The Two Angels

As most of you know by now, because I have mentioned it about a million bajillion times (phrase borrowed from the Junie B Jones series of books and a thank you to the author, Barbara Parks for coining the phrase), this weekend I will be moving into my new house, my first house since being married, as it is time to get out of the apartments—yeah! Since we are getting things set up, the plan is to have Shabbos dinner there tonight.

The house is not yet set up. The only furniture currently there is the folding stuff, but it will do just fine. We will be doing a Hannukah Habayit ceremony (Dedication of the house), but that won’t be done until we are officially in. Still, there is something very exciting about knowing this is the first Shabbat (Sabbath) in the new home.

The excitement level is very high. Honestly (and fortunately) it is not as high as it was the first Shabbat that I got to bless my son after he was born. That probably was the most meaningful Shabbat that I have ever had, certainly in a long time. Certainly other milestones come to mind as well, in terms of being meaningful (not all positive thought, for instance, the Shabbat celebrated during the Shivah period after my mother died, as well as the one during Shivah after my father died were very meaningful). Still, this one does rank up there as one of the most meaningful.

Many of you know, I am sure, the story about the two Angels that visit each house Friday Night and look around. If it is a welcoming Shabbat atmosphere, the good Angel says, “May it be like this every Shabbat,” and the second Angel, the bas angel, has to say “Amen” (Let it be so). If the house is in dissaray, shambles and there is not much of a Shabbos atmosphere, the bad angel says, “May it be like this every Shabbat,” and the good angel has to answer “Amen”.

I can’t tell you the house won’t be in disarray as we are in the process of moving. I can, however, say that there will definitely be a warm, welcoming, loving Shabbat atmosphere and hopefully that atmosphere will be in the house for many more Shabbats to come.