The Shikker Dovid has a friend who is a very holy Jew, The Robot Rabbi. ( Its true, look for him on the internet.) The Robot Rabbi has encouraged the Shikker Dovid to add some personal reflections. Here is one. Every morning the Shikker Dovid wakes up hopeful for a good day. A meaningful day. A day of parnasah, a day of health, happiness and good things for all people. Giving up hope, is the end.

In the Talmud there is an idea of giving up hope of finding a lost article or object known as “Yaosh” (This is a hard word to transliterate.) In Ruth there are two men who die immediately while in Moav, Machlon and Chilion. They have left eretz yisrael due to a famine. The Talmud tells us in Bava Basra, page 92B, there real names were Taosh (or Yaosh, I cant remember) and Seraph (Burnt).

The lesson is obvious. They left Israel due to the famine, they abandoned their land and people. They gave up hope. They died. We should learn the lesson, be hopeful; be positive. Things will improve.