation were also very enjoyable.

Tonight, I'll close with the traditional blessing for mourners:

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

May the Divine One comfort you along with the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem