Niagara Falls on Chol Hamoed: A Hot Chani haven

So I did something pretty frum yesterday: I took a Chol Hamoed day trip with some friends to Niagara Falls. It was a great trip. And for many reasons.

We did some of the touristy stuff; i.e. Casino Niagara, shopping in the US and of course hit up the Falls. As a matter of fact, two of the buddies we went with still had to say Taschlich so they did it there.

But amongst all the fun, two things really stood out to me:

Sukkos: A Look Back

Now that we’re in a different month, I feel that I can take an objective look at what I did or did not like about Sukkos this year.  Like everyone else, I obviously loved having 3 days of yontif twice in ten days, and it didn’t tire me out in the least. I truly enjoyed long meals outside, what with the beautifully warm and dry Toronto weather, overly spacious seating arrangements, and a great opportunity to train for that beekeeping job I’ve been after. I can’t think of a single time that I hoped it would rain, or patiently waited until it did, so that I wouldn’t be halachically obligated to eat outside.

Sittin In Tha Sukkah (Sittin On Tha Toilet parody)

This may be one of the stupidest, yet most hysterical videos I have ever made. If you don’t see what is so funny about this video, than I suggest you watch the second video I’ve posted

Buying Aravos for Hoshana Rabbah: What a Scam

On Hoshana Rabbah, there’s a little custom called “the beating of the aravah,” which is done by taking five branches of the aravos (the same ones we use in the normal 4 minim), and are whacked against the floor five times.

It’s a pretty awesome custom considering you actually get to take something and beat it to the ground an then subsequently practice your quarterbacking skills and hurl them over the Aron Hakodesh. I actually look forward to the whole thing.

Well except for one part: the actual acquiring of said aravos, which is typically done through an unruly transaction with your local shul.

Lulav Bloopers

I was in shul the other day shaking my lulav when it occurred to me that I had brown stuff on my lulav. I’ve seen the brown on lulavim before, but as I glanced around the shul I didn’t see any other brown lulavim.

My first thought was ,”oh $&%^! I bought a pasul lulav!” So there I was saying hallel and trying to pick the brown out of my lulav. All of a sudden the chazzan says Hodu, and I figure I gotta start waving this thing. As I’m waving and peeling I realize that a) I have no clue how to wave this thing, b) the brown stuff is getting all over my hair, c) I have no idea if the pittum should be up or down, d) I’m probably not allowed to tear the lulav on chag or make it (more) pasul than it might have been.