Spring is, inevitably, coming. And, with it come hopes, dreams of the better future, associations with pink / rosy glasses. Time and again, my mind races back and forth bringing pleasant thoughts and emotions and going back to the darkness that is so ingrained in my whole being.

Personal ups and downs are mixed today with the news, again! about the terrible terror attacks all over the world. For me, of course, the most tragic is the news from Israel, where lives young and old were taken in a brutal attack. One of the victims was a talented musician, a soldier, a son of the olim from Russia, another – the father of 12, a Rabbi. Yet another young man, also my former countrymate, is still fighting for his life. How common it has become! News of murders, terror, hatred seems to never leave our media. Most of the times these days, I am so happy I don’t own a TV. However, there is no cover from the news, no sacred quiet place, except maybe the shul on Shabbat. The murder of tens of people in New Zealand or the bombing of a church finds me thinking of horrors all over the world – don’t get me wrong – murder is a murder, terror is terror, no matter where and by whom it is perpetrated. Human life is human life.  However, never did I see Jews distributing candy and celebrating the murder of another human being. It says in the Talmud: “How dare you sing for joy when My creatures are dying” – human beings are taught from the start to be compassionate, but it seems that we all are experiencing a drastic case of compassion fatigue. We are no longer capable of genuinely caring about people we don’t personally know, even though we feel bound to them on a national or any other level.

This situation draws us (or only me?) closer to the people we love – we want them to be with us at all times, we want to know that they need us and we need them, we are happy when they are close.

Now, with the holiday of Purim coming this week, I am happily feeding my loved ones with the little treats, hoping to celebrate the chag, loud that it is with the people I care for and hope to be with for a long time. So, let’s hope for better times!

Chag Purim Sameach!