Frum Day at the Beach

So it occurred to my man Paul that he hadn't spoken to our rabbi friend Yossi in quite awhile, and asked me to set up a meeting.  I called His Holiness -- sure enough he was free, and we agreed to meet at a glatt kosher spot (the only way Yossi rolls) on Miami Beach.

I drove there and found a lot behind the restaurant, Capri, which features Italian and sushi.  Many glat places have unusual combinations -- the hard part is getting to that highest level of kashruth.  I went to use one of my favorite apps -- "Park by Phone" -- but learned Miami Beach had a different system.  I presume the infamously corrupt Beach government got a better deal from a competitor, and I spent time downloading the alternative app.

I went inside, with a gift for Yossi in tow.  His birthday next week, and I bought him an enormous bottle of Stoli Elite.  I sat down, and soon Paul joined me.  A fellow at the next table complemented the size of my Stoli bottle -- he had never seen one so big.  Since he was obviously religious, I refrained from the obvious double entendre...

Turned out he owned the restaurant, as well as another, as well as the glatt grocery and wine shop next door.  Paul soon engaged him in a discussion about the relative merits of his place versus the Aventura kosher place where Paul buys his shabbos supplies -- and soon the two men went next door to buy some supposedly good kosher wine, which we sampled during lunch.

Soon Yossi joined us.  He told us it was his Hebrew birthday -- since the Jewish and Gregorian calendars don't match -- dates often miss each other by a week or so.  He took it as Diving Providence that we set the meeting -- in truth, he considers Paul and me his earliest Miami friends.

We talked and ate very good sushi.  We mostly discussed life, and aging, and marriage -- Yossi will perform D1's ceremony in less than 2 months.  He told me his very good feelings about Joey -- my future son in law.

Yossi left, and Paul and I wandered the 'hood.  Paul needed a new set of tefillin boxes -- the covering for the sacred texts he puts on his forehead and arm 6 days per week.  Sure enough, there was a shop that stocked them.  Then we ended up at a kosher coffee place and had serviceable cappucinnos.

When Yossi first came to Miami, in 1995, we met when he was to become a tenant at a house we were renting.  Wifey took one look at him, and his modestly dressed wife, and their baby boy, and said "You guys got the wrong part of town -- you need to go to Miami Beach!" They laughed -- they knew in fact they had the right part of town -- and in the ensuing 22 years have built a thriving shul and community center -- with awesome programs like the Friendship Circle, which helps scores of special needs kids.

It was lovely to mark the passage of time with our rabbi friend.  He always teaches us something, and yesterday was no exception.  He said that a great rabbi taught about being in prison, and his jailers said he could leave for one day.  Which day should he pick?  His birthday, or maybe a major holiday?

No -- the answer was TODAY.  God gives each day as a gift, with no guarantee of further gifts.  So if you have the chance to reach out, and improve yourself, the day is today -- not some uncertain time in the future.

In that regard, we have big plans for tonight.  We're headed to see Paul McCartney at the AAA with D1 and Joey.  And D2 and Jonathan are due in later -- Dadber can't fetch them, since we'll be at the show.

Today is Ringo Starr's 77th birthday, and the rumors are flying that he will join his fellow Beatle at the show.  That would be pretty cool.

Regardless, we have another day to celebrate, and plan to do so.  Thanks, Rabbi...