Image by miheco via Flickr
I should, um, do stuff to get ready for the chaggim other than stock the fridge, right? Yeah. Last year I felt pretty much the same way, but tried to have strong intentions of staying spiritual through the holidays and all the way through our wedding (the second of Cheshvan, the week after Simcha Torah). It worked! minus a few minor blips that I blogged about.
Anyway, I’ve been reading up on being a Jewish wife because I’m realizing how little I know. A friend of mine is frum (shomer negia, shomer shabbos, and modest), and I have a general idea of what this means to me but we’ve been talking about what it means to her and I’ve been seeking out other people’s opinions as well. I”m just curious. Side note: tomorrow, I’m going to the local university Chabad to help cook for Rosh Hashana and maybe to pick Leah’s (the rebitzen’s) brain if the opportunity arises.
This was set off by my going to my first Rosh Chodesh women’s group last month (and being disappointed that there isn’t one this month). The topic was quite racy, “Becoming One Flesh: Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually — A How To Guide.” Yeah, it was a loaded evening! There was a lady torah scholar from Denver and a sex therapist dueling for our beliefs at times. The lady torah scholar (I can’t recall her name) was very Kabalistic and the sex therapist quite liberal. Shechina and kosher sex vs. kink and fantasy are encouraged kind of sparring. It was interesting, to say the least. The big takeaway: sex is not a ladder to climb to orgasm (kissing, caressing, petting, sex, orgasm) but a cheesecake sampler platter of verbs to take nibbles of as needed (kissing, spanking, hugging, licking, petting, massaging, etc.) as desired. Both women agreed though that sex doesn’t always have to be a part of intimacy (unless you’re strictly following the halacha of using the mikvah in marriage).
I hope next month’s Rosh Chodesh group is as interesting! I’m really glad I went (even if I was the only child-less woman my age there). It was nice to see some of the ladies from synagogue not herding kids around and being themselves; blurting stuff out and giggling when I’m used to seeing them in matron-mode at kiddish.
Time to get back to chores so that I can have the house ready for Rosh Hashana. Having the house in order helps my spirit be in order!
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