My Aunt told me a story when we were sitting shiva for Dad - they had been talking about what the worse thing that could befall them could possibly be. She said something predictable about the bank losing all their money. His response was "that my sons would not know how to say Kaddish for me".
I have always found this a fascinating reply; Dad wasn't a particularly religious man in the traditional sense of the word; the last Shabbat I spent with him; his last Shabbat, he turned down an Aliyah to the Torah at my cousin's Bar Mitzva on the grounds that he wasn't worthy of it - he asked that it be given to me instead. He was very worthy of it - aware of where he had come from and making sure that we had an appropriate education. I had the last laugh that Shabbat - we gave him an Aliyah at Mincha instead - no arguments that time!
Today, nine years after he passed away, my brother and I said Kaddish for Dad at two different Minyanim in Jerusalem where we have made our homes. I'm sure that he is looking down with pride at the lives we have built and our various accomplishments (in between fleecing various angels at poker).
If you're reading today, on this cold, wet evening, please pour yourself a Scotch (Glenlivet if you have - his favourite) and raise a glass.
Gilly
5 comments:
G + Leelee (and the best chocolate cake maker in the world if she is reading this),
Your Dad is looking down, chewing on a huge cigar, giving some of those oh so spiritual beings a right rollicking for talking so much cr*p, but he is mighty proud of u boys. His endless kindness to all of us, coupled with his no nonsense attitude for B*llshitters and his respect for those who truly deserved it, lives on in our hearts. From a northern monkey who will always be grateful (and can only drink scotch off a certain's person's head!).
Mrs Superpharm and I will be drinking a l'chaim to the memory of Mori ben Sol tonight. As we are in Las Vegas at the Luxor he will certainly approve of our choice. Poker games going on 24 hours a day!
My dad's 11th yartzheit will be in a few weeks. I too have moved on to that feeling of knowing how proud he must be...thanks for the reminder. Oh, and my dad liked scotch too. :)
Northern Monkey - cheers - lots of happy memories in your comment.
Superpharm - Dad would have approved of your choice (and left with more money then he came with)
Emah - I'll raise a glass to your old boy too.
Gilly
Wishing you all a long life.
Northern Monkey said everything I would have wanted to say better than I could have, so just ditto really.
Yellow Boy
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