Of the Ascent

The winter brought a great fire that moved my heart and its desires for the future. Its impact brought great inspiration to accelerate my religious practice.

A twist in fate brought an early leaving date from the Matsuzaki Home and a soon-coming move back to the Matty's Dorm. I decided to take the opportunity to begin a stricter observance of the kosher eating laws.

(This means to not only forgo eating pig or shellfish, but all that is produced without the strict observance of a Rabbi specialist. Because of this, I will be getting most of my food from the Chabad Houses in Tokyo. In order to kosher cooking and eating utensils, they must be purchased anew, immersed in a body of water [at least the size of a large hot tub], and blessed.)

On the night after Purim, I set out on the task of koshering newly purchased cooking and eating utensils. I packed the large front basket of my bike with a glass, bowl, spoon, chopstick set, knife, cutting board, a pan and its cover and three plastic containers and headed to Zushi Beach.

Winter had not fully let go, and there was a strong wind and slight chill in the air. The moon was full and peaking in and out from behind a partly overcast sky.

As I rode onward, I felt very strong. I was fulfilling a command of G-d; on a mission from the Most High.

I arrived at the beach. It was desolate. The clouds were intense and the wind was howling. Afternoon showers left the sand soft and wet and a 20 foot long, two inch deep pool between the naked sand and the shoreline.

I had no choice but to take off my shoes and socks and wade through. As I laid down the bike and made three sets of piles, the clouds parted and the moon shined in full brilliance.

Then I walked in with prayer book in hand. It was dark and difficult to stay dry, but thankfully nothing was lost or damaged. I immersed the vessels, loudly recited the blessings above the waves and wind and headed home. I did not feel cold for a moment.

Back at the house, I went straight to the shower and washed the sand off myself and that which I had just blessed.

As I dried them off, the vessels appeared to glisten. Soon after I went to sleep, with a sated heart.

Love and sacrifice feed each other.