before the gate

At the end of the second century there lived in Babylonia a Talmudic scholar named Abba Arika, who came to be known simply as "Rav." He left many glorious quotes on how to live, and how to approach death, of which one is my favorite:

Man will be called before the judgment seat of God to give an account for every legitimate pleasure he denied himself in this world.

I have been thinking about these matters. We are not here to seek suffering, but to uncover and share the joy that we may call our soul, our essence, our God.

These are, in the Jewish tradition, the Days of Awe. In two days, Yom Kippur begins, the holiest of days because on this day the accounts come due, the gate closes, and our soul, our essence, our God answers the big question: In the year to come, who will live? And who will die?

Rich shall not live. But neither shall he die.

Because a gate has something on the other side. Maybe it's about the law of conservation of energy -- what is created cannot be destroyed. Where Rich is going is where he once was, and will be again, and in the time in-between he gave others the pleasure of his work, myself the pleasure of his love, and never denying that his life was so, so blessed.

And he enjoyed good Scotch whisky, single malt preferred.

Rav would be pleased. I expect God will, too.

May we all have a sweet year,

Candace