-[I]- For the holiday

[Paul .Jamison]

On a table is a Menorah. Rabbi Sammy, a Dark-Eyed White ferret, wearing his black yarmulke with the red trim and his prayer shawl (and a mask - the ferrets are being extra careful), is standing behind the table and carefully arranging nine small candles by the candelabrum. When he is satisfied with the placement, Sammy looks over his shoulder and nods his head.

A younger Albino wearing a simple blue yarmulke and a blue mask steps solemnly forward. This is Levi. This is Sammy's son. It doesn't seem all that long ago that he was a tiny newborn, his eyes tightly shut. He has grown so much since then, and his father and mother are proud of him.

Rabbi Sammy steps back. The young ferret takes his place at the table.
Levi picks up one candle and places it in the central holder of the Menorah; this candle is the Shamash. He places a single candle in the far right holder. Levi then recites the shehechiyanu blessing (translated from the Hebrew).

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season."

Levi lights the Shamash and recites the following blessings.

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers, in those days at this season."

Levi removes the Shamash from the central holder and uses it to light the first candle; the flame reflects in the young ferret's deep red eyes. He recites the following prayer.

"We kindle these lights
For the miracles and the wonders
For the redemption and the battles
Which You performed for our forefathers
In those days of this season
Through Your holy priests.
During all eight days of Hanukkah
These lights are sacred
And we are not permitted to make ordinary use of them
But only to look at them
In order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name
For Your miracles, Your wonders, and Your salvations."

###########################

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The Menorah with its eight candles marks the Miracle of the Container of Oil, when one day's worth of oil for the eternal flame in the Temple of Jerusalem was able to last for eight days.

In these uncertain times, I wish all of my friends the best for the Holy Days. *L'Chayim*.

Paul - Shelo yichbe neiro l'olam v'ed. (The light will burn forever.)

[Stephen Frost]

In message <d32f97c0-4b0b-4cfd...@googlegroups.com>

Hi Paul & team,


Nice to see you're all still here :)

Seasons greetings to everyone else who's also still here...


Stephen

--
Sig. under development - maybe

[Nigel Stapley]

On 11/12/2020 07:36, Paul .Jamison wrote:

<snip>

Shalom, lechayim v mazel tov! Nice to see an old tradition maintained
for those few of our tribe left.

--
Regards

Nigel Stapley

www.thejudge.me.uk

<reply-to will bounce>

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Basil D]

On 12/10/2020 11:36 PM, Paul .Jamison wrote:
> Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean
> Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The Menorah with its eight candles marks the Miracle of the
> Container of Oil, when one day's worth of oil for the eternal flame in the Temple of Jerusalem
> was able to last for eight days.

I have always loved the Hanukkah story. It taught me something very important:

There is always enough light.

> In these uncertain times, I wish all of my friends the best for the Holy Days. *L'Chayim*.

L'Chayim!


~~Basil

[Paul .Jamison]

Rabbi Sammy, wearing his black yarmulke and mask, steps up and arranges the nine candles next to the Menorah. Once he has done this, he steps back and nods to a young Albino ferret wearing his own mask. Levi, Sammy’s son, steps forward and places the Shamash in the central holder on the Menorah and begins to place the remaining eight candles in the other holders, from right to left. Levi lights the Shamash and solemnly recites the following blessings:)

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers, in those days of this season."

(Levi removes the lit Shamash from the central holder and uses it to light the eight candles, from left to right, and says the following prayer.)

"We kindle these lights
For the miracles and the wonders
For the redemption and the battles
Which You performed for our forefathers
In those days of this season
Through Your holy priests.

During all eight days of Hanukkah
These lights are sacred

And we are not permitted to make ordinary us of them

But only to look at them
In order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name
For Your miracles, Your wonders, and Your salvations."

###############################

Again, Rabbi Sammy, his wife Clarissa, their son Levi, Sammy's congregation and his friends – very much including yours truly – wish you all the best for all the holidays that you celebrate. Tomorrow the Rabbi will mark the *Shabbat* by leading his synagogue’s congregation, via SkippyZoom(TM), in a special prayer for our nation, for our world and for all of us in these troubled times. *L'Chayim*

Now, if you'll excuse me, Sammy, his family and I are going to share some sufganiyots [essentially a Hanukkah donut].

[Kerr-Mudd,John]

On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:03:09 GMT, "Paul .Jamison" <paul...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Rabbi Sammy, wearing his black yarmulke and mask, steps up and

Pratchett was a non-believer, I thought.

--
Bah, and indeed, Humbug.

[Nigel Stapley]

On 24/12/2020 16:56, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
> On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:03:09 GMT, "Paul .Jamison" <paul...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Rabbi Sammy, wearing his black yarmulke and mask, steps up and
>
> Pratchett was a non-believer, I thought.
>

Doesn't mean that Paul's ferrets aren't, though.

[Nigel Stapley]

On 24/12/2020 21:22, Nigel Stapley wrote:
> On 24/12/2020 16:56, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
>> On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:03:09 GMT, "Paul .Jamison" <paul...@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Rabbi Sammy, wearing his black yarmulke and mask, steps up and
>>
>> Pratchett was a non-believer, I thought.
>>
>
> Doesn't mean that Paul's ferrets aren't, though.
>

Or 'are', rather.

[Paul .Jamison]

On Thursday, December 24, 2020 at 4:55:35 PM UTC-6, Nigel Stapley wrote:
> On 24/12/2020 21:22, Nigel Stapley wrote:
> > On 24/12/2020 16:56, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
> >> On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:03:09 GMT, "Paul .Jamison" <paul...@yahoo.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Rabbi Sammy, wearing his black yarmulke and mask, steps up and
> >>
> >> Pratchett was a non-believer, I thought.
> >>
> >
> > Doesn't mean that Paul's ferrets aren't, though.
> >
> Or 'are', rather.
> --
> Regards
>
> Nigel Stapley
>
> www.thejudge.me.uk
>
>

I tend to be skeptical about it, but the ferrets embrace many different belief systems.

[Henry Nebrensky]

On Thursday, 24 December 2020 at 21:22:22 UTC, Nigel Stapley wrote:
> On 24/12/2020 16:56, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:

> > ...

> > Pratchett was a non-believer, I thought.
> >
> Doesn't mean that Paul's ferrets aren't, though.

(Belatedly) I would note that the ferrets are almost certainly non-believers, since subscribing to any one True Religion pretty well guarantees non-believement in all of the others...
:)

Hope this helps,

Henry

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

This, for example.
--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.